10-29-2022, 03:31 PM
(This post was last modified: 10-29-2022, 10:54 PM by FaceInTheCrowd.)
My thoughts about Khan and his people exactly. I guess those of us who weren't enthralled by abusive jock type arrogance in HS will always react with the same disapproving incredulity when we see others falling for it.
Earth in the Star Trek universe had a catastrophically bad experience with human genetic enhancement and the survivors kneejerk overreacted with a total ban instead of reasonable regulation on future technology. Right or wrong, they decided that the risk of genetic enhancements producing another band of would-be super-conquerors outweighed any potential benefit from it. And when the Federation was formed, they somehow convinced the other members to go along with it.
In the current series Strange New Worlds, it's been revealed that Number One is an Illyrian, a race of humanoids who engage in genetic modification. Because of this they are barred from Federation membership or service in Starfleet, and Federation worlds are barred from using any of their medical tech. The first season ended with her being arrested, and this is likely to be the opening arc of the second season. Not that it's likely to result in any big changes, seeing as how human gene modification is still banned in TNG's 24th century.
I wonder how the Federation would react to people who mutate into advanced or powered forms spontaneously, without deliberate genetic mods. They might have to face the fact that they're not the tolerant Utopia they like to paint themselves as. I think we're unlikely to see that, though, because the DC/Marvel superhero world seems to have cornered the market on persecuted outcast mutant storylines.
Earth in the Star Trek universe had a catastrophically bad experience with human genetic enhancement and the survivors kneejerk overreacted with a total ban instead of reasonable regulation on future technology. Right or wrong, they decided that the risk of genetic enhancements producing another band of would-be super-conquerors outweighed any potential benefit from it. And when the Federation was formed, they somehow convinced the other members to go along with it.
In the current series Strange New Worlds, it's been revealed that Number One is an Illyrian, a race of humanoids who engage in genetic modification. Because of this they are barred from Federation membership or service in Starfleet, and Federation worlds are barred from using any of their medical tech. The first season ended with her being arrested, and this is likely to be the opening arc of the second season. Not that it's likely to result in any big changes, seeing as how human gene modification is still banned in TNG's 24th century.
I wonder how the Federation would react to people who mutate into advanced or powered forms spontaneously, without deliberate genetic mods. They might have to face the fact that they're not the tolerant Utopia they like to paint themselves as. I think we're unlikely to see that, though, because the DC/Marvel superhero world seems to have cornered the market on persecuted outcast mutant storylines.