this post was submitted on 22 Aug 2025
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Futurology

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Numerous studies in the past two years show that CRISPR-based interventions can correct mutations and restore cellular and behavioral function in mouse models of brain diseases. Diseases caused by mutations in genes associated with brain functions - like alternating hemiplegia of childhood (AHC), Huntington’s disease, and Friedreich’s ataxia- have seen major improvements in mice that have had their brains gene edited.

This raises a fascinating possibility - what if this gene editing could go beyond correcting diseases? What if you could get an IQ boost of 20-30 points? For obvious reasons, this would be huge for people on a personal level, but it would also have political effects. What would society be like if everyone were 30 IQ points smarter?

Brain editing now ‘closer to reality’: the gene-altering tools tackling deadly disorders: Stunning results in mice herald gene-editing advances for neurological diseases.

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[–] metaStatic@kbin.earth 2 points 51 minutes ago

I, for one, welcome our new super-intelligent rodent overlords

[–] CanadaPlus 2 points 14 hours ago

We think we'll turn ourselves into superhumans with gene editing, and worry about the societal implications and potential uses for evil.

But, the world is dumb. I suspect we'll actually turn ourselves into figurative pugs or Gros Michel bananas given the chance.

[–] megopie@beehaw.org 3 points 1 day ago

New technology will not solve issues unless we have the political will to ensure it will help everyone.

Such technology is worthless or potentially actively harmful until we deal with the social disasters currently occurring.

[–] Feyd@programming.dev 10 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (1 children)

Or, we could just provide everyone with a good education.

[–] MaximilianKohler -2 points 1 day ago (1 children)
[–] Feyd@programming.dev 5 points 1 day ago

Maybe you can link them directly so I don't have to sift through your shitty blog? At a glance, if your argument is that we should also have initiatives to increase the health of everybody, than I agree, and don't need some smug asshole putting words in my mouth.

[–] Vinny_93@lemmy.world 9 points 1 day ago (1 children)

If everyone gains 30 IQ points, nobody gains 30 IQ points. That's how indices work.

[–] givesomefucks@lemmy.world 4 points 1 day ago

I mean, sure...

They readjust 100 once drift becomes noticable and it's not the average result anymore.

But an IQ tests are still quantifiable and a hypothetical where everyone would score 30 points higher on the current scale is still worthwhile.

[–] CitizenKong@lemmy.world 7 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

Watch the movie Gattaca, there's your answer. Basically a two-class society between richt edited people and poor natural-born people who would be even more disadvantaged.

[–] belated_frog_pants@beehaw.org 6 points 1 day ago (1 children)

IQ tests are a scam and are rooted in Eugenics. They are also heavily skewed when the takers are poor and malnourished.

People arent born "stupid". They lack access to health and education.

[–] Pyro@pawb.social -3 points 1 day ago

When getting on your personal yacht, how many attendees are needed?

[–] inb4_FoundTheVegan@lemmy.world 6 points 1 day ago (1 children)

If we could magically snap our collective fingers and everyone become smarter? Sure, probably good for society.

But what's definitely incredibly toxic for society would be to pay-wall these sort of advances to the rich, creating a semi-human racial offshoot being constantly told that they are better, smarter and wealthier than any other human. Only new flavors of racism, apartheid and ethnic cleanings follow.

[–] FromPieces@lemmygrad.ml 2 points 1 day ago

That is absolutely what would happen.

[–] I_Has_A_Hat@lemmy.world 3 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

The news industry would collapse overnight as their entire customer base suddenly realizes "Hey! This is all just alarmist BS and straight up lies! Look at this, the headline isn't even CLOSE to depicting the reality of the situation. You'd have to be a complete fucking idiot to fall for this crap!"

[–] EtherWhack@lemmy.world 2 points 1 day ago

Would this be the start of the eugenics wars?

[–] MaximilianKohler 2 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

This widespread, and seemingly sole focus on genes is ignorant.

[–] hendrik@palaver.p3x.de 3 points 1 day ago

Kind of whataboutism from my side... But won't healthy (and enough) food for kids, education and opportunities provide an IQ boost? I guess we could do a noticeable increase if we wanted...

[–] HubertManne@piefed.social 1 points 1 day ago

way fewer kids till wealth inequality was reduced to reasonable levels.

[–] plyth@feddit.org 1 points 1 day ago

If everybody could read and understand Marx, people would seize the means of production.

I am not clever enough to know if they would still be exploited by an elite. The way investment bankers spend their bonuses makes me think so.

[–] NaibofTabr@infosec.pub 1 points 1 day ago

what could possibly go wrong

[–] deadbeef79000@lemmy.nz 1 points 1 day ago

Flowers for Algernon

[–] givesomefucks@lemmy.world 0 points 1 day ago

Curing neurological diseases isn't the same as bumping up IQ.

But 30 points is fucking huge...

Like, that's the difference between dead center "average" and a legal intellectual disability.

Because 30 points is where communication becomes hindered.

So if everyone got a 30 point bump, it would change absolutely nothing. The people being manipulated would be 30 points smarter, but so would the people manipulating them.

IQ just isn't a big deal, that's why they dropped the threshold for "genius" from 160 to 120 and added things like motivation and drive.

What really matters is the difference between people