UKC

For those not aware, CRISPR is a gene editing technology still in its infancy. It's complex and full of challenges, but with further development, it could allow us to make precise changes to our DNA.

I first want to acknowledge that CRISPR has incredibly important and sensitive applications. It has the potential to be lifechanging for people suffering from genetic conditions, and I hope this post doesn’t come across as flippant or in bad taste, that’s absolutely not my intent.

What I’m curious about is if you could make a frivolous change with CRISPR, what would it be?

Personally, after spending the last two days unable to walk down stairs thanks to the worst case of DOMS I’ve ever had (I got back into running after months off and accidentally chose a brutally hilly 5km route), I’d love to reverse millions of years of evolution and tell my body, just because I’m not using those muscles right now, doesn’t mean you should take them away from me.

I’m not in a food scarce environment, leave them alone.

In a similar vein, making the cartelidge in my knees grow back would be nice

Increase the expression/ transcription of foetal haemoglobin to increase acclimatisation to high altitude climbing. Shrink that death zone!

GTE

Grow a tail

grow some padding on my coccyx.

Yes, I’d love a tail.  A prehensile one, preferably with stripy, ring pattered, short fur.  

An eye on the end of it might be useful.

I’d make my left ear fluorescent to freak people out in clubs and bars..

If you want a quasi science, rabbit hole, quack cures, partisan opinions and n=1 "studies", look no further than cartilage 

It used to be stated as (assumed) fact that cartilage and joints in general just wore out, there was a finite resource it can't regrow because no blood supply, and it wearing out was inevitable.

This was illogical because if cartilage cannot be grown due to no blood supply then an adult couldn't have larger knees and more cartilage than a newborn baby so it is patently true that some mechanism to grow cartilage must exit.

Secondly, excluding relatively extreme exercise and non exercise scenarios, people who exercise more than average are less prone than average to develop significant osteoarthritis than people who exercise less than average.

So the "it just wears out" theory is completely debunked by both common sense (growth from baby to adult) and studies (exercise versus osteoarthritis)

It's reasonable to believe that there's one (or more) mechanisms that erodes cartilage and one (or more) mechanisms that repairs cartilage. If erosion rate is higher than repair it "shrinks" if the reverse it true it can "grow"

Enter the quackery and rabbit holes...

Various claims exist including individual accounts (i.e. various individuals not peer reviewed studies) that some substantial dietary changes can tip the balance back to growth. Nearly zero simple carbs, lower carbs in general and near zero processed foods are the general themes. Although the "magic" cure varies depending whose account you follow. Some people do swear that they were able to rehabilitate lost cartilage.

Welcome to the rabbit hole 😄

You just lost me.

I sit here with a spoonful of Nutella.

Gene edit midges so they only bite reform, brexit and pro independence voters.

Dinosaurs.

Jk

I dunno about that, I saw a series of documentaries about this (think it was called Jurassic Park or World or something, can't remember) and it was fraught with all sort of setbacks

I guess as long as we make sure we adequately pay the IT staff, it could work out OK this time?