[scorpion]

(09-18-2012 08:29 PM)basilransom Wrote:  

Gattaca was a stupid movie. Or smart in that it illuminated how stupidly people think about such matters. The world has always been like 'Gattaca.' It's close to impossible to become a pro-NBA player without being very tall and very athletic. And those traits are very much influenced by one's genes. You don't need a fucking DNA test to discriminate against people on the basis of their genes, especially when genes are worse indicators than real world tests, like a forty yard dash.

I don't think you really got the message the movie was trying to convey.

The point of the movie was that even if you could select for physical characteristics, non-physical traits like perseverance, spirit, courage and willpower can't be so easily identified in a lab.

And that those are the traits that ultimately determine greatness.

So sure, to follow your example, you could manufacture a "perfect" NBA player in a lab.

But it's highly unlikely that physical perfection would enable him to achieve greatness like Jordan or Kobe, etc... History is rife with examples of incredibly physically gifted players who squandered their talent.

The heart of a champion can't be identified in a DNA test.