Of what measure is a (non-)human? (Time of Eve)

[jseah]

However, I've also seen misplaced demands for equality, and they are just as jarring to me. If feature X is need for a job, and Group A has it while Group B doesn't, it's justified to favor group A.

Well, of course. That is obvious.

Then again, I don't have a problem with this either, just that I've seen it all too often that I think *society* will have a problem with it.

In any case, still off-topic.

Also: I've updated the lecture. It now runs all the way through the B1 strain to the point questions start.

Link again. Original link in OP will automatically update.

The B1 strain introduces the ethical problem of deliberately engineering low intelligence or a similar handicap. The B1s and B1Fs are smart enough to fix things, talk and even solve problems no modern day computer or trained animal can do; yet, they lack initiative and make no real decisions about anything more than the immediate future.

The B1F strain introduces the ethical problem of making a dedicated reproduction platform.

Spoiler

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Of note is the structure that they control it with. Instead of continuous reproduction, B1Fs only ever birth B1s. Any mutations will be carried on to one B1, where it then gets stuck unable to reproduce. The same structure can be expanded upwards. Basically, creating a B1F2 that only births B1Fs, which then gets you your B1s. Or a B1F3 or more.

Biologists will recognize the scheme as being modeled on terminal differentiation of cells in the body. This is used precisely for the same reason, attempting to minimze the damage mutations do.
In fact, the inspiration for that when I was trying to design a mutation control mechanism for natural reproduction of the strains was how blood cells are formed.

Just to put things into perspective:
Each B1F* births one of the next one down every 1.5 years. They start at 16 and continue until 40. Thus, a B1F4 will birth 16 B1F3s.
Each of those B1F3s will birth 16 B1F2s, etc.

Therefore, making a single B1F4 results in 16^4 = 65 536 (!!) B1s.
And each of those B1s is only 4 generations away from the gestation vats and thus any mutations don't have time to accumulate.

When you add in the (in questions section) mechanism by which their tetraploid genome "votes" on the correct version when damage occurs and undergoes self-checking procedures, any mutations become incredibly rare.
(FYI, real life DNA does the same, except there is only two copies and sometimes the undamaged one gets "repaired". Also, periodic complete error checking mechanisms don't occur since the whole point of 2 genomes is so you can have sexual recombination)

Put together, this means that they have essentially negated the risk of any form mutation doing anything meaningful.
And any double mutation that would destabilize the theoretical tetraploid DNA checker would only be present for all downstream B1F*s of the original mutant. And they only stay around for one generation.

I can guess that Frozen Feet won't have any problem with it. Soras Teva Gee can conclude that the B1 and B1F derivative are not sentient since they do not make long-term decisions.

EDIT: I forgot the other interesting point. This turns up in the conference:
"basic safety guidelines of psychological engineering"
Make of that what you will.