They'd drift if it wasn't maintained. Mutations would always be slipping in.
They'd drift if it wasn't maintained. Mutations would always be slipping in.
You can't just make one generation of genetically filtered children and figure everything's going to be good now, we have all the "bad parts" eradicated, because that's not how genes work. In addition, if you read the paper, it mentioned something on the order of a dozen embryos, and doing a genetic analysis of each one. Using this technique, you'd be able to filter out, perhaps a handful of disease, maybe pick out one with green eyes if that's what you wanted (and your genes allowed), but you're not going to gene-by-gene eliminate every chance of bad combinations with every other combination of genes on the planet, barring mutations. That's ridiculous.
Besides, sometimes there are trade offs with no clear winning picture. Sub-Saharan Africans with sickle cell syndrome are also more resistant to malaria. What's worse? What's more necessary? How do we know malaria won't be a bigger problem tomorrow?
In general terms we know what a good specimen looks like and the specific traits that they have. We can only build to that because:
>sickle cell syndrome are also more resistant to malaria
This is evolution by process of elimination, and unfortunetaly elimination means lack of breeding from disadvantaged phenotypes. We've largely uncoupled reproduction from evolutionary advantages anyway, and just like humans are so dedicated to controlling the world in they inhabit, we'll insist on controlling the finest details of reproduction too.