[maj0rhn]

Yes, misanthropes are a hazard, but I worry also about a scientifically sophisticated teenager who gets jilted or suffers some other emotional shock, and then decides to end it all for everyone. A species is in trouble when its entire future depends on the emotional stability of adolescents.

[angelzen]

Unstated assumption: I am hoping the pricepoint is high enough to eliminate 'random teenager in their parents basement' category.

A single novel virus, possibly escaped from a one of a small number of elite professional labs, took down large swaths of the global economy and killed millions. Now multiply that by millions of amateurs playing genetic Russian Roulette in their parent's basement, with the rest of humanity in the cross hairs. This is the stuff of nightmares.

After covid crisis it boggles the mind that we don't have a global treaty on non-proliferation of genetic technology. For better or worse the damage of a single nuclear weapon is geographically localized, vs. the damage of a novel pathogen crossing borders in a global whirlwind of death and suffering.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treaty_on_the_Non-Proliferatio...

[maj0rhn]

A high price-point could eliminate random teenagers for some number of years, but it will not eliminate teenagers in well-to-do families -- especially if gene science experiments can get the teens into prestigious schools.

A treaty would be great, but there's too much medical benefit that would be lost by restricting the technology. Very hard to balance that against a nightmare.