[extropy-chat] Re: sex selection in Asia? (a modest proposal)

[Eliezer Yudkowsky]

Hal Finney wrote:
> 
> That's true, but in this particular case, if we assume that women retain
> basic human rights, it will probably be better to be born as a member of
> the sex which has a shortage.  This should reduce the problem of excess
> selection of males.  The question is whether people will be able to make
> decisions this far ahead, but I think once they notice that there are
> so many boy babies around and hardly any girls, it will sink in.

Babies?  Why, whatever could be the problem with cute babies?

They won't notice a problem until there are lots of unmated males roaming 
around, doing whatever horrible, naughty things unmated males do, and 
that's 18 years too late to start giving birth to womenchildren.  Besides, 
why should *I* have a girlchild if I happen to want a boy?  Surely all the 
other parents will notice the problem instead, by your logic, and adjust 
the imbalance by having girls themselves, even if I don't.

-- 
Eliezer S. Yudkowsky                          http://singinst.org/
Research Fellow, Singularity Institute for Artificial Intelligence