how many IQ points could a “CRISPR-baby” gain with modern technology?
If by “CRISPR baby” you mean “every available means” and not specifically “CRISPR microinjection”, then I think there’s some IQ points, like the copy number variation one that showed an increase of 2-3 IQ points per copy, but I think we can get some good results even without focusing on IQ. For example, with short sleep you can dramatically increase the number of useful waking hours throughout an entire lifespan. There’s also a single mutation that seems likely to improve working memory capacity by 19-21% which is quite useful.
How much of an issue is the “causal tagging problem” (i.e. knowing that the genes you’re editing actually increase intelligence)?
I am not that big on “polygenic traits modified through hundreds/thousands of point mutations”. I think there are other interesting things to do. For example, what if we worked on allowing the neurons to double one more time before becoming post-mitotic? There are other things for us to look at, I think, other than GWAS studies.
If by “CRISPR baby” you mean “every available means” and not specifically “CRISPR microinjection”, then I think there’s some IQ points, like the copy number variation one that showed an increase of 2-3 IQ points per copy, but I think we can get some good results even without focusing on IQ. For example, with short sleep you can dramatically increase the number of useful waking hours throughout an entire lifespan. There’s also a single mutation that seems likely to improve working memory capacity by 19-21% which is quite useful.
I am not that big on “polygenic traits modified through hundreds/thousands of point mutations”. I think there are other interesting things to do. For example, what if we worked on allowing the neurons to double one more time before becoming post-mitotic? There are other things for us to look at, I think, other than GWAS studies.