Organ Harvesting -- a recipe for Nightmare.

Discussion in 'Science' started by CCitizen, Feb 1, 2018.

  1. CCitizen

    CCitizen Well-Known Member

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    Organ Harvesting is already a severe Human Rights Violation -- organs from executed prisoners are used in China. In modern world, the practice is still not common.

    I would appreciate any medical expert's comment on the likelihood of a Dystopian Scenario described below.
     
    Last edited: Feb 1, 2018
  2. CCitizen

    CCitizen Well-Known Member

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    In order to understand the profound change taking place in 2049, we must understand Technological Revolutions in Solar Power and Medicine. The proliferation of Solar Power in 2030s and 2040s produced a strong economic boom in every nation possessing large insolated territory. Formerly poor nations rose to First World standards within two decades. Ethiopia, which formerly had one of the lowest income per capita became a rich energy exporter. Nations of Sahara became super-rich. Electrical energy was exported from Africa and Middle East to Europe and China via Superconductive Power Grid.

    China became one of the richest nations exporting Photovoltaic Cells. The only major nation left behind was USA. Unlike China, USA was unable to manufacture inexpensive Photovoltaic Cells. Unlike most nations who could buy these cells from China, USA was under sanctions.

    One of the great medical advances made during 2030s and 2040s was Life Extension Technology. People could easily live over 105 years, but they needed many organs for transplantation. By early 2040s, every organ could be transplanted without any problem. Almost all surgery has been robotized at least since 2030s, thus the lack of specialists did not present an obstacle to the emergence of organ transplantation on massive scale. Demand for millions of organs appeared throughout the World. Demand for organs met a seemingly insurmountable problem -- finding enough donors. A black market for organs appeared, but it could not satisfy even 1% of demand.

    Coincidentally, USA was faced with the problem of prison overpopulation...

    ...In 2049, things changed almost overnight. During 2050s, USA became a part of Global Economic Boom. The main driving force behind American Economic Boom of 2050s was the Organ Harvesting Industry.
     
  3. HonestJoe

    HonestJoe Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    For a start, it isn’t dystopian. It’s actually a set of relatively positive predictions with a single negative consequence.

    I not sure about the energy export element. There are fundamental practical issues with transferring electricity over long distances and no methods of storing power for transport which are ever likely to be efficient enough to out-price local generation, even if that is significantly more expensive. I’m sure a number of nations will be boosted by the opportunity for low cost local or regional power generation but not at the scale and rate your scenario predicts. Of course, if it did allow them to develop quickly, they’d be able to produce their own equipment, reducing the ability of any outside nation dominating the market.

    On the organ transplantation side, I don’t see harvesting organs from prisoners would ever be accepted by any nation and would breech international law too. Any benefits would likely be outweighed by national and international protest and response. In part for this kind of reason, the big put in organ transplantation is in growing artificial organs, which can not only eliminate the need for a donor but also allow for more a tailored and controlled process and reduce the risk of rejection.
     
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  4. HereWeGoAgain

    HereWeGoAgain Banned

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    You shouldn't say organ harvesting and recipe in the same title.

    Reminds me of the old Twilight Zone episode - To Serve Man.
     
    Last edited: Feb 1, 2018
  5. tkolter

    tkolter Well-Known Member

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    I think it should be mandatory for all American citizens and residence upon natural death regardless of age unless there are clear religious objections, one shouldn't own their organs after death and they are needed for saving lives. Prisoners being wards of the State under punishment could choose to after they die or not. Of course they should be then free in any case for those getting them other than the harvesting and transport costs.
     
  6. robot

    robot Active Member

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    One medical issue is the health of the donor. Prisoners may be infected with such things as AIDS. Not to mention the quality of the organs may be poor. People would need to travel to the country where the organs are. So there is the question of the quality of the surgery.
     
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  7. tecoyah

    tecoyah Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    My wife was Transplant coordinator for years where heart, organ and the first hand proceedures took place and has made it clear that "Harvesting" organs is a bad joke and impossible. The level of matching and testing required in donor tissue makes such a thing pointless. Many people die waiting because of this and surgeons will not perform a transplant with a good chance of rejection.
     
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  8. DoctorWho

    DoctorWho Well-Known Member

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    Let me guess, you are not American and do not live in the U.S. because you have no idea what Civil Rights are.
     
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  9. CCitizen

    CCitizen Well-Known Member

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    It is done on small scale in China.
     
  10. CCitizen

    CCitizen Well-Known Member

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    I have a PhD in math, but I am not a doctor. My PhD makes me appreciate rookies' ignorance -- including my own in other sciences like Biology.
     
  11. Bowerbird

    Bowerbird Well-Known Member

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    Organ sales are big in the third world. In India there are whole villages where every adult only has one kidney. Already medical tourism allows people to fly to third world nations and purchase kidneys.
     
  12. CCitizen

    CCitizen Well-Known Member

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    Horrible facts.

    Hopefully, Developing Nations will obtain wealth due to Solar Electricity Revolution. That is my prediction.
     

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