“This is cosmetic medicine,” says Jeff Steinberg, director of the clinic that is advertising gender and physical trait selection on its Web site. “Others are frightened by the criticism but we have no problems with it.”

It’s about time - after all, mankind has dreamt of the day he could tailor his offspring to precisely fulfill every missed ambition of his own life since the very first chimps saw the monolith and started clubbing each other on the head.

But PGD is starting to be used to target less-serious disorders or certain characteristics — such as a baby’s gender — that aren’t medical conditions. The next controversial step is to select physical traits for cosmetic reasons.

“If we’re going to produce children who are claimed to be superior because of their particular genes, we risk introducing new sources of discrimination” in society, says Marcy Darnovsky

…who apparently also saw Gattaca.

I’m actuallytotally OK with all this… I think.  Sure, it might be gradually headed towards a slippery slope of some sci-fi dystopia, but we’re nowhere near there yet, and this research and technology are very important for the great pain and suffering they avert by preventing the continuation of various genetic diseases.  Also, bang-up job diagramming the uterus, guys.