Extremely fun, entertaining and thought provoking read. Here is an example of the “thought provoking” aspects for me.
The proposed approach will not work for me personally and I think for most scientists in our current society.
When something has “cult characteristics” (robes, oxen etc.) I immediately dismiss it as “not worth it”. The reason, I think, is that we learned that “cults” usually lack substance or require one to accept everything as axioms.
On the other hand, in the hypothetical society described the “scientific cults” will obviously be taken, very, very seriously! Imagine eighth level physicists demonstrating their power (literally; in J/s; e.g. Castle Bravo).
I think that such a society will have to be very different from ours in many other ways and it is very interesting to try to imagine in what ways.
I practically never comment on this forum… anyway… Here is an opinion that would most probably be unpopular and/or frowned upon:
We do not know and can not know what the long term effects “polygenic embryo selection”—or “unnatural selection” will be.
What is more, the same goes for helping people—who under normal circumstances will not have children—to have them.
A “better” approach: Accept that “Idiocracy” is a documentary film, ban IVF and let history take its course :-)
Or if we want to fight “Idiocracy” naturally—make it a degree requirement, for PhD students, to have at least one child :-D