That's what British biologist and co-founder James Watson wants to do with genetic engineering. This story came out in February of last year, but I missed it.

"If you are really stupid, I would call that a disease," says Watson, now president of the Cold Spring Harbour Laboratory, New York. "The lower 10 per cent who really have difficulty, even in elementary school, what's the cause of it? A lot of people would like to say, 'Well, poverty, things like that.' It probably isn't. So I'd like to get rid of that, to help the lower 10 per cent."

It's a nice idea, and I wish him the best of luck.

This was also pretty funny:

Watson, no stranger to controversy, also suggests that genes influencing beauty could also be engineered. "People say it would be terrible if we made all girls pretty. I think it would be great."

Why stop with the ladies?

Anyway, some people disagree:

Geneticist Steve Jones, at University College London, dismisses Watson's comments about beauty as "daft". "The concept of beauty is a subjective one," he told New Scientist.

Which is a pretty dumb thing to say, really, since there are many universally attractive attributes, such as symmetry and clean, healthy skin, hair, and teeth. These aspects could definitely be improved through genetic research.

But back to stupidity:

Genetics could and does help people with severe disorders like Fragile X syndrome and phenylketonuria, both of which affect IQ, says Jones: "The problem is where do we draw the line?"

Series producer David Dugan, of Windfall Films, said the programmes also show Watson visiting a family who greatly value their child with Down's syndrome, as well as their child without Down's.

"We were keen to confront Jim with this - he was genuinely moved," but insisted that geneticists should work to eliminate the disorder.

Yeah, no shit.

Look, I'm sure those people love both their children, but are you honestly telling me that if they could have cured their child of Down's in the womb, with little or no risk, they wouldn't have?

Parents simply want their children to be healthy, happy, strong, and smart. I'm sure that parents whose children were crippled by Polio still loved them, but how many parents today would forego vaccination, because it's "tinkering with nature" or because "that's the way god wanted their child to be"?