It is, in fact, legal more places than not. Cousin marriage was extremely common for thousands of years. It only really started to drop off when people started owning cars and could meet people from further away. Most places still haven’t changed their laws because the cultural change was so recent, and because it’s low risk enough that it’s not a serious concern if it’s just once in a while rather than, say, medieval European royalty shenanigans.
And at this point, with all of the toxins from food processing/preservatives and the plastics getting into our bodies, the added risk is probably negligible.
Slowing ourselves down this way may be for the best. We’re starting to see inverted population age (more older than younger) in some countries, so we’ll need to solve that structural problem at least.
Careful anon, that’s how you get a Habsburg child
I mean, probably not with a second cousin, unless you do it for hundreds of years. Greater risk of birth defects if you have children over 30.
Yeah even first cousins are actually not that bad, biologically speaking, if it’s only done for one (or probably even two?) generation.
Yup, and AFAIK, it’s legal in some areas to have kids with your first cousin.
Probably legal in more places than it’s illegal
It is, in fact, legal more places than not. Cousin marriage was extremely common for thousands of years. It only really started to drop off when people started owning cars and could meet people from further away. Most places still haven’t changed their laws because the cultural change was so recent, and because it’s low risk enough that it’s not a serious concern if it’s just once in a while rather than, say, medieval European royalty shenanigans.
AFAIK the risk is about the same as having a kid after 40.
To be honest though, there’s always going to be a risk of birth defects if you’re having more than 30 kids.
If you have them like 5 at a time, you’ll probably get a pretty good crop before age sets in.
Having children after 40 greatly increases chances of birth defects, I can only imagine what happens after hundreds of years.
Hmm, we’ll need to ask an elf…
And at this point, with all of the toxins from food processing/preservatives and the plastics getting into our bodies, the added risk is probably negligible.
“Got a rubber?”
“Nope, but I’ve got plenty of microplastics”
Microplastic is stored in the balls
It’s my theory this is what will be what wipes out humanity, not climate change.
Slowing ourselves down this way may be for the best. We’re starting to see inverted population age (more older than younger) in some countries, so we’ll need to solve that structural problem at least.
Why not both?