beauty and brains to the highest bidder

In the May '99 issue of Scientific American (pg. 22, "Supply and Demand"), which reported on a paper in the Feb 7, '99 issue of Proceedings of the Royal Society: Biological Sciences, the editors examine the market value of mate choice - a favorite of evolutionary biologists. The article sampled personal ads to determine what men and women want from each other. They found that men want fecundity (youth), beauty and social skills, in that order. Women who possess those attributes demand young, rich, good looking men. Men's "market value" depends mostly upon income and future pair bond termination (age).

This is Darwin's "Natural Selection" at its very best. The highest bidder gets youth, beauty and social skills. "Natural Selection" is choosing genes that are healthy and beautiful. This "Celebrity Culture" that we have created does better economically than any other civilization in our history. We are excited by beauty. Why?

UPDATE JAN 19, 2000

See story on The Science of Beauty. "Are good looks nature's ultimate survival strategy?" in Discovery Magazine Feb. 2000. See story on Beauty "More than skin deep" in National Geographic Jan. 2000.

It is human nature to strive to improve everything. From fruits and vegetables, to medicine, and even to plant and animal genes, we modify everything to produce the best we can. Now, modern science presents the miraculous possibility of improving ourselves. Currently, our means is in vitro fertilization, wherein your eggs or sperm are combined with the eggs or sperm of superior genetic background. Is it possible to produce a "super child" in this manner? We all know that children of beautiful or brilliant people often share those characteristics. Sometimes, spectacularly, they do not. Of course, there are no guarantees that the children produced from superior genes combined with your own will result in similarly superior children-- but our striving reflects the determination to pass every advantage possible along to our descendants.

It is not our intention to suggest that we make a super society of only beautiful people. This site simply mirrors our current society, in that beauty usually goes to the highest bidder. There are of course many other attributes that impart an advantage in our increasingly competitive society: intelligence, talent, personality and social skills. There is beauty in all life forms. We accept donors of all races, professional models and unknowns alike.

Research in retirement homes has shown that for most people, having their children and grandchildren were the most important, defining acts of their lives.

Helen Fisher Ph.D., in her book "The Anatomy of Love". says "Having sex is the most important act of your life. This is how we get our genes to the next generation". Life is the ability to reproduce.

[ethics.and.risk]

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If you have read the text above, you should now understand why I created Ron's Angels. I have spent hundreds of hours researching the business and the ethics of assisted reproductive technology, and feel certain that we are providing a valuable service under the highest ethical controls.

We take no remuneration from the donors. Our 20% service fee is over and above the bid.

We encourage our donors to get their own doctors so that their health interests are met.

In addition, each party should have his or her own counsel; it is important to serve your legal interests. We reserve the right to reject donors or recipients at our discretion and at any time.

Please read our user agreement.

This may very well be the most important decision you and your family will make. You will live with this decision for the rest of your life. I sincerely hope that the life you create from these eggs or sperm brings you the joy and happiness you expect.

I received the following email from a doctor:

"Have you thought about the wisdom, have you thought about the morality of promoting a golden egg market when there are so many babies and young children out there in need of adoption? It seems to me that many childless couples who might otherwise be satisfied with adoption are being distracted by the gleam of your golden eggs".

Assisted reproduction is fraught with emotional and ethical issues that will exist with or without this site; but I fully agree with the doctor that there are many babies and young children in need of adoption. I hope that infertile couples will consider all their options before proceeding with assisted reproduction.

See: Adoption.com

I am reminded of the saying "you love that which you labor for and labor for that which you love".

ron.harris
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What are my credentials?

I am a renowned fashion photographer and director for forty years; winner of 450 art directors' awards; I have discovered top supermodels, and created Aerobicise, the world's first aerobics video. I created the Twenty Minute Workout television show, which ran for twelve years around the world. I produced and directed thirteen one-hour artistic specials for Playboy television, and am the author of Naked Power (publish date: TBA). I have been an Arabian horse breeder.

I raised my youngest daughter from the cradle, and tried to give her the values of being logical, independent and strong. She is now married and has given me three wonderful grandchildren. My other two children are working on it.

My goal is to finish my book "Naked Power" which is about why beauty exists and how knowing this might help you achieve happiness.

Ron Harris
Jan. 19, 2000

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