It's not just technology.

Or... the problem with incentives extends to old-school biotech, too.

We've all seen it in the gadget area: shiny things that meet all the standards, are fully buzzword-compliant, and, somehow, just aren't very good at doing their actual jobs.

Sometimes this is the result of Marketing running amok, and shiny-feature requirements displacing functional requirements.

Sometimes it's the result of government intervention, as with energy- and water-efficient washing machines that don't get the clothes clean and need to be run a second time, using more energy and water in total than the old model would have used.

I'd been vaguely aware, for many years now, that there were significant issues with some dog breeds.  The problem turns out to be much worse than I'd realized - and it's largely the result of the standards-setting organizations setting standards that correlate poorly (in some cases, negatively) with practical considerations such as health, temperament, intelligence, and the ability to function as working dogs.

CDR Salamander rants at some length on the topic, echoed, in regard to the feline species, by Wyldkat.  These via Peter Grant.

Hey, I've got a trio of robust, healthy, playful cats, and I didn't have to spend zillions of dollars each.  Just found 'em in the backyard blueberry patch, being raised by one of the neighborhood ferals.  No papers, no conformance to any identifiable breed standards, but who cares?

And Huckleberry thinks your purebred, certified, best-of-breed purse dog is a squeak toy, so there.