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Hypothetically speaking, what alterations to our biology/genome would need to occur in order for us to be able to safely drink saltwater?

Could we, in theory, use something like CRISPR to give a new baby replacement super-kidneys (or whatever organ it is that makes drinking saltwater be a bad time)? It seems like if we cracked that, we’d be set as a species....

nezbyte ,

According to this article, a longer loop of Henle in the kidney could be the secret to what allows some mammals to drink sea water.

For reference on why we didn’t evolve this naturally, this Stack Exchange answer suggests that most land animals live near fresh water.

nezbyte ,

I knew a guy who couldn’t smell anything for weeks after smoking weed. As a maintenance worker for an apartment complex, he kept that up for years.

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