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New York, 11:34 AM
Wed Dec 16
66 posts in the last 24 hours

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    Dsmvwl  Admin  Promote to frontpage Approve user Ban user ×
    Image of isaaclicht isaaclicht
    11/13/09

    In reply to Synthetic Biology: Why Not Pursuing Crazy Biotech Is Dangerous
    I just spent yesterday at a symposium at the National Institutes of Health, they were honoring my boss for his work deciphering the genetic code. One of the scientists who spoke and I had the honor of meeting was Craig Venter. He was the guy who did the Human Genome Project, he was also the man who created the first fully synthetic bacterial life, and the guy who is engineering algae for Exon Mobile ($300 M Grant) to fix CO2 and turn it into biofuel using only the energy from the sun. He spoke about the possibilities for the future of synthetic microbiology, and about the ethical questions which have been asked pertaining to his work. He believes that if the progress continues at its current rate (he predicts it will speed up) we may have synthetic viruses which are engineered to augment our immune systems against diseases we fail to naturally defeat, (Rhino Virus, HIV, etc...). The difficulty of creating complex synthetic life is mind boggling but recent results which his institute have obtained (not yet published) show serious promise for the future of the tech. The moral and ethical dilemma continues but as long as society continues to make educated decisions and allow exploratory research I think the future holds great promise.

    [www.ted.com]

    This talk was from last year but outlines that kind of work which Venter is involved in. It is relevant to this post on synthetic biology.
     Reply
    Wilson Rothman approved this comment isaaclicht was starred isaaclicht was unstarred
    Image of crosis101 crosis101
    11/13/09

    In reply to Synthetic Biology: Why Not Pursuing Crazy Biotech Is Dangerous
    Ahhh Frankenfood. I am glad to see that the thrust of this is that Both sides for the political isle are filled with hapless techno-weenies.

    As for the possibility of destroying the Earth...early on some scientists were convinced that a nuclear detonation would incinerate all the atmosphere of Earth, they detonated the devices anyway.

    As for can we destroy mankind with a virus....hat just comes down to Hubris. We believe we are great and powerful, and we are taking our first steps to being so....but we are not all powerful.

    We need to get over our scared kid locked in a dark closet phase with biotech. We are moving towards a better world... I want it to happen.
     Reply
    Wilson Rothman approved this comment crosis101 was starred crosis101 was unstarred
    Image of nutbastard nutbastard
    11/13/09

    In reply to Synthetic Biology: Why Not Pursuing Crazy Biotech Is Dangerous
    just wait til this tech hits the household, and droves of people download and compile organisms that will, say, secrete opiates or blow you, or both. #syntheticbiology
     Reply
    nutbastard was starred nutbastard was unstarred
    Image of Kamen Rider Kamen Rider
    11/13/09

    In reply to Synthetic Biology: Why Not Pursuing Crazy Biotech Is Dangerous
    Well, just think of it as our modern day version of, "Burn the witch at the stake". I mean folks back then were shunned, exiled and/or executed for saying that our planet was round. For anyone to think that society as evolved, WRONG! We're still stuck back in 1492, racism included!!! #syntheticbiology
     Reply
    Wilson Rothman promoted this comment Kamen Rider was starred Kamen Rider was unstarred
    Image of slim934 slim934
    11/13/09

    In reply to Synthetic Biology: Why Not Pursuing Crazy Biotech Is Dangerous
    I agree with just about everything in the article except for the "who pounds the gavel" question. The article was rational until we got to that point.

    Specter is correct to point out the groups silliness in attempting to ban this or that, but then it totally flies over his head that maybe the ACTUAL problem is that we permit this to be a political decision at all. THAT is irrational in my point. If party A and party B want to do business with each other and they agree to the terms, then what the hell right does some party C have to say "no you're not allowed to do that". Even going past the fact that for C to even be able to make that case he must assume to have some sort of property right over the persons A or B (since he is in fact telling them what they can and cannot do with their property, thus inferring an ownership power), what the hell makes party C so special that they should have that authority? Are they super beings who have some magical ability to say that some market exchange is "wrong"?

    Perhaps the answer should be to get the government out of scientific research entirely, and instead just give back that tax money and let individuals fund what they want. then the only question to ask would be "ok, who owns this?" "they do?" "ok then, it is their decision". End of story. #syntheticbiology
     Reply
    Wilson Rothman promoted this comment slim934 was starred slim934 was unstarred
    Image of Wilson Rothman Wilson Rothman
    11/13/09

    @slim934: Your opinion is valid, but that doesn't actually change the fact that this is, currently, how these decisions get made. The article remains rational, though the world as it is portayed in the article may not be (at least, not to your liking). #syntheticbiology
     Reply
    Wilson Rothman was starred Wilson Rothman was unstarred
    Image of Intelext Intelext
    11/13/09

    In reply to Synthetic Biology: Why Not Pursuing Crazy Biotech Is Dangerous
    Has this man been excommunicated from the Catholic church? #syntheticbiology
     Reply
    Wilson Rothman promoted this comment Intelext was starred Intelext was unstarred
    Image of The Overmind (aka that guy) The Overmind (aka that guy)
    11/13/09

    In reply to Synthetic Biology: Why Not Pursuing Crazy Biotech Is Dangerous
    I'm all for this type of research. Hopefully before we die they'll find out how to fix us up rather than just manipulating the genetics of future generations. I mean, why should they get all the fun? I want my super-powers dammit! #syntheticbiology
     Reply
    Wilson Rothman promoted this comment The Overmind (aka that guy) was starred The Overmind (aka that guy) was unstarred
    Image of Darklighter Darklighter
    11/13/09

    In reply to Synthetic Biology: Why Not Pursuing Crazy Biotech Is Dangerous
    I think it should be noted that anti-vaccine people are bipartisanly crazy (see Glenn Beck and Joe Scarborough).

    And while there's nothing wrong with genetically modified crops, there is a problem with Monsanto's control of the market and their anti-competitive behavior. #syntheticbiology
     Reply
    Don Nguyen promoted this comment Darklighter was starred Darklighter was unstarred
    Image of DNABio DNABio
    11/13/09

    @Darklighter: The anti-vaccine people will die off as part of a directed-selection process based on their own stupidity. #syntheticbiology
     Reply
    Don Nguyen promoted this comment DNABio was starred DNABio was unstarred
    Image of Don Nguyen Don Nguyen
    11/13/09

    @DNABio: The problem is they will take a good amount of non-crazies with them. Not all Americans have access to vaccines, whether they be old or young, while most in the anti-vaccine camp are in fact middle class or better. People who can afford to be anti-vaccine can usually also afford heathcare for when they do get sick (an they will get sick). By avoiding routine vaccinations, anti-vaccine proponents take away from societies herd immunity (whereby a vaccinated person essentially stops the chain of infection by being immune and thereby protecting those un-vaccinated around them). Anti-vaccine people really are a cancer on society. #syntheticbiology
     Reply
    Don Nguyen was starred Don Nguyen was unstarred
    Image of Hello Mister Walrus Hello Mister Walrus
    11/13/09

    In reply to Synthetic Biology: Why Not Pursuing Crazy Biotech Is Dangerous
    Clearly the only way to resolve the science vs. religion/conservatism argument is to create an army of cloned Jesus... Jesuses... Jesi? Finally, we will all be united by this most holy of blasphemies. #syntheticbiology
     Reply
    Hello Mister Walrus was starred Hello Mister Walrus was unstarred
    Image of dolo54 blows minds and blows engines! dolo54 blows minds and blows engines!
    11/13/09

    In reply to Synthetic Biology: Why Not Pursuing Crazy Biotech Is Dangerous

    So Daniel Clowes had it right. #syntheticbiology
     Reply
    dolo54 blows minds and blows engines! was starred dolo54 blows minds and blows engines! was unstarred
    Image of fryhole fryhole
    11/13/09

    In reply to Synthetic Biology: Why Not Pursuing Crazy Biotech Is Dangerous
    We don't watch zombie movies because they are such an accurate portrayal of a potential future, and we shouldn't treat synthetic biology like a deadly fantasy when the reality is anything but. #syntheticbiology
     Reply
    Wilson Rothman promoted this comment fryhole was starred fryhole was unstarred
    Image of cmanptown02 cmanptown02
    11/13/09

    In reply to Synthetic Biology: Why Not Pursuing Crazy Biotech Is Dangerous
    If you're on this site you probably agree with 95-100% of what Specter is talking about.

    Why people try to hinder any kind of progress is beyond me. Instead of the old "If it ain't broke" mentality....we should always be thinking..."How can we make this better" Everything has room for improvement! #syntheticbiology
     Reply
    Wilson Rothman promoted this comment cmanptown02 was starred cmanptown02 was unstarred
    Image of shooga shooga
    11/13/09

    @cmanptown02: Improve the spork. I dare you. :)

    Nah, I agree with you. There's always room for improvement. #syntheticbiology
     Reply
    Wilson Rothman promoted this comment shooga was starred shooga was unstarred
    Image of cmanptown02 cmanptown02
    11/13/09

    @shooga: to improve the spork....attached an arm that moves the spork to your mouth. #syntheticbiology
     Reply
    cmanptown02 was starred cmanptown02 was unstarred
    Image of Jure Jure
    11/13/09

    In reply to Synthetic Biology: Why Not Pursuing Crazy Biotech Is Dangerous
    I don't think it matters if the research is could lead to the "Worst Case scenario", like Mr. Specter says, someone somewhere will be doing it so it might as well be us. #syntheticbiology
     Reply
    Wilson Rothman approved this comment Jure was starred Jure was unstarred
    Image of lecti lecti
    11/13/09

    In reply to Synthetic Biology: Why Not Pursuing Crazy Biotech Is Dangerous
    All I got to say is: you can't control what you don't know, and not doing science is a sure fire way of not knowing about something. #syntheticbiology
     Reply
    Wilson Rothman promoted this comment lecti was starred lecti was unstarred
    Image of Arnold Qin Arnold Qin
    11/13/09

    In reply to Synthetic Biology: Why Not Pursuing Crazy Biotech Is Dangerous
    I'm sorry, but even if his points are valid and he presents a good argument, I am more afraid of that "Worst Case scenario" then cancer. Or the lack of resources.
    I mean, zombies aren't that bad, but a biological disaster that wipes out the universe keeps me up at night.
     Reply
    Wilson Rothman promoted this comment Edited by Arnold Qin at 11/13/09 2:21 PM Arnold Qin was starred Arnold Qin was unstarred
    Image of Wilson Rothman Wilson Rothman
    11/13/09

    @Arnold Qin: The thing you have to keep in mind is, the "worst case scenario" has the odds of a coin toss coming out heads 1000 times in a row, whereas the cancer in 50 years, well, that's more like heads 3 times in a row. So it's more about weighing likelihoods than weighing potential devastation. #syntheticbiology
     Reply
    Wilson Rothman was starred Wilson Rothman was unstarred
    Image of shooga shooga
    11/13/09

    @Wilson Rothman: That's exactly the point Specter is trying to make. For instance, you drive your car to and from work, or maybe you take the bus or subway, but you're willing to do it despite the risks. Thousands of people die in car wrecks every year. Hundreds of thousands more get injured each year. There are risks associated with driving your car, but the benefits outweigh the risks. People are willing to take the risk of death or injury to be able to get to and from their jobs.

    Bottom line, there are risks involved with everything and more often than not, the greater the risk, the greater the reward. We should embrace those risks to be able to understand them so we can prevent them from happening. Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer... #syntheticbiology
     Reply
    Wilson Rothman promoted this comment shooga was starred shooga was unstarred
    Image of skylr616 skylr616
    11/13/09

    @Arnold Qin: If you lived your life in constant fear of the worst case scenario, then you wouldn't be living much of a life. #syntheticbiology
     Reply
    Wilson Rothman promoted this comment skylr616 was starred skylr616 was unstarred
    Image of Darklighter Darklighter
    11/13/09

    @Wilson Rothman: Of course, people are notoriously bad at risk analysis. #syntheticbiology
     Reply
    Wilson Rothman promoted this comment Darklighter was starred Darklighter was unstarred
    Image of DNABio DNABio
    11/13/09

    @Arnold Qin: I wouldn't lose any sleep over the potential of a genetic mutation wiping out humanity. Hell, I work on them everyday and I'm still here. The ability to create an airborne virus with no resistance is close to impossible and is impossible based on our current knowledge. #syntheticbiology
     Reply
    Wilson Rothman promoted this comment DNABio was starred DNABio was unstarred
    Image of BaconForTheSoul BaconForTheSoul
    11/13/09

    @Wilson Rothman: I am pro-progress and pursuing literally everything. But, just to be argumentative, a thought against "progress" would be that it's a reverse Pascal's wager. Even if there is the remotest chance of wiping out the planet we shouldn't do it.

    Then again, Pascal's wager never held any sway on me, so whatever. #syntheticbiology
     Reply
    Wilson Rothman promoted this comment BaconForTheSoul was starred BaconForTheSoul was unstarred
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