GM 2 - Synthetic Biology

[rynnor]

Nice article below by the beeb which completely ignores the reason this has come to the fore - its actually due to a recent US court ruling that you cannot patent existing genes as they are 'works of nature'.

However there is an exception for artificially created genes - ie synthetic biology - which can be patented - thus all the money has moved in this direction.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-23274175

In terms of danger its probably a lot worse than GM but still less than nanotech.

 

[Access Denied]

Nanotech is going to be the best and worst thing that humanity has ever created. The possibilities for science, medical and manufacturing are almost limitless. However, so are the possibilities for destruction in all its myriad forms.

 

[Job]

Listened to a debate on the radio about modifying virus's..it hss just stsrted up again and the scientist admitted anyone could buy the equipment online and find the instructions in resesrch papers to make any virus they wanted from scratch.

 

[Raven]

haha...no

 

[old.Tohtori]

I'm already brewing a nymphovirus in my basement. I call it the T-dcvirus.

 

[Job]

Apparently you can buy a lot of the virus's and have them sent in the mail in a doormant state..its quite simple to modify and activate..the equipment is within most groups budget..in other words its a frickin free for all.

 

[rynnor]

Nanotech is going to be the best and worst thing that humanity has ever created. The possibilities for science, medical and manufacturing are almost limitless. However, so are the possibilities for destruction in all its myriad forms.

I put nanotech as the highest risk for the sole reason that its killing people today. Nanoscale particles in a certain range are too small for the lungs natural cleaning mechanism to remove and too large to be absorbed so they sit in the lungs causing inflammation - this can eventually cause issues similar to silicosis/asbestosis.

 

[DaGaffer]

I put nanotech as the highest risk for the sole reason that its killing people today. Nanoscale particles in a certain range are too small for the lungs natural cleaning mechanism to remove and too large to be absorbed so they sit in the lungs causing inflammation - this can eventually cause issues similar to silicosis/asbestosis.

I was aware this has been cited as a potential hazard, but are there are any reported cases of actual health issues yet?

 

[caLLous]

It's just theoretical at the moment afaik.

 

[rynnor]

I was aware this has been cited as a potential hazard, but are there are any reported cases of actual health issues yet?

If its like asbestosis it can take decades to show - the stuff just hasn't been around long enough and on the other hand I'm not sure if cases would show as anything other than asbestosis - it wont be noticeable initially until we see some unexpected surge in such cases.

 

[Tom]

IIRC there are concerns about such a thing with oleophobic (sp?) coatings.

 

[Chilly]

bollocks to lung disease, I'm scared of the self replicating distributed intelligences that will arise! they'll evolve at 100000000000x the rate biologicals can.

 

[rynnor]

bollocks to lung disease, I'm scared of the self replicating distributed intelligences that will arise! they'll evolve at 100000000000x the rate biologicals can.

The concept of self replicating nanites is the most potentially disastrous but we are a long way from creating those.

 

[Shagrat]

Yep, the whole grey goo scenario is something I could easily see happening when people start messing about with self replicating devices on a nano scale.

scary stuff.

 

[TdC]

bollocks to lung disease, I'm scared of the self replicating distributed intelligences that will arise! they'll evolve at 100000000000x the rate biologicals can.

grey goo!!!

Edit : Shagrat gets the goo before me!

 

[Job]

Nature would interact with it..anything thrown into the mix in huge quantities would soon be devoured by something else.

 

[rynnor]

IIRC there are concerns about such a thing with oleophobic (sp?) coatings.

Is that in relation to workers assembling touch screen mobiles/tablets?

 

[Roo Stercogburn]

Blood music.

 

[rynnor]

Blood music.

An excellent book.