Posted on 10/06/2018 2:02:35 PM PDT by BenLurkin
Pentagon research project called "Insect Allies." Funded by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), the project involves using gene-editing techniques like CRISPR to infect insects with modified viruses that could help make America's crops more resilient. If a cornfield were hit by an unexpected drought or suddenly exposed to a pathogen, for example, Insect Allies might deploy an army of aphids carrying a genetically modified virus to slow the corn plant's growth rate.
According to the DARPA website, these "targeted therapies" could take effect in a single growing season, potentially protecting the American crop system from food security threats like disease, flooding, frost and even "threats introduced by state or non-state actors.
… Insect Allies, is less concerned. "Anytime you're developing a new and revolutionary technology, there is that potential for [both offensive and defensive] capability," Bextine told The Washington Post. "But that is not what we are doing. We are delivering positive traits to plants… We want to make sure we ensure food security, because food security is national security in our eyes."
Insect Allies is still in the early stages of development, and at least four U.S. colleges (Boyce Thompson Institute, Penn State University, The Ohio State University and the University of Texas at Austin)have received funding to carry out research. Bextine told The Washington Post that the project recently achieved its first milestone — testing whether an aphid could infect a stalk of corn with a designer virus that caused fluorescence. According to the Washington Post, "the corn glowed."
(Excerpt) Read more at livescience.com ...
Elen will be in a faster vehicle. She can get her dad to play 80s music. In the van, we have a recorded book.
LOL! I like 60’s through 80’s with some 50’s and 90’s but after that, the “music” became noise and the words became vulgarities.
If the stereo in the BB SUV worked, I’d listen to books... I’m sure its just a short in the wiring but I can’t get anyone to troubleshoot it.
*tagline*
We’re back!
Is that the one from Pirates of the Caribbean?
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=7SMXEe1Sytk
“All I want, is just once to see you in the light.”
YAY!!!
“And great fun was had by all!” (Momism)
Life begins its routine once more, and its happening all over the country. But some routines are better than others. My routine would be much better if it were being done elsewhere.
Floofy!
Good morning! Whenever I see a blue-eyed white cat, I always wonder how it compensates for its deafness. I’m sure cats have ways to communicate and information receptors we know nothing about. Especially these cats!
The letters all got done in two days this time so I’ll address the envelopes and get them out in today’s mail. The genealogy, it would seem, won’t be heading for New Nephew until Friday or Saturday.
The box to my daughter won’t be going until pay day. It’s been sitting here for a month.
Not all blue-eyed, white cats are deaf. This one’s from a litter born to a feral mother, so he’s probably sufficiently mixed to be in good health.
And good morning! I have put the last load of laundry on. I don’t know where it all came from: I did wash continually while we were in SC. Oh, well.
I went to bed at 8:00 last night, just couldn’t stay vertical.
This morning, I timed myself when I started proof-reading and addressing the envelopes of four letters: 25 minutes. *sheesh*
The laundry is sorted, and this morning, it’s linens. That means I will be at the laundromat for an hour and I hate that. But its better than 1-1/2 to two hours here. This laundry room will no longer exist when the construction company is done with the community room. That’s because all the apartments will have hook-ups for stacking washers and dryers. I really hope I don’t have to move into one of the places we’re “really gonna love!”
Don’t know...was never forced to watch that series.
xGF had a deaf white cat...spent most of its day sitting staring at the hinges of the apt . entry door...very odd.
Good luck with the laundry. My previously final load is almost dry, but another has accumulated in the basket.
Today is Monday.
But for me it’s Thursday as I’ll be traveling on Wednesday to spend Thanksgiving with the in-laws.
Our building managed to hold off on lighting Christmas decorations in the lobby until last weekend. I guess that’s something. Only one more week and Thanksgiving could have passed. Oh, well.
The Lebanese people on the corner across the street had their lights on November 4.
I read an article whose author said, in effect, “Christmas is good, so we should have as much Christmasiness as possible, for months!” Nonsense. Fill in the blank: “Blank is good, so we should not exercise moderation in our consumption of blank.” The error becomes clear.
Well, THAT doesn’t happen very often.
Chrome was on RCP when I went to talk to someone. When I came back there was one of those obnoxious ads that tries to sell you some anti-virus something or other. Chrome was so locked up the Task Mangler couldn’t kill it.
I’ll see if something shows when I load the Chrome Task Mangler (if the ad comes up again). I do wish RCP were more careful about the ads they link to.
Of particular interest to me is the fact that we (as a culture) celebrate the birth of a poor man who did not acquire wealth for Himself and spent his last years without a place to lay His head by spending hugh amounts of money on stuff people will not appreciate in 5 years.
It’s like all those people who celebrate His death by eating food He would not have touched (ham).
I didn’t understand a word of that.
Hmmmm.....
Jesus was not into consumption. We celebrate His birth with conspicuous consumption. The ads from Best Buy at how I can “win” at “gifting” make me ill.
And Jesus, a devout Jew, would never have eaten an Easter ham.
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