The comic book character "Abin Sur" from The Green Lantern:
Posted on 12/16/2010 8:11:42 PM PST by Abin Sur
The White House on Thursday said the controversial field of synthetic biology, or manipulating the DNA of organisms to forge new life forms, poses limited risks and should be allowed to proceed.
An expert panel convened by President Barack Obama advised vigilance and self-regulation as scientists seeks ways to create new organisms that could spark useful innovations in clean energy, pollution control and medicine.
The Presidential Commission for the Study of Bioethical Issues "concluded that synthetic biology is capable of significant but limited achievements posing limited risks," it said in its first report.
"Future developments may raise further objections, but the Commission found no reason to endorse additional federal regulations or a moratorium on work in this field at this time."
(Excerpt) Read more at breitbart.com ...
What’s wrong with artificial life? It’s not like the National Socialist’s plans to breed a maser race.
It’s just engineers with little background in biology spinning new DNA strands and trying to get them to replicate.
I'd been away so long I hardly knew the place.
Gee, It's Great To Be Back Home.
We’ve already established that scientists are unethical....hence...killing babies....manipulating climate data...
And this has what, exactly, to do with conservatism?
This is more genetic perversion than creating life. If it was truly artificial life, no existing organisms would be needed.
As per the original article: "Of note, many scientists observe that this achievement is not tantamount to 'creating life' in a scientific sense because the research required a functioning, naturally occurring host cell to accept the synthesized genome."
Why would you consider making an artificial genome a "perversion"?
So “self-regulation” is permissible in this area which could possibly destroy all life on earth, but they need to regulate all the other myriad and infinitesimal details of our lives. Makes sense to me.
The comic book character "Abin Sur" from The Green Lantern:
we are not GODS
artificial verses natural...now could one of the first two be a perversion? If one is a perversion, which would be perverse? Maybe the artificial? For would any argue the natural would be a perversion?
Destroy all life on earth? What do you think they're going to make, Grey Goo?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grey_goo
(to be fair, grey goo is kind of cool)
but they need to regulate all the other myriad and infinitesimal details of our lives. Makes sense to me.
An administration whose philosophy is to intervene in almost every aspect of our lives is calling government to (in this area, at least) get out of the way. A bit ironic, but we should give credit where it's due.
I agree, not that I recall anyone saying that we were.
In any case, the ability to manipulate the genetic code doesn't exactly make one a deity.
Genetic engineering doesn't "tamper" with the laws of nature. Insofar as they exist, we can't change them; we have to work within them.
They're not mutable.
Didn’t know the government was blocking it. It’s not like the government has a law that says “Thou shalt not create life as we know it”, is there?
were playing with the very fabric of life
is that something we should be risking?
“Why would you consider making an artificial genome a “perversion”? “
An artificial genome of itself is not problem. An artificial genome expressed in a viable cell may be a problem if it replicates.
We don’t understand enough yet to know if a genome, a DNA sequence that is expressed in a cell (say e coli or b subtilis) , may pose a threat if it is allowed to multiply.
“Perversion” may be the wrong term, biothreat may be more applicable.
It is true that matter can neither be created nor destroyed. Then there is the natural matter (created by God) and the artificial (created by man). Which do you think would be the greater threat?
I don't think either one is perverse. Granted, an artificial genome could be put to a perverse use...but that could be said of any tool, from a rock to a nuclear weapon.
In other words, genetically engineered organisms don't cause the apocalypse, people cause the apocalypse!
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