Artificial Life

I really really don't like the idea of genetic design. It's bound to cause problems. It's going against the nature of evolution. Okay, say scientists create an organism from scratch that is supposed to eat up greenhouse gases, great. I just don't think they fully understand what they are doing, they are injecting a new organism into the world ecosystem. They don't know how it will end up mutating, how other organisms will react, what will end up eating the new bacteria, what other things the new bacteria will evolve to eat, etc. I just feel that if a new species of anything is going to emerge into our world, they only way we can be sure of it finding a suitable balance in nature is if it arrives naturally, through evolution. I don't trust the judgement of anyone these days when we come to the point of creating something that is A. alive, and B. interacting with the rest of the world ecosystem.

On the other hand, I do see how exciting this is and the possibilities are. At least they are starting small, with something that already exists, making small modifications that could happen in nature. I only worry about what happens when their abilities get to the point of complete and total control over that base design of the creature.

  On 5/21/2010 at 7:55 AM, Awepittance said:

  On 5/21/2010 at 3:32 AM, karmakramer said:

oh please, the creation of the atom bomb probably saved more lives than killed (no world war since!)... nanotechnology and this will go hand in hand in making all you fuckers live a shit ton healthier and longer

 

You may feel differently after taking a trip to Hiroshima and visiting the museum there.(posted from an iPad)

Its quite tragic, and I am not defending its use in this circumstance, I am simply observing the lack of a major world conflict and I think judging from how the cold war was fought, the nuclear bomb in many ways is a wake up call to our human behavior throughout our history. if we continue to kill each other we will end up killing us all basically... the biggest threat now is making sure nuclear materials don't get in the hand of an organization or terrorist group... pakistan is very troubling honestly.

  On 5/21/2010 at 8:26 AM, Bubba69 said:

I really really don't like the idea of genetic design. It's bound to cause problems. It's going against the nature of evolution. Okay, say scientists create an organism from scratch that is supposed to eat up greenhouse gases, great. I just don't think they fully understand what they are doing, they are injecting a new organism into the world ecosystem. They don't know how it will end up mutating, how other organisms will react, what will end up eating the new bacteria, what other things the new bacteria will evolve to eat, etc. I just feel that if a new species of anything is going to emerge into our world, they only way we can be sure of it finding a suitable balance in nature is if it arrives naturally, through evolution. I don't trust the judgement of anyone these days when we come to the point of creating something that is A. alive, and B. interacting with the rest of the world ecosystem.

 

On the other hand, I do see how exciting this is and the possibilities are. At least they are starting small, with something that already exists, making small modifications that could happen in nature. I only worry about what happens when their abilities get to the point of complete and total control over that base design of the creature.

well said six-nine.

for thousands of years we as a species have been weaving a sick cycle-coming up with 'advanced' solutions for the 'advanced' problems that we have caused with

our previous 'advanced' solutions. we are so far away from top-dead-center now that it is doubtful whether we will ever regain our capability to know what it means to truly be alive or what

it means to truly be human (humane) in this future we are so confidently constructing. it is a prison for our minds and spirits-the confines of which are so secure that the boundaries seem not to

exist and therefore many have lost thier inclination to break free.

  On 5/21/2010 at 8:26 AM, Bubba69 said:

I really really don't like the idea of genetic design. It's bound to cause problems. It's going against the nature of evolution. Okay, say scientists create an organism from scratch that is supposed to eat up greenhouse gases, great. I just don't think they fully understand what they are doing, they are injecting a new organism into the world ecosystem. They don't know how it will end up mutating, how other organisms will react, what will end up eating the new bacteria, what other things the new bacteria will evolve to eat, etc. I just feel that if a new species of anything is going to emerge into our world, they only way we can be sure of it finding a suitable balance in nature is if it arrives naturally, through evolution. I don't trust the judgement of anyone these days when we come to the point of creating something that is A. alive, and B. interacting with the rest of the world ecosystem.

 

On the other hand, I do see how exciting this is and the possibilities are. At least they are starting small, with something that already exists, making small modifications that could happen in nature. I only worry about what happens when their abilities get to the point of complete and total control over that base design of the creature.

So would you disagree with artificially cloning an endangered species? I don't know, but I just don't see a scientist risking the collapse of the balance of nature on a project. If this new tech was widely used for something, surely governments etc would be all over its development making sure its been thoroughly tested. And who knows maybe it will develop something that can help restore the polar ice caps

Fuck scientists, everyone knows they lie, and get us pissed.

  On 5/21/2010 at 12:22 PM, karmakramer said:

surely governments etc would be all over its development making sure its been thoroughly tested.

i fear they have already shown thier clear inability to do this. money and personal prefrance (special interests) seem to hold sway

over truth, logic and common sence.

we cannot have our cake and eat it to-actually we could have-but not by going about it in the way we did-the cake has melted and all thats left is our sticky situation.

there is still hope though-but it can only be accessed through the truth and inovations based on harmlessness and symbiosis-using old tried-and-true ways as a foundational structure which then

can be refocused for our present and future needs.

  On 5/21/2010 at 12:40 PM, troon said:

  On 5/21/2010 at 12:22 PM, karmakramer said:

surely governments etc would be all over its development making sure its been thoroughly tested.

 

i fear they have already shown thier clear inability to do this. money and personal prefrance (special interests) seem to hold sway

over truth, logic and common sence.

 

we cannot have our cake and eat it to-actually we could have-but not by going about it in the way we did-the cake has melted and all thats left is our sticky situation.

 

there is still hope though-but it can only be accessed through the truth and inovations based on harmlessness and symbiosis-using old tried-and-true ways as a foundational structure which then

can be refocused for our present and future needs.

are we talking about a project that would be development to help the earth or some form of money making ploy? cause if the goal is to get a bunch of highly intelligent scientist create artificial organisms that counteract our negative effects on the climate, then I really don't see what the difference is in that compared to say cutting off the power and all forms of man-made pollutants, which would basically cripple humanity. to me, the goal should always be efficiency and conservation of our planet... with technology we can either destroy it or hell maybe make it flourish!

I for one welcome our new synthetic overlords

the only thing i can say about this is i hope they are very VERY careful in knowing how these organisms will behave in the field wayyyyyyyyyyyy before we think about using them. things like mutation errors can't really be planned so we need structures in place that safely control a new, advanced species that has the potential to completely change aspects of the environment, which will, in turn, change other aspects in a typical worldwide chain reaction.

  On 5/21/2010 at 4:00 PM, GORDO said:

I for one welcome our new synthetic overlords

I love how this scientist has made the most minuscule of advances and everyone is on him like that for the implications to our future. When in reality we let fucking bankers decide our futures everyday. We're not going to make it far enough to play God because they'll have raped our economy before then and we'll all be fucked.

Generally the scientists are saying this research is for the prevention of disease... But remember... Let's not treat the symptom let's treat the cause...

Call for 'artificial life' DNA ban

WTF?? are you kidding me , they want to ban this amazing advancement , i agree there needs to be a debate , but this is HUGE.

oh people are idiots, what a surprise

  On 5/21/2010 at 12:40 PM, troon said:

 

we cannot have our cake and eat it to-actually we could have-but not by going about it in the way we did-the cake has melted and all thats left is our sticky situation.

 

Was that Winston Churchill?

  On 5/21/2010 at 12:16 PM, troon said:

 

it is a prison for our minds and spirits-the confines of which are so secure that the boundaries seem not to

exist and therefore many have lost thier inclination to break free.

  On 5/21/2010 at 12:40 PM, troon said:

 

i fear they have already shown thier clear inability to do this.

seriously?

  On 5/22/2010 at 7:36 PM, GORDO said:

oh people are idiots, what a surprise

Lol, true.

People are afraid of science because they don't understand it, and most of them are too moronic to ever understand it.

  On 5/22/2010 at 7:57 PM, lumpenprol said:

  On 5/21/2010 at 12:16 PM, troon said:

 

it is a prison for our minds and spirits-the confines of which are so secure that the boundaries seem not to

exist and therefore many have lost thier inclination to break free.

 

 

  On 5/21/2010 at 12:40 PM, troon said:

 

i fear they have already shown thier clear inability to do this.

 

seriously?

hey man leave troon alone. They dont teach you everything in dropout school.

lumpenprol-you my spell-check-checka-one- two-checka.

got ma spellin in check yo. you always check'in my sht.