Bio technology

[afro-elf]

what are your thoughts on bio-tech

[Garina]

I don't know. Most of my information has been gained from the Jurassic Park books

I don't agree with GM things, but that's because I feel it's wrong to try and play God

[Cirdan]

Like many seemingly beneficial technologies, it may come around to bite us in the end, so to speak. Much of the research is happening a few miles from here (Human Genome, Celera, etc). They will be doing amazing things to improve the lot of many people. There are, however, aspects that could be seriously abused by less the scrupulous and even malevolent. It will certainly produce many new sci-fi films, eh?

[afro-elf]

I don't agree with GM things, but that's because I feel it's wrong to try and play God

whats wrong with making healthier humans. nature is far from perfect

I always wonder did the fear many people of of bio-tech have to due with the god factor being less

[Cirdan]

mmm I'm thinking bioterrorism and biowarfare, but they are pretty good at that already. I wonder if they will be able to create a benign virus that replaces defective genetic code?

[BeardofPants]

whats wrong with making healthier humans. nature is far from perfect

It'll be just like Gattaca.

Actually, that's putting a whole new spin on selection processes, ain't it? I wonder how much of a role natural selection etc, will have upon hominid/organism evolution? If we're selecting for adaptations, it does beg the question; which ones, and why? And how DO we know that it won't come back to haunt us? Already, some GE species have been accidentally released into the environment, and over-run the natural populations. Do we really know what we're screwing with here? Surely nature, with her years of experience should know better than a species of mammal that has only been around for such a small span of time?

[afro-elf]

hang on for a few years and i'll do it

I'm delaying my entry into the bio-tech program for two years
i need to save some cash so i can study and not have to work

[Cirdan]

Nature will sort it out when we are gone. We are wasting species at such a fantastic rate now that it is approaching the effect of a mass-extinction. But the again, maybe it will become an art form; creating new species of macro-organisms using gemones as a palette.

I saw where they have bred a fetherless chicken. Talk about getting plucked

[afro-elf]

It'll be just like Gattaca.

that is not a necessary end


your condition could be corrected at birth, the possibility to have disease free and healthy humans is a worthy goal

If we're selecting for adaptations, it does beg the question; which ones, and why?

see the above

Surely nature, with her years of experience should know better than a species of mammal that has only been around for such a small span of time?

but you are placing anthropomorhic characteristics upon nature

and if it were not for human intervention(science, tech, process) must of us would not be alive today

in 1900 approx 46% infant mortality rate and of those that live approx the same amount died before age ten

to give a poor analogy do we stop drug research because there drug addicts

yes there will be abuses but there will be benefits also

[Garina]

Originally posted by Cirdan
Nature will sort it out when we are gone. We are wasting species at such a fantastic rate now that it is approaching the effect of a mass-extinction. But the again, maybe it will become an art form; creating new species of macro-organisms using gemones as a palette.

I saw where they have bred a fetherless chicken. Talk about getting plucked

Eww! That is gross

[BeardofPants]

but you are placing anthropomorhic characteristics upon nature

I know. Naughty, aren't I?

yes there will be abuses but there will be benefits also [/B]

This I dispute, not. And yes, my "condition" could be cured. However, my point was that we need to be REALLY careful what we select for when tampering. Do we have enough information available at this moment to ensure that we don't **** up? I can see the gains of genetic manipulation, but I can also see the pitfalls. My feeling is that we should spend a lot more time researching, and isolating, before we attempt to do a colossal **** up.

[Cirdan]

Originally posted by BeardofPants

Do we have enough information available at this moment to ensure that we don't **** up? I can see the gains of genetic manipulation, but I can also see the pitfalls. My feeling is that we should spend a lot more time researching, and isolating, before we attempt to do a colossal **** up.

I can't think of many things humans have gotten right on the first try. Even the space program touched a few pilots before ironing out the kinks. And that was with a lot of research. They will rpoceed, and they will make mistakes. Let's hope they do try to minimize them.

The sheep cloning problem was a good example (no offense BoP). They forgot that the DNA counts it's replications. If you wait to clone until you are sure all the traits you want are there, you shorten the life of the clone and it develops "old age" diseases at a young age. For cloning to really work it may require the synthesis of the DNA or a method to "youth-inize" the DNA. If the can ever do that will immortality be possible. Ack!

[afro-elf]

If the can ever do that will immortality be possible. Ack!

when i do take my nubian posterier back to school one thing I want to focus on is bio gerontology

[Cirdan]

Originally posted by afro-elf


when i do take my nubian posterier back to school one thing I want to focus on is bio gerontology

I want to go back for bioinformatics. Gerontology is good. The old folks got all the money. Where are you thinking of studying?

[afro-elf]

the university of Buffalo for the biotech program

and maybe at the uni of texas for the bio-geron

[Khamûl]

But what would we make science-fiction movies about?

[Wulažg]

Of course we do have a way to reversethe age-counter. It's called telomerase. Good stuff. Once people use that then early age syndrome goes bye bye.

[Cirdan]

Originally posted by afro-elf
the university of Buffalo for the biotech program

and maybe at the uni of texas for the bio-geron

UT at Austin? Nice city!

Of course we do have a way to reversethe age-counter. It's called telomerase. Good stuff. Once people use that then early age syndrome goes bye bye.

Is take the one that manages cell growth rates? It's slipped my mind at the moment. ( no sleep)

[webwizard333]

I personally find concerns of terrorism (clone army) to be rather silly, since the main concern we should have are the true customers, the upper class and upper middle class. If you read articles, people expect to accomplish feats such as bringing people back from the dead through cloning. Many such people are mothers who lost their children to soon (the whole thing is irresponsible with all the poor children waiting to be adopted). Then there's the crowd who lost their pets and want them back (once again, forget about those who need to be adopted). Then their's our wonderful quest for the Fountain of Youth. Yay, we can bring about even greater population problems. I greatly anticipate custom genius+athletic talent+outgoing+obediant+handsome/beautiful children (even more opportunities for cries of racism). Of course, I'm not oblivious to the tremendous benefits, but feel that huge caution should be used.

[JaeSon5]

A lot people seem to think that much of our human activity is destructive to nature and therefore "unnatural." But aren't humans just a product of nature? By endowing us with an "advanced" intellect, nature is destroying itself.