What concerns does the prospect of synthetic life raise for you?
Posted at 5:00 AM on May 24, 2010
by Eric Ringham
(10 Comments)
Filed under: Religion/Ethics, Science/Technology
Genetic scientists say they have taken a big step toward the creation of synthetic life. Today's Question: What concerns does the prospect of synthetic life raise for you?
Comments (10)
Synthetic life scares the bejeebers out of me.
We didn't learn about unintended consequences from things like introducing non-native and invasive species into our environments?
We might think we can control what we create, but we've been proven wrong. We just don't have the necessary god-like perspective.
I'm never afraid of anything that can be killed with fire or a bullet:-)
DTOM
How long before "Blade Runner" becomes a reality? It's a long way out, but that would be quite troubling indeed.
Patenting.
The concern this raised for me is that life evolves. If we create an artificial genome, place it inside of an existing cell, and it controls that cell, it would begin its own evolutionary path if released into the environment. However it sounds like this is not entirely an artificial genome. It is a chemically created copy of an existing genome. That means it has millions of years of evolutionary history influencing its development. It does however have several genetically modified regions.
I'm not sure I'm even that concerned that they genetically engineered the chromosome. We've been doing that with bacterial plasmids for many years now safely with many benefits for humans. The bacterial chromosome may be about 1000 times larger than the plasmids, but we have the technology and regulations in place that I think would keep that safe. A chromosome seems much more complex to make. What advantages are there to manipulating an entire chromosome rather than single genes then inserted in plasmids that would make it worth the extra time and expense?
I'm disappointed that the media did not pick up on and emphasize that the original purpose for developing this techonolgy was to determine what genes are essential for life. (May 20, 2010 press conference http://www.jcvi.org/media/) Now that seems like a great question of pure science worth pursuing .
Patented GMOs have given big agribusiness new ways to profiteer from farmers. How much more will they be able to do so by patenting completely artificial life forms?
Definitely unintended consequences. Also the prospect of the technology falling into the wrong hands and being used for harm.
I’m worried the US will choose to turn away from this technology due to fear and religion, while the rest of the world proceeds into the future.
Synthetic death. I worry that we'll create unintended consequences.
Unintended consequences.
| May 2010 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| S | M | T | W | T | F | S |
| 1 | ||||||
| 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 |
| 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 |
| 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 |
| 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 |
| 30 | 31 | |||||
Master Archive
Recent Entries
- Have changes to the airline passenger experience affected your willingness to fly?
- Should marijuana be available for medical use in Minnesota?
- Do the struggles of Minnesota's business icons signal trouble for the state's economy?
- Do you know whether insurance would cover your losses in a major storm?
- What kind of recycling program would you be likely to use the most?
- Would you support paying people for organ or tissue donations?
- Have personal relationships in the workplace ever presented a problem for you?
- Do you think Facebook is a passing fad?
- Will you be less likely to visit the Minnesota Zoo without its dolphins?
- Should authorities in the Twin Cities change the way they warn people about tornadoes?
Public Insight Network
The Public Insight Network draws upon your experiences to help shape our coverage.More
Categories
Services
In The Spotlight
-
Sound Learning
Looking for ways to ensure your students are doing quality research from credible sources? Sound Learning is a launching point to Minnesota Public Radio's content on the Web. -
The Current Music Blog
Your daily note for good music, news and pop culture. With attempted jokes.
- Become a Member
- Member Connect Accounts
- Leadership Circle
- Sustaining Members
- Member Discounts
- Become a Sponsor
- Tax Information
- Planned Giving
- Vehicle Donation
- Donate Stock