Timewaster's Guide Archive
General => Everything Else => Topic started by: Eerongal on May 21, 2010, 09:52:55 PM
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First lab-created organism raises ethical questions (http://www.philly.com/philly/news/homepage/20100521_First_lab-created_organism_raises_ethical_questions.html)
The run down:
Scientists have created, essentially, a new life form in a lab. It's synthesized bacteria where almost all of the DNA has been lab-created out of a known genome sequence (that is, they knew the genome, modified some stuff they know about, then created the DNA out of the necessary proteins and made a bacteria creature out of it).
Thoughts, comments, ideas, praises, fears?
Personally, the idea of this gets me all tingly in the right places! I think it's a great advancement for science, and look forward to the possible advances in the medical community and other such sciences.
That is, as long as legislation doesn't kill it by those who fear it.
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MAYBE I'm just a little too into conspiracy theories. All I have to say is they've been doing it for a lot longer than we think. Prime example being the K-17 virus. Though information on how it was made is super hard to find as it's always mysteriously disappearing when it's posted somewhere for too long.
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MAYBE I'm just a little too into conspiracy theories. All I have to say is they've been doing it for a lot longer than we think. Prime example being the K-17 virus. Though information on how it was made is super hard to find as it's always mysteriously disappearing when it's posted somewhere for too long.
Errr.....wasn't that like a hoax "vampire virus" thing based off of some movie in the early 2000's? Darkness reigns or reign of darkness of something?
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Supposedly that's how it's played off, but you can find just as much saying that the virus used in the movie was based off leaked information about the real virus.
The theory goes they were trying to engineer a virus to destroy AIDs. It does that, but it completely overstretches the immune system and gives you symptoms that would make it seem like you were a vampire.
Such as if your skin produces melanin your immune system attacks it. (Allergic to sunlight) You need blood transfusions because your body stops producing blood. It corrects the flaws in your DNA that cause aging, so it happens exponentially slower. (living for nearly eternity). etc.
I'm trying to find the original article, but I can't.
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It corrects the flaws in your DNA that cause aging, so it happens exponentially slower. (living for nearly eternity).
Aaand that's where you lose me. You mean to tell me that a team of researchers exists that has both created a working gene therapy virus and also identified the genetic cause of aging, and they're sitting on it? No, I'm sorry. You're talking about a pair of holy grails. Instant fame, fortune if you're smart. Ain't nobody sitting on that.
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But think about it. If the government had hold of this and knew it was happening. OK. So suddenly everyone doesn't age. . . . World filled in about 50 years and overpopulation kills everyone. Seems like something to sit on to me.
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It does that, but it completely overstretches the immune system and gives you symptoms that would make it seem like you were a vampire.
Or maybe the government didn't want a bunch of sparkly people all over the place ;)
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You mean to tell me that a team of researchers exists that has both created a working gene therapy virus and also identified the genetic cause of aging, and they're sitting on it? No, I'm sorry. You're talking about a pair of holy grails. Instant fame, fortune if you're smart. Ain't nobody sitting on that.
IF and thats a big if, they(the governments) did actually identify those 2 things they WOULD sit on them because if people stopped dying overpopulation and food shortages would be a real concern. maybe if only to cure diseases fine but extended life as in more than 100 years of extra life would be too much for the life cycle on this planet.