Biotechnology

[Tinker Gnome]

On another note, I just realized my avatar is a robot. I forgot that for a while.

There, now my avatar is a friendly bioengineered monster.

 

[Jeremy Ackerman-Yost]

It's kind of funny though, Isaac Asimov (as most probably know) wrote a lot about robots, and one of the recurring themes was how humanity would be so terrified of them. The Frankenstein complex he called it.

He actually got that quite wrong, or at least what it's applied to. People seem to love robots. But people do seem to be afraid of genetically modified stuff. I think the US is the only place that eats/uses GM food.

Wait until the robots have something that can actually be called intelligence. Once you can have an intelligible conversation with a robot, it will be subject to the same prejudices we currently reserve for each other, only intensified for their greater alienness.

Personally, I would be a lot more comfortable with a system that has an absolute ON or OFF option. Based on all the known (and I stress "known") organismal weirdness that exists, and mankinds current ignorance of certain aspects of behavior in biological systems, I would not leave biologically engineered organisms to the fate of natural selection.

Of course, at some point humans may be able to predict how their biotech spawn will behave. The pessimist in me says, "I doubt it".

As a neurobiologist, let me tell you, we're a LONG way from it. My personal opinion is that it's impossible (or at least very improbable) for anything as complicated as an adult vertebrate.

 

[Mr. Lobo]

My personal opinion is that it's impossible (or at least very improbable) for anything as complicated as an adult vertebrate.

Hmm...then why I am here?

Just pokin' fun. Got your point. Anything as complicated as a bioengineered adult vertebrate. From scratch maybe. Sounds like allusions to Blind Watchmaker and all that...

But from the original post I got the impression that the bioengineered creatures didn't have to be vertebrates and could be relatively simple in nature depending on the task.

My fear is what will they eventually evolve into if allowed to do so for some reason? Why do I fear this? I don't know. I bet I'll be long dead and buried by the time I would really need to worry about it. Maybe. Can't forget that fairly recently research into creating bioengineered organisms designed to kill humans and animals has been developed. A far cry from the intent of the thread but a start nonetheless.

My agreement with you is tempered with "Never say never."

 

[Kemrain]

A far cry from the intent of the thread but a start nonetheless.

Funny how Far Cry is mentioned in a Bioengineering thread.

I can't wait until I can take a pill and a retrovirus will modify my DNA. I want to go to Ye Olde Body shoppe and come out with a 12 pack.

- Kemrain the Dissatisfied.

 

[Thornir Alekeg]

Funny how Far Cry is mentioned in a Bioengineering thread.

I can't wait until I can take a pill and a retrovirus will modify my DNA. I want to go to Ye Olde Body shoppe and come out with a 12 pack.

- Kemrain the Dissatisfied.

The only 12 pack you will have is one they cut out of someone else's body. DNA doesn't and never will work that way. You could possible insert DNA one day for a for increased muscle mass, but you will still need to build those muscles the old-fashioned way. It may take less effort, but they won't just grow spontaneously.

 

[Kemrain]

The only 12 pack you will have is one they cut out of someone else's body. DNA doesn't and never will work that way. You could possible insert DNA one day for a for increased muscle mass, but you will still need to build those muscles the old-fashioned way. It may take less effort, but they won't just grow spontaneously.

Aww, C'mon! That blows. How dare they call this "playing god" if it doesn't just happen spontaneously! Cheapass "Science". Feh.

- Kemrain the Officially Switching to Magic.

 

[Jeremy Ackerman-Yost]

My agreement with you is tempered with "Never say never."

I didn't. Or at least I backed off from saying it.