The upside of bio-genetics - Scientists jave bred cows that give skimmed milk. This is an incredibly efficient way to get skimmed milk, which most people like, and will reduce the amount of operating expenses dairies have to pay. Looks win-win right now. Now all we have to do is eliminate the outdated milk pricing system.
Scientists breed cows that give skimmed milk-News-UK-Science-TimesOnline
Showing posts with label biotech. Show all posts
Showing posts with label biotech. Show all posts
Sunday, May 27, 2007
Sunday, April 29, 2007
The Beginnings of Brain Implants & Artificial Intelligence. . .
BBC NEWS | Technology | Mouse brain simulated on computer
This is the first necessary, but not sufficient step towards the creation both of artificial intelligence, but also brain tissue-computer chip interfacing. This last presents the possibility of being able to "download" entire sections of world history, quantum mechanics, or learn a new language relatively effortlessly.
Of course Terminator predicted that AI would spontaneously generate and become a threat to humanity on August 29, 1997. We've made it 10 years past that deadline, and I'm not sure how to feel about the advent of AIs with complex reasoning skills. Its possible that their emergence will cement the current social strata and hinder vertical income movement.
From the BBC article:
Potentially scary stuff. How do our politics catch up with such potential social change? How will the current faux left-right structure be replace by a dominant, shared national ideology that could be effortlessly transmitted to anyone by virtue of a brain-computer automatic "update." How do such advances interact with advances in biotechnology and is there some type of possible synergy.
Looks like 20th Century Science Fiction may eventually become 21st Century science and consumer goods.
This is the first necessary, but not sufficient step towards the creation both of artificial intelligence, but also brain tissue-computer chip interfacing. This last presents the possibility of being able to "download" entire sections of world history, quantum mechanics, or learn a new language relatively effortlessly.
Of course Terminator predicted that AI would spontaneously generate and become a threat to humanity on August 29, 1997. We've made it 10 years past that deadline, and I'm not sure how to feel about the advent of AIs with complex reasoning skills. Its possible that their emergence will cement the current social strata and hinder vertical income movement.
From the BBC article:
US researchers have simulated half a virtual mouse brain on a supercomputer.
The scientists ran a "cortical simulator" that was as big and as complex as half of a mouse brain on the BlueGene L supercomputer.
In other smaller simulations the researchers say they have seen characteristics of thought patterns observed in real mouse brains.
Now the team is tuning the simulation to make it run faster and to make it more like a real mouse brain.
Potentially scary stuff. How do our politics catch up with such potential social change? How will the current faux left-right structure be replace by a dominant, shared national ideology that could be effortlessly transmitted to anyone by virtue of a brain-computer automatic "update." How do such advances interact with advances in biotechnology and is there some type of possible synergy.
Looks like 20th Century Science Fiction may eventually become 21st Century science and consumer goods.
Sunday, March 11, 2007
Designer Babies in the UK
At the end of the day I completely support this. The individual and social benefits to eliminating genetic diseases such as diabetes, parkinsons, alcholism etc. are enormous.
I'd love to have my future children partially designed to eliminate hereditary diseases. That's a no brainer.
Unintended Social Consequences & Controversies of This Technology
Would I use this technology to enhance their intelligence and athletic ability - of course, what responsible parent wouldn't want their child to have every possible advantage. This is more controversial because thousands(millions?) of individuals making individual decisions for similar reasons can cause an unintential social movement. Such genetic enhancement runs counter to our American ideals of fair play (witness our laws against performance enhancing drugs for athletes).
What about the ethics of deleting a gay gene, deaf gene or genes that make you fat? Parts of our society would do this without blinking. But other parts of our society(beyond the christianists) will have severe issues with this? E.g., won't deaf culture die out and should it (which is a huge issue)?
Depending on how far such technology progresses, it also has has the potential to cement the position of those at the top and eliminatig the eternal goal of meritocracy and social mobility. Without the last two, our Democratic-Capitalist society will eventually collapse due to revolts and possible revolutions - they'll be slow in coming, but they'll come. And it won't just be our nation, it will occur in other nation where the same technology is available and utilized.
I'd love to have my future children partially designed to eliminate hereditary diseases. That's a no brainer.
Unintended Social Consequences & Controversies of This Technology
Would I use this technology to enhance their intelligence and athletic ability - of course, what responsible parent wouldn't want their child to have every possible advantage. This is more controversial because thousands(millions?) of individuals making individual decisions for similar reasons can cause an unintential social movement. Such genetic enhancement runs counter to our American ideals of fair play (witness our laws against performance enhancing drugs for athletes).
What about the ethics of deleting a gay gene, deaf gene or genes that make you fat? Parts of our society would do this without blinking. But other parts of our society(beyond the christianists) will have severe issues with this? E.g., won't deaf culture die out and should it (which is a huge issue)?
Depending on how far such technology progresses, it also has has the potential to cement the position of those at the top and eliminatig the eternal goal of meritocracy and social mobility. Without the last two, our Democratic-Capitalist society will eventually collapse due to revolts and possible revolutions - they'll be slow in coming, but they'll come. And it won't just be our nation, it will occur in other nation where the same technology is available and utilized.
Biological Data Storage
How cool is this? Using artificial DNA to store information in bacteria is just brilliant and potentially will lead to faster computer processors, and EMP-proof data storage for corporations. Someone's going to figure how to make a lot of money off of this.
For all the potential benefits, it does raise three questions:
(1) What exactly is "artificial DNA," and what are its other potentially malicious uses of which we should be wary?
(2) Can this data be written into creatures beyond bacteria? Will I eventually be able to use my dog as a backup storage device? How cool would that be?
(3) Will scientists be able to use this artifical DNA to modify humans? In what way will they choose/be able/forced to do so? How far away is this?
Anyway, just things to consider. Still doesnt' change the coolness factor.
For all the potential benefits, it does raise three questions:
(1) What exactly is "artificial DNA," and what are its other potentially malicious uses of which we should be wary?
(2) Can this data be written into creatures beyond bacteria? Will I eventually be able to use my dog as a backup storage device? How cool would that be?
(3) Will scientists be able to use this artifical DNA to modify humans? In what way will they choose/be able/forced to do so? How far away is this?
Anyway, just things to consider. Still doesnt' change the coolness factor.
Wednesday, February 21, 2007
More Potential for Biotech
How cool is this?
Regeration and cloning of limbs leads to a whole host of ethical issues that no one has confronted yet with the exception of a few Science Fiction writers. Our society as a whole has had no real discussion or discourse on the implications of such technologies because scientfic/medical research is far outpacing the ability of our society to digest these changes and adopt a coherent, consensus regarding these changes. For example, regeneration may lead to longer life spans for those here whenn it is fully realized, but may also lead to the birth of fewer children, resulting in the loss of some genes and increased risk of decimating plagues.
Scientists Grow Mouse Teeth From Single Cells
02.19.07, 12:00 AM ET
MONDAY, Feb. 19 (HealthDay News) -- Using tissue regeneration technology, Japanese researchers have been able to grow a new tooth from single mouse tooth cells and use it to replace natural teeth in a mouse.
The achievement is "a breakthrough in the development of bioengineered organs and proposes a novel concept for the organ replacement in future regenerative therapies," lead researcher Takashi Tsuji, associate professor, Department of Biological Technology, Tokyo University of Science, said in a prepared statement.
Reporting in the Feb. 19 online issue of the journal Nature Methods, Tsuji's team started by using the two cell types that form teeth -- mesenchymal and epithelial cells. They grew sufficient quantities of each of these cells and then injected them into a drop of collagen. This eventually developed into a budding tooth, which they transplanted into the cavity left by an extracted tooth in a mouse. . .
Regeration and cloning of limbs leads to a whole host of ethical issues that no one has confronted yet with the exception of a few Science Fiction writers. Our society as a whole has had no real discussion or discourse on the implications of such technologies because scientfic/medical research is far outpacing the ability of our society to digest these changes and adopt a coherent, consensus regarding these changes. For example, regeneration may lead to longer life spans for those here whenn it is fully realized, but may also lead to the birth of fewer children, resulting in the loss of some genes and increased risk of decimating plagues.
Tuesday, February 20, 2007
Regenerating Limbs through Biotechnology
Biotechnology has the potential to radically affect our culture. Here's an interesting story from the AP with about the cultural implications of biotechnolgy.
Allowing soldiers to regrow lost limbs might enable our military to lower its recruiting goals to still meet its obligations. Alternatively, the technology could be used for civilian uses, but such use could be regulated in a way that not everyone needing such a procedure will get it.
Allowing soldiers to regrow lost limbs might enable our military to lower its recruiting goals to still meet its obligations. Alternatively, the technology could be used for civilian uses, but such use could be regulated in a way that not everyone needing such a procedure will get it.
Science Finding Ways to Regrow Fingers
Feb 18 11:33 PM US/Eastern
By MALCOLM RITTER
AP Science Writer
NEW YORK (AP) -- Researchers are trying to find ways to regrow fingers _ and someday, even limbs _ with tricks that sound like magic spells from a Harry Potter novel.
There's the guy who sliced off a fingertip but grew it back, after he treated the wound with an extract of pig bladder. And the scientists who grow extra arms on salamanders. And the laboratory mice with the eerie ability to heal themselves.
This summer, scientists are planning to see whether the powdered pig extract can help injured soldiers regrow parts of their fingers. And a large federally funded project is trying to unlock the secrets of how some animals regrow body parts so well, with hopes of applying the the lessons to humans.
The implications for regrowing fingers go beyond the cosmetic. People who are missing all or most of their fingers, as from an explosion or a fire, often can't pick things up, brush their teeth or button a button. If they could grow even a small stub, it could make a huge difference in their lives.
And the lessons learned from studying regrowth of fingers and limbs could aid the larger field of regenerative medicine, perhaps someday helping people replace damaged parts of their hearts and spinal cords, and heal wounds and burns with new skin instead of scar.
Sunday, February 18, 2007
Next Stop: Dystopia?
This mind reading techology, though in its infant stage, has a number of implications, some cool, some creepy.
The Creepy Implications
Our society continues its slide towards a police state - I always thought it would be done by the left; imagine my disappointment at being blindsided by the fascists. This technology could become used to routinely screen airport travelers and border crossers. Due to its enormous appeal for stopping terrorism, the people will learn to live with or ignore the hassle and it will spread. The end result will be the stifling of dissent by those in power - and who will those be?
Cool Implications
That said, it also has some pretty cool implications in terms of pioneering technology that will eventually be able to help those that are currently parapalegics or bed-ridden.
(Bio)Ethically Interesting Implications
The above begins to raise the questions of the gradual emergence of cybernetic organisms (CyBorgs). It will start out gradually, as a means of helping victims of war and accident. But how will it end? Will people decide to add an additional set or arms like Dr. Octopus? Will they be allowed to? How will our religious conservatives react to this?
Another implication is the possibility that humans will eventually be able to augment their intelligence, knowledge and skills by downloading information directly into their brains. This possibility is raised in Johnny Zed . Again, how will our religous conservatives react? What about our liberals concerned that such a technology will further widen the gap between the haves and have-less. What about our national puritan streak that makes us ban performing enhancement drugs for sports - would that translate to academia and science?
The Creepy Implications
Our society continues its slide towards a police state - I always thought it would be done by the left; imagine my disappointment at being blindsided by the fascists. This technology could become used to routinely screen airport travelers and border crossers. Due to its enormous appeal for stopping terrorism, the people will learn to live with or ignore the hassle and it will spread. The end result will be the stifling of dissent by those in power - and who will those be?
Cool Implications
That said, it also has some pretty cool implications in terms of pioneering technology that will eventually be able to help those that are currently parapalegics or bed-ridden.
(Bio)Ethically Interesting Implications
The above begins to raise the questions of the gradual emergence of cybernetic organisms (CyBorgs). It will start out gradually, as a means of helping victims of war and accident. But how will it end? Will people decide to add an additional set or arms like Dr. Octopus? Will they be allowed to? How will our religious conservatives react to this?
Another implication is the possibility that humans will eventually be able to augment their intelligence, knowledge and skills by downloading information directly into their brains. This possibility is raised in Johnny Zed . Again, how will our religous conservatives react? What about our liberals concerned that such a technology will further widen the gap between the haves and have-less. What about our national puritan streak that makes us ban performing enhancement drugs for sports - would that translate to academia and science?
Sunday, October 23, 2005
Ditto on Stem Cells
Balloon Juice perfectly articulates my views on the stem cell "debate."
When I say debate, I actually mean fight, because there is no debate for me. A stem cell is not a person, it is not murder, and it is not immoral or amoral to use them. People who make the claim that conducting research on a stem cell that will otherwise be destroyed or discarded is akin to taking a human life have, IMHO, queered this debate so needlessly that it is pointless to even attempt to reason with them. Besides- they only understand brute political force, which is what they are trying to use to impose their moral code on the rest of us, so why ‘debate’ them.
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