Comments on: How synthetic biology will change the world http://www.kurzweilai.net/how-synthetic-biology-will-change-the-world Accelerating Intelligence Fri, 24 May 2013 23:30:29 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.1 By: Martin http://www.kurzweilai.net/how-synthetic-biology-will-change-the-world/comment-page-1#comment-29689 Martin Mon, 27 Aug 2012 14:34:05 +0000 http://www.kurzweilai.net/?p=160072#comment-29689 Looks like this could be used to help boost cognitive ability, hence increasing the intelligence of less gifted individuals Looks like this could be used to help boost cognitive ability, hence increasing the intelligence of less gifted individuals

]]> By: Bagger Dean http://www.kurzweilai.net/how-synthetic-biology-will-change-the-world/comment-page-1#comment-29417 Bagger Dean Fri, 24 Aug 2012 15:06:14 +0000 http://www.kurzweilai.net/?p=160072#comment-29417 Apparently, Silver has figured out a way to prove that there is no God, after all. Apparently, Silver has figured out a way to prove that there is no God, after all.

]]> By: Ralph Dratman http://www.kurzweilai.net/how-synthetic-biology-will-change-the-world/comment-page-1#comment-29367 Ralph Dratman Fri, 24 Aug 2012 02:52:05 +0000 http://www.kurzweilai.net/?p=160072#comment-29367 It is scary, I agree, to "fool around with nature" as deeply as this kind of work implies. But the continuing development of synthetic biology may prove to be the only chance we humans have to keep our civilization moving forward without destroying the ecosystems that make our lives possible. I strongly agree with Prof. Silver when she points to public health measures as a comparable disturbance of nature. Improving human health seems inarguable, yet the consequences of doing so without restraint can be huge. To cite just one example, human medications and their metabolites can now be found in every environment on the planet. This is the case, not because of carelessness, but simply because we excrete most of these substances in our urine. Humans understandably use greater and greater quantities of pharmaceuticals to make our lives better, and it is difficult to imagine this will change anytime soon. But we are not going to stop urinating either. The only chance to keep from poisoning the rest of the biosphere in the process of medicating ourselves may lie in developing inexpensive biological waste water treatment techniques, using organisms that are able to further metabolize the commonest drugs. It is scary, I agree, to “fool around with nature” as deeply as this kind of work implies. But the continuing development of synthetic biology may prove to be the only chance we humans have to keep our civilization moving forward without destroying the ecosystems that make our lives possible.

I strongly agree with Prof. Silver when she points to public health measures as a comparable disturbance of nature. Improving human health seems inarguable, yet the consequences of doing so without restraint can be huge.

To cite just one example, human medications and their metabolites can now be found in every environment on the planet. This is the case, not because of carelessness, but simply because we excrete most of these substances in our urine.

Humans understandably use greater and greater quantities of pharmaceuticals to make our lives better, and it is difficult to imagine this will change anytime soon. But we are not going to stop urinating either. The only chance to keep from poisoning the rest of the biosphere in the process of medicating ourselves may lie in developing inexpensive biological waste water treatment techniques, using organisms that are able to further metabolize the commonest drugs.

]]> By: Gorden Russell http://www.kurzweilai.net/how-synthetic-biology-will-change-the-world/comment-page-1#comment-29357 Gorden Russell Thu, 23 Aug 2012 23:57:46 +0000 http://www.kurzweilai.net/?p=160072#comment-29357 That's the one. That’s the one.

]]> By: RobinSongs http://www.kurzweilai.net/how-synthetic-biology-will-change-the-world/comment-page-1#comment-29333 RobinSongs Thu, 23 Aug 2012 17:57:57 +0000 http://www.kurzweilai.net/?p=160072#comment-29333 Do you mean episode 'Miri'? Methuselah's Children is a Heinlein novel. Do you mean episode ‘Miri’? Methuselah’s Children is a Heinlein novel.

]]> By: Gorden Russell http://www.kurzweilai.net/how-synthetic-biology-will-change-the-world/comment-page-1#comment-29309 Gorden Russell Thu, 23 Aug 2012 14:47:54 +0000 http://www.kurzweilai.net/?p=160072#comment-29309 "Understand the properties of biological units so well that they can be plugged into a computer, allowing scientists to use computer-aided design (CAD) to create and optimize biological systems that do specific tasks, such as producing a vaccine for a new disease." This will be like those old Star Trek episodes where Bones could make the vaccine to cure a newly discovered disease. Remember the episode, "Methuselah's Children?" I was 15-years-old when it first played and got such a crush on Kim Darby from that show. “Understand the properties of biological units so well that they can be plugged into a computer, allowing scientists to use computer-aided design (CAD) to create and optimize biological systems that do specific tasks, such as producing a vaccine for a new disease.”

This will be like those old Star Trek episodes where Bones could make the vaccine to cure a newly discovered disease. Remember the episode, “Methuselah’s Children?” I was 15-years-old when it first played and got such a crush on Kim Darby from that show.

]]>