4 ms·

Humans have been “futzing with nature’s systems” and transforming or destroying ecosystems since the agricultural revolution, or before. This particular futzing

Humans have been “futzing with nature’s systems” and transforming or destroying ecosystems since the agricultural revolution, or before. This particular futzing is targeted, subject to careful scientific study, and if scaled out globally, has a fair shot at ending one of the greatest causes of human misery in the history of the world. What exactly are you concerned about?

fpgaminer 6y ago
I fall on the GMO is good side of the fence. I agree that careful science is far safer than the billion year "let's try random shit and see what sticks" experiment that nature runs. However, if I were to articulate my fears about experiments like these it would be to say that mankind's skill is a double edged sword. We've built a tool that quickly and effectively spreads and wipes out a species. That's the good side of the sword. In the off chance we messed up, missed something important... well now it's a quick and effective tragedy. That's the other side of the sword. For me the equation is tilted pro-GMO because I see the alternative of letting nature run its course as a 100% certainty that a current tragedy continues to unfold. So I'll continue to support GMO experiments like this. I just might have my fingers crossed, in case our D20 roll is bad and the kill gene jumps into the Zika virus and then into humans...
- op00to 6y ago
  Genes don’t “jump” like that.
  - CWuestefeld 6y ago
    Sure they do: Horizontal gene transfer (HGT) or lateral gene transfer (LGT) is the movement of genetic material between unicellular and/or multicellular organisms other than by the ("vertical") transmission of DNA from parent to offspring (reproduction). HGT is an important factor in the evolution of many organisms https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horizontal_gene_transfer https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horizontal_gene_transfer

fpgaminer 6y ago

I fall on the GMO is good side of the fence. I agree that careful science is far safer than the billion year "let's try random shit and see what sticks" experiment that nature runs. However, if I were to articulate my fears about experiments like these it would be to say that mankind's skill is a double edged sword. We've built a tool that quickly and effectively spreads and wipes out a species. That's the good side of the sword. In the off chance we messed up, missed something important... well now it's a quick and effective tragedy. That's the other side of the sword. For me the equation is tilted pro-GMO because I see the alternative of letting nature run its course as a 100% certainty that a current tragedy continues to unfold. So I'll continue to support GMO experiments like this. I just might have my fingers crossed, in case our D20 roll is bad and the kill gene jumps into the Zika virus and then into humans...

op00to 6y ago
Genes don’t “jump” like that.
- CWuestefeld 6y ago
  Sure they do: Horizontal gene transfer (HGT) or lateral gene transfer (LGT) is the movement of genetic material between unicellular and/or multicellular organisms other than by the ("vertical") transmission of DNA from parent to offspring (reproduction). HGT is an important factor in the evolution of many organisms https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horizontal_gene_transfer https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horizontal_gene_transfer