5 ms·

Did Star Trek not already warn us about this one?

VyseofArcadia 2y ago
There's this meme about how sci-fi cautionary tales fly over people's heads, > At long last, we have finally created the Torment Nexus from the classic sci-fi novel "Don't Create the Torment Nexus".
- yawpitch 2y ago
  Don’t forget its thrilling sequel, “Don’t Create the Torment Nexus, Again”.
amyjess 2y ago
There was a fairly recent issue of the Fantastic Four about this as well. (where "fairly recent" means part of Ryan North's excellent run)
ben_w 2y ago
Not that I recall — closest I can think of would either be TOS evil twin made from antimatter, the mirror universe in general, or Nelix' coffee. But I have seen it as a short story about how the world ends, some synthetic bacteria that was meant to be reversed chirality for safety, but eventually it went wild and could eat everything without itself being eaten by anything.
- selimthegrim 2y ago
  If this was ‘Starfish’ it was longer than a short story
  - ben_w 2y ago
    I don't think so; I've looked up the story, and what I remember doesn't match the setting of the summary I've seen of that novel — assuming it was the Peter Watts novel, because while I kinda assumed you wouldn't have meant the Lisa Fipps novel of the same name, there may be others with that name which I just don't know about.
- dmitrygr 2y ago
  Yes. I remeber that one too. It started with reversed sugar used for weight loss. It was made by reversed ecoli, which escaped. This is it: https://laprade.blog/your-dietbet-destroyed-the-world https://laprade.blog/your-dietbet-destroyed-the-world
  - ben_w 2y ago
    Yup, that's the one. Thanks :)
nprateem 2y ago
I also saw a 2-part documentary recently about someone who caught a highly contagious virus (the so called "rage" virus) that led to disastrous consequences. We know these risks are real.
Qem 2y ago
Clarke warned us, in "2061: Odissey 3" (Beware: spoilers): > The doctor seemed to be struggling for words. 'What, dammit?' 'Something came up out, of the water, Like a parrot beak, but about a hundred times bigger. It took - Rosie - with one snap, and disappeared. We have some impressive company here; even if we could breathe outside, I certainly wouldn't recommend swimming -' 'Bridge to Captain,' said the officer on duty, 'Big disturbance in the water - camera three - I'll give you the picture.' 'That's the thing I saw!' cried the doctor. He felt a sudden chill at the inevitable, ominous thought: I hope it's not back for more. Suddenly, a vast bulk broke through the surface of the ocean and arched into the sky. For a moment, the whole monstrous shape was suspended between air and water. The familiar can be as shocking as the strange - when it is in the wrong place. Both captain and doctor exclaimed simultaneously: 'It's a shark!' There was just time to notice a few subtle differences - in addition to the monstrous parrot-beak - before the giant crashed back into the sea. There was an extra pair of fins - and there appeared to be no gills. Nor were there any eyes, but on either side of the beak there were curious protuberances that might be some other sense organs. 'Convergent evolution, of course,' said the doctor. 'Same problems, same solutions, on any planet. Look at Earth. Sharks, dolphins, ichthyosaurs - all oceanic predators must have the same basic design. That beak puzzles me, though -' 'What's it doing now?' The creature had surfaced again, but now it was moving very slowly, as if exhausted after that one gigantic leap. In fact, it seemed to be in trouble - even in agony; it was beating its tail against the sea, without attempting to move in any definite direction. Suddenly, it vomited its last meal, turned belly up, and lay wallowing lifelessly in the gentle swell. 'Oh my God,' whispered the Captain, his voice full of revulsion. 'I think I know what's happened.' 'Totally alien biochemistries,' said the doctor; even he seemed shaken by the sight. 'Rosie's claimed one victim, after all.' The Sea of Galilee was
selimthegrim 2y ago
Surprised nobody mentioned ‘Starfish’ by Peter Watts.

There's this meme about how sci-fi cautionary tales fly over people's heads, > At long last, we have finally created the Torment Nexus from the classic sci-fi novel "Don't Create the Torment Nexus".

yawpitch 2y ago
Don’t forget its thrilling sequel, “Don’t Create the Torment Nexus, Again”.

amyjess 2y ago

There was a fairly recent issue of the Fantastic Four about this as well. (where "fairly recent" means part of Ryan North's excellent run)

ben_w 2y ago

Not that I recall — closest I can think of would either be TOS evil twin made from antimatter, the mirror universe in general, or Nelix' coffee. But I have seen it as a short story about how the world ends, some synthetic bacteria that was meant to be reversed chirality for safety, but eventually it went wild and could eat everything without itself being eaten by anything.

selimthegrim 2y ago
If this was ‘Starfish’ it was longer than a short story
- ben_w 2y ago
  I don't think so; I've looked up the story, and what I remember doesn't match the setting of the summary I've seen of that novel — assuming it was the Peter Watts novel, because while I kinda assumed you wouldn't have meant the Lisa Fipps novel of the same name, there may be others with that name which I just don't know about.
dmitrygr 2y ago
Yes. I remeber that one too. It started with reversed sugar used for weight loss. It was made by reversed ecoli, which escaped. This is it: https://laprade.blog/your-dietbet-destroyed-the-world https://laprade.blog/your-dietbet-destroyed-the-world
- ben_w 2y ago
  Yup, that's the one. Thanks :)

nprateem 2y ago

I also saw a 2-part documentary recently about someone who caught a highly contagious virus (the so called "rage" virus) that led to disastrous consequences. We know these risks are real.

Qem 2y ago

Clarke warned us, in "2061: Odissey 3" (Beware: spoilers): > The doctor seemed to be struggling for words. 'What, dammit?' 'Something came up out, of the water, Like a parrot beak, but about a hundred times bigger. It took - Rosie - with one snap, and disappeared. We have some impressive company here; even if we could breathe outside, I certainly wouldn't recommend swimming -' 'Bridge to Captain,' said the officer on duty, 'Big disturbance in the water - camera three - I'll give you the picture.' 'That's the thing I saw!' cried the doctor. He felt a sudden chill at the inevitable, ominous thought: I hope it's not back for more. Suddenly, a vast bulk broke through the surface of the ocean and arched into the sky. For a moment, the whole monstrous shape was suspended between air and water. The familiar can be as shocking as the strange - when it is in the wrong place. Both captain and doctor exclaimed simultaneously: 'It's a shark!' There was just time to notice a few subtle differences - in addition to the monstrous parrot-beak - before the giant crashed back into the sea. There was an extra pair of fins - and there appeared to be no gills. Nor were there any eyes, but on either side of the beak there were curious protuberances that might be some other sense organs. 'Convergent evolution, of course,' said the doctor. 'Same problems, same solutions, on any planet. Look at Earth. Sharks, dolphins, ichthyosaurs - all oceanic predators must have the same basic design. That beak puzzles me, though -' 'What's it doing now?' The creature had surfaced again, but now it was moving very slowly, as if exhausted after that one gigantic leap. In fact, it seemed to be in trouble - even in agony; it was beating its tail against the sea, without attempting to move in any definite direction. Suddenly, it vomited its last meal, turned belly up, and lay wallowing lifelessly in the gentle swell. 'Oh my God,' whispered the Captain, his voice full of revulsion. 'I think I know what's happened.' 'Totally alien biochemistries,' said the doctor; even he seemed shaken by the sight. 'Rosie's claimed one victim, after all.' The Sea of Galilee was

selimthegrim 2y ago

Surprised nobody mentioned ‘Starfish’ by Peter Watts.