4 ms·
The Colorado movie shooter was a Phd student. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Holmes_(mass_murderer) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Holmes_(mass_murder
by jmpman 2mo ago
The Colorado movie shooter was a Phd student. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Holmes_(mass_murderer) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Holmes_(mass_murderer)
Someone like him would have access to the "properly stocked lab".
That's the nightmare scenario.
- EA-3167 2mo agoI believe you're misunderstanding what I meant, we're talking about a specialized lab with a hell of a lot of privacy (read: zero oversight), lots of time and money, and the freedom to experiment on a range of animal models. I'm sure that some day, maybe not even that far off, the tech to do all of this will be much cheaper and easier to buy. There will come a time when all that stops people from your nightmare scenario is "used car money", a solid education, and regulatory agencies. Happily that time hasn't arrived yet, but I do appreciate that people are at least talking about it before it actually arrives.
- jmpman 2mo agoAnd I'm pointing out that there are people with access to all of the required equipment today, who are experiencing a schizophrenic break... biology grad students.
- sudosysgen 2mo agoWhy would they need help from an LLM to design a sequence when there are sequences for many existing highly pathogenic viruses and well understood ways to make them more harmful? Besides, biology grad students rarely or never have access to a lab with zero oversight.
- jmpman 2mo agoI remember when I was in college reading about some chemistry grad student getting busted for making mdma in the lab. The oversight may be more relaxed than necessary.
- sudosysgen 2mo agoMDMA is far, far easier to make than a virus from nothing. People can make it in their basement.