jrkelly

12 ms·

61.
by jrkelly 12y ago
The robustness of evolved systems is just crazy.
62.
by jrkelly 12y ago
The New Yorker finally stepped up to the plate on calling out her myths recently: http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2014/08/25/seeds-of-doubt
63.
by jrkelly 12y ago
I had the total opposite experience - I loved my PhD. Getting a PhD is one of the last true apprenticeships. If you put a lot into it and are careful/lucky in your choice of professor it can be a unique opportunity to spend ~5 years di
64.
Ginkgo Bioworks (YC S14) is Hiring
1 points by jrkelly 12y ago
65.
by jrkelly 12y ago
If you drop DNA patents would you recommend it be covered by copyright? Tough if there is bothing preventing direct copying.
66.
by jrkelly 12y ago
zero dollars.
67.
by jrkelly 12y ago
And don't forget the whole thing self assembles with inputs of primarily light, water, and air at zero cost. Biology makes the rest of our manufacturing technology look ridiculously inefficient.
68.
by jrkelly 12y ago
If you want to read good-faith reporting on GM crops, this is by far the best stuff out there: http://grist.org/series/panic-free-gmos/
69.
by jrkelly 12y ago
Oxitec are the ones to follow in this space. Really awesome work: http://www.oxitec.com
70.
by jrkelly 12y ago
The very first commercial application of GMOs was recombinant insulin for diabetics. Followed by a slew of other drugs - GMOs now make 50% of drugs (all the protein ones). The agriculture applications came 5-10 years later as plants were
71.
by jrkelly 12y ago
One of the best new applications of GMOs. Interestingly, Rachel Carson mentioned this approach in Silent Spring: https://twitter.com/mem_somerville/status/457876443586760704... Oxitec is making the mosquitoes via
72.
Startup lender Earnest puts faith in young borrowers(betaboston.com)
1 points by jrkelly 13y ago|0 comments
73.
by jrkelly 13y ago
I'm definitely getting here too late, but this is the series to read to get informed on GMOs. "Panic Free GMOs" by Grist Magazine, very balanced take: http://grist.org/series/panic-free-gmos/
74.
by jrkelly 13y ago
In Boston - VDC: http://www.umb.edu/vdc In SF - QB3: http://qb3.org/startups/incubators
75.
by jrkelly 13y ago
yeah, founder salaries would be on top of that - I was just talking about lab/materials. Fortunately if you are coming out of PhD program you're used to working for low cost.
76.
by jrkelly 13y ago
There are a places you can rent a wet lab biology bench for <$1K/month in both Boston and SF. You still need to buy equipment and materials but you'll have lab infrastructure/permitting OK. If you just need to do really
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by jrkelly 13y ago
Guessing you aren't seeing many professors since funding numbers are too low right now. Looks like biggest projects getting funded are ~$10K. Presumably that changes as it gets more popular.
78.
by jrkelly 13y ago
I have that set and an 18 month old. That flower is pretty big, you're good. The real problem is that young they can't pull the duplos apart. Try these: http://www.yoyo.com/p/mega-bloks-first-builders-class
79.
by jrkelly 13y ago
Churches are the first thing that leapt to my mind. The new pope seems to be headed this way: http://www.businessinsider.com/the-pope-on-the-financial-sys... And religions have done this historically: http://en.
80.
by jrkelly 13y ago
Why can't you use biology to do what you want there? Proteins have ~0.05nm precision at placing atoms and are programmable in three dimensions and biology is pretty good at working with carbon. It exceeds our genetic engineering abil
81.
by jrkelly 13y ago
A great article. I suspect the shortest route to atomically-precise manufacturing will be by engineering biology since biology already knows how to do it. And there is even already a high-school competition as Feynman suggested at the end
82.
by jrkelly 13y ago
The Making of the Atomic Bomb by Richard Rhodes covers both the history of nuclear power and the rise of the US research complex (NSF, NIH, universities like MIT and Stanford). One of the best books I've ever read.
83.
by jrkelly 13y ago
If GMOs can get a win with this, citrus greening disease in oranges, or vitamin A-fortified "golden" rice it will be a big deal for public acceptance of the technology.
84.
by jrkelly 13y ago
That NYT author, Carl Zimmer, is also pretty solid. He's doing a twitter Q&A now if you want to ask him Qs: https://twitter.com/carlzimmer/status/408327412250734592
85.
by jrkelly 13y ago
UPS/Fedex doesn't really fix this either in cities, since they can't leave the package and they always try to deliver during work hours (in my neighborhood) - so I get slips from them too. Really need after-hours delivery, I&
86.
by jrkelly 13y ago
GMOs undergo far more extensive testing than any other type of new crop introduced. The people who don't like GMOs do so b/c they don't like industrial agriculture. GMOs are just the weakest link in industrial Ag to attack.
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by jrkelly 13y ago
So why do they buy them?
88.
by jrkelly 13y ago
To the best of my knowledge farmers can buy whatever seeds they want - it's an open market. If you want to learn more about GMOs there has been balanced, good faith reporting recently by Nathanael Johnson at Grist (not exactly a pro-b
89.
by jrkelly 13y ago
I might not be following you, but it sounded like you were worried about farmers losing the right to save seeds due to Monsanto patents. Seed saving largely ended with hybrid seeds in the 20s. Is there something else you were trying to say?
90.
by jrkelly 13y ago
There is more complexity to the GMO / Monsanto issue than Food, Inc (and sadly the HN demographic) give credit. If you'd like to dig deeper there has been very balanced, good faith reporting from Nathanael Johnson on the topic:

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