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"Encounter 2001" To Send Human DNA To Space
Scoria writes: "CNN dot com reports that the Houston based company Encounter 2001 will ship a part of your DNA to space in 2003 for $50. They're apparently hoping that aliens will find the "message" that they send.
The ship will use solar sails the size of a football field as its primary accelerator and will take fifteen years to pass Pluto, at which point it will be travelling at 7.8 miles a second.
Pioneer 10, alternately, is currently moving at 7.605936 miles (12.24 km)/sec.
There are 4.5 million total slots, go make sure that there are in fact geeks in space!"
Kodos: Those humans are acting up again. Now they are sending up biological information about themselves.
Kang: Let me see the samples. Oh no! What a despicable tub of goo. Let's determine the identity connected to each of the humans that contributed to this goo. Hopefully there will be enough information in there to uniquely identify every single one. We can use these humans as slaves in our mining camps!
Kodos: Excellent!
How do you prevent degradation of the DNA in space? What are the assembly instructions like? Is there a use for DNA, or is it even recognizable as biological instructions, outside of a cellular context? Wouldn't you need a biological container, or stem cells, or something?
Wordnik, a dictionary project which aims to collect
Their fall to Spain was much more due to their lack of immunity to smallpox than anything the Spanish intentionally did.
What politically correct stuff you've been reading? The Inca's were defeated before they even had a chance of contracting any diseases.
They were defeated by Pizarro, the first Spaniard that went over there with only 180 soldiers, to explore mostly, and then realized that they either had to fight or be had.
The Spaniards faced an army of 80000 Incan soldiers, and things looked grim for them. But they managed to pull off their ambitious plan of striking panic in the Incan ranks. It succeeded so well, that they used the same tactic in several following battles where they were similarly outnumbered.
That was the end of the vast Incan empire. In a matter of weeks. No time for any diseases to spread.
I guess Spinrad had to have been a very good writer to be able to turn out something that painfully bad on purpose.
Now Dalton Trumbo's "Night of the Aurochs", on the other hand, apparently was intended to be good (like a bunch of his other stuff) and unfortunately it really wasn't.
For a well-written book about Nazi's by someone who really knew his stuff, try William L. Shirer's "Rise and Fall of the Third Reich". Too bad it's not fiction.
I see even classic Slashdot is now pretty much unusable on dial up anymore.
"She was merely helping me prepare a specimen for a science project. Anybody got a fifty I can borrow? I left my wallet in my pants."
I see even classic Slashdot is now pretty much unusable on dial up anymore.
Dawg-gone-it. Someone beat me to it.
I remember reading it in Harlan Ellison's Dangerous Visions collection (or was it in D. V. Again, I forget.) Very early Seventies, I think. I remember ROTFLMAO about the arguments on how to spell ``jism''.
--
CUR ALLOC 20195.....5804M
I believe this was the premise of the movie
"Species".
I can think a better use of $50 to insure that your genes get propagated. It's called asking out that cute girl in class, taking her to a fancy restaurant, then knocking her up.
Not politically correct. I glossed over some of the detail of other issues, but this is factually correct.
There was a raging civil war in the Inca empire at the time of Pizarro's conquest. Specifically, Atahuallpa Inca was gaining dominance over Huascar for control of the Inca Empire at the time of Pizarro's fourth mission. Pizarro had gone on three exploratory excursions beginning in 1524. (You'll see references to two missions, and his successful invasion as the "third" visit because the first expedition in 1524 never actually got to any part of the Inca empire.)
The civil war was a fight over who would ascend the throne after both Huayna-Capac, the ruling Inca, and his heir, Ninan Cuyuchi died. On one of the earlier Spanish missions, smallpox had been introduced, and swept through the country. Both Huayna-Capac and Ninan Cuyuchi died of smallpox.
The famous fourth mission, in 1532, is where Pizarro landed around Tumbez, on the northern coast. Tumbez was a ruin, destroyed by the civil war. Reinforcements followed Pizarro, and he began his conquest with 168 men and somewhere around 60 horses.
From Tumbez, Pizarro & co headed south into the mountains towards Cajamarca. Around that same time, Atahuallpa's forces captured Huascar outside of Cuzco, and Atahuallpa was heading back to the capital. Both sides were demoralized by losses from both disease and battle. On the journey to Cajamarca, Pizarro successfully recruited locals who were loyal to Huascar to join his army.
When they met Atahuallpa's army, the Spanish played a trick on the Atahuallpa's ambassadorial mission, and kidnapped Atahuallpa and killed his bodyguards. There was no large-scale conflict between the armies at this point.
Here's where it gets very political and drawn out. Atahuallpa tries to ransom himself with a room filled with gold. Eventually, Pizarro has him murdered. During this period, however, Huascar's supporters were not idle, and were allying with various local tribes who had been oppressed by the Incas (like the Imara).
There were numerous battles with varying groups, and the Inca empire was pretty much crushed.
The event you're talking about, was during a final rebellion against the Spanish in 1536, where Manco Inca raised a huge army to attach the Spanish in Cuzco. This is where the badly outnumbered Spanish managed to break out of the siege on horseback and then quickly counterattacked the Inca army at Sacsayhuaman. This was, as you say, a stunning victory due to strategy, luck, and superior weaponry. It was not, however, how the Conquistadors took over the Empire.
(Similarly, when Cortez took over Mexico City earlier, smallpox was killing over 1,000 Aztecs per day. The demoralizing effect of this, coupled with the Spanish armor, guns, and apparent immunity to the disease, all contributed to his victory.)
bukra fil mish mish
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Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachtani?
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Good God, man! New World Produce is the sole legitimate differentiator of civilized and uncivilized.
I'd go off on a lengthy screed about the spread of the peanut, chocolate, coffee, potatos, triticale, and so on, but I've already been labelled "politically correct," so I'll just shut up now.
bukra fil mish mish
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This story, incidently, is supposed to be the first entry into the Library of Congress that has the word "Fuck" in its title.
bukra fil mish mish
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The Incas were far from "primitive." They had metallurgy, architecture, and over 103 species of potato. They did lack gunpowder.
Their fall to Spain was much more due to their lack of immunity to smallpox than anything the Spanish intentionally did.
Then there are the Maori of New Zealand. They didn't have gunpowder or metal, but they invented what became modern trench warfare and seriously kicked ass until the British resorted to the Treaty and Treachery technique.
By and large, though, the success of Western Imperialism owes at least as much to disease as it does technology.
bukra fil mish mish
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Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachtani?
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sniff, sniff!!!
"Phew, I'm guessing it's some kind of alien contraceptive. Used, apparently."
I'm a leaf on the wind. Watch how I soar.
I'd be incredibly careful that my name is in no way associated with my DNA. The last thing I want is these folks turning around and selling it to who knows who so that they can eventually parse my DNA and know whole loads of stuff about me. If you were prone to bladder infections, and didn't even know it (I'm not btw, afaik), would you want some company knowing that you were and spamming you with bladder-infection medicine (or whatever) just before you're scheduled to start getting them. Or perhaps they could sell it to insurance companies. Anyway, read the license carefully.
I would consider it, but they should include copies of DMCA and UCITA, and shrink wrap the DNA. I wouldn't want some skanky alien bitch to reverse engineer me, and use me for her sex slave.
Any alien race sufficiently advanced to travel the interstellar distances to reach us will be able to do whatever they please to us, DNA or no.
In fact, we'd probably be beneath their notice. What can we, stuck on this pitiful rock, offer to a race that can span stars and mine asteroids? (Other than amusement, of course).
Witness the results of every encounter between advanced human races and primitives (like the Spaniards and the Incas). It almost always ends up VERY poorly for the primitives (Japan was a notable exception).
Marc Siry || interactive media professional, motorcycle enthusiast ||
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CAIMLAS
~/ssh slashdot.org ssh: connect to host slashdot.org port 22: too many beers
Simply follow these instructions: Duplicate the enclosed genetic material using a polymerase chain reaction. Incubate one copy of the resulting DNA of the PCR reaction for 10 seconds in a in an accelerated artificial womb set to a ratio of 2,371,680:1, then decant. Email the resulting organism (a "human") to the name at the top of the list attached below (using standard MIME matter encoding and transmission protocols.) Delete the email address at the top of the list, and add your own at the bottom. Send as many copies of this letter, along with copies of the PCR-duplicated DNA, to as many of your friends, znarmates, and for that matter complete strangers as you can. By the miracle of geometric progression, in no time at all THOUSANDS of "humans" will come your way. BUT: Don't break the chain! Fribnar-belzapsle of Barnard's Star II broke the chain, and was promptly diced by a malfunctioning frebble. Threequietchimes of Lalande 21185 IX broke the chain and was voted to be that week's consumption member of his local colony group. For that matter, brainnode 0x3f2b9877d of epsilon Eridani VI broke the chain, and their entire planet was promptly turned to grey goo by runaway nanomachines. But I followed the instructions, and in less than 30 kiloseconds I was the proud owner of over 300 extremely musical, fertilizer-producing, delectably-regurgitating young humans! So act now! Here is the list, make sure you add names:
belzar@massquan.com.wolf359b iz .eta -cassiopeiae
m cc affrey
colonysegment-alpha-14@qwr.edu.ev-lacertae
napkinnumeratordrone376@workcubiclemegafarm452.
snat@frelb.org.yzceti
439angstroms@bluelight.com.rigel
duckmouthfence@picosquish.com.vega
ratpizzle@goatse.ax-microscopium
10010100111101001@001110100100.1001.binar
powersthatbe@overusedsentientplanetformula.com.
Hazard of editing in a different window and then pasting. After too many hours and no sleep.
Simply follow these instructions: Duplicate the enclosed genetic material using a polymerase chain reaction. Incubate one copy of the resulting DNA of the PCR reaction for 10 seconds in a in an accelerated artificial womb set to a ratio of 2,371,680:1, then decant. Email the resulting organism (a "human") to the name at the top of the list attached below (using standard MIME matter encoding and transmission protocols.) Delete the email address at the top of the list, and add your own at the bottom. Send as many copies of this letter, along with copies of the PCR-duplicated DNA, to as many of your friends, znarmates, and for that matter complete strangers as you can. By the miracle of geometric progression, in no time at all THOUSANDS of "humans" will come your way. BUT: Don't break the chain! Fribnar-belzapsle of Barnard's Star II broke the chain, and was promptly diced by a malfunctioning frebble. Threequietchimes of Lalande 21185 IX broke the chain and was voted to be that week's consumption member of his local colony group. For that matter, brainnode 0x3f2b9877d of epsilon Eridani VI broke the chain, and their entire planet was promptly turned to grey goo by runaway nanomachines. But I followed the instructions, and in less than 30 kiloseconds I was the proud owner of over 300 extremely musical, fertilizer-producing, delectably-regurgitating young humans! So act now! Here is the list, make sure you add names:
belzar@massquan.com.wolf359
colonysegment-alpha -14@qwr.edu.ev-lacertae
napkinnumeratordrone376@w orkcubiclefarm452.biz.eta -cassiopeiae
snat@frelb.org.yzceti
439angstroms@ bluelight.com.rigel
duckmouthfence@picosquish.com .vega
ratpizzle@goatse.ax-microscopium
100101001 11101001@001110100102.1001.binar
powersthatbe@ove rusedsentientplanetformula.com.mcc affrey
ENCOUNTER 2001 IS PEOPLE!
- Todd
P.S. The lameness filter thinks that my message has too much all-caps. So, please disregard this lowercase text. 8-)
- "When you want something with all your heart, the entire universe conspires to give it to you" -Paulo Coelho
Is this another bizarre US media euphemism for presidential bodily fluids? :D
I'm sorry, but this is too much like the climax (so to speak) of the novel-within-a-novel in Norman Spinrad's The Iron Dream for my comfort level.
I decided that behaving ethically was the most nihilistic thing I could do. - Paul Pavel
Why do we have this collective image of the freindly peace loving alien? I think because its the opposite of the sci-fi 'big bad monster' archetype, but I seriously doubt either are true. If you're curious about what aliens would do with your DNA imagine if the US just got its greedy little hands on some alien DNA. It wouldn't be pretty. I doubt politics, national interests and security, economics, and warfare are just human creations.
Also, did you know that there are cute, young college aged girls that live near you who are lonely and want to meet men. Please help these girls out, by giving them a call at 1-900-ALL-BASE. (1.59/minute).
Someone you trust is one of us.
I am willing to spend $50 on this just to throw in my support for commercial space exploration. Solar sails are a great idea that NASA has not yet explored, and I'm glad to see someone trying it out.
Now you all know, that they will NOT sell all 4.5 million of these things. How big is this ship anyway?
The problem with this is that we are giving the evil aliens the blueprints of our species. There is the chance, however unlikely, that they might find a weakness... and exploit it.
They can't do that, it's illegal under the DMCA!
Opus: the Swiss army knife of audio codec
When I was four, watching men walk on the moon, and for years later, I wanted nothing more than to grow up and be an astronaut. A very small part of me still does.
And now, hey, now a very small part of me can be part of the first interstellar human hairball! Sign me up, while I've still got hair to contribute!
Encounter 2001 will ship a part of your DNA to space
Just part of it? Will it also come with a message that says:
Thank-you for trying humans. If you enjoy them, you should consider registering them. What are the advantages of registration? With the full version, you get reproductive capability and higher learning. As an added bonus, we include hair-color changer and genital resizing programs.
For all intensive purposes, "whom" is no longer a word. That begs the question, "who cares"?
Having developed launch capabilities, the hairless water-ape now launches its spores into space. That completes the cycle of the amino acid based carbon chemistry life form. Be sure to tune in next millenium for another exciting edition of Mutual of Andromeda's Wild Universe.
For all intensive purposes, "whom" is no longer a word. That begs the question, "who cares"?
A working solar sail design would be vastly useful in the development of space resources... after we make access to LEO cheap enough to make the technology relevant .
"Research is what I am doing when I don't know what I am doing." -- Wernher von Braun
4.5 million times 50. Wow, thats $225,000,000. I wonder what their incentives are! Anyway, it does cost a lot to build space crafts so maybe it will mostly be offset by that.
Andrew
And if they find it they may use it as target practice, ala Klingons blowing up space junk in Star Trek - Voyage Home.
Or it comes back to rid the planet of that pesky human infestation... (V'Ger, Star Trek - The Motion Picture)
Actually I once read a sci-fi story. The basic premise was that the aliens went around taking samples of peoples DNA. Trouble was they were carnivores, but civilised. So, they grew a clone of you, and then... dinner time... everyone was happy. I think.
So, Hey Alien! Want a sample of MY DNA. I don't think so... You want some, you suck on this! Keep your filthy tentacles off me and my cloned buddies...
;-)
-WolfWithoutAClause
"Gravity is only a theory, not a fact!"So the aliens will get our DNA, ok. They'll clone us, raise a few baby clones, and find out that we're ugly.
Don't be surprised when a few alien battlecruisers stop by to destroy this planet of ugly humans.
"The universe seems neither benign nor hostile, merely indifferent." --Carl Sagan
$225,000,000.
Methinks that they don't give a shit about sending stuff to aliens, but making a few $ while trying to see whether the solar sail concept really works.
Lets be, well, understanding that this is the USA and nothing happens if its not for money or personal gain.
Why was there a link to mission to mars there? I never saw it..
The slashdot 2 minute between postings limit: /.'ers since Spring 2001.
Pissing off hyper caffineated
1q2w3e4r5t6y7u8i9o0pqawsedrftgthyjukilo;p'azsxdcf
They are doing this to send out a large amount of genetic material out to the Martian/Jovial joint cloning program. They can then clone large amounts of people to smuggle back into the planet so that they can take over the planetary government by infiltrration without bothering to send a space fleet.
We got problems
;-)
Check out the Vinny the Vampire comic strip
"It is a greater offense to steal men's labor, than their clothes"
How exactly are they extracting that DNA sample again? And how are they getting it into space? I think I saw a Ron Jeremy movie like this years ago.
A ships sails catch wind to carry it off, solar sails catch solar wind and carry it off - away from stars. The predominant winds in our solar system will carry the craft out into interstellar space - but then what?
If it begins to drift towards another star, won't the winds of that star just push it away? Won't this thing just end up in deep space forever far away from any potential civilizations?
There are a thousand forms of subversion, but few can equal the convenience and immediacy of a cream pie -Noel Godin
Geeks: "Dont send out DNA into space, aliens will exploit us!"
Encounter 2001: "That is only theoretical"
Aliens: "Making the theoretical possible since 2003"
The Lottery:
"Not my manner of thinking but the manner of thinking of others has been the source of my unhappiness." - M
Humans take rediculous precautions to prevent unknown extraterrestial materials infecting us. It is irresponsible and immoral to project the blueprints of our living matter into any possible extraterrestial environment.
send my dog's DNA to space? I hope aliens don't mind practical joke.
Weakness in the human genome? Never!
Why would jesus do that to us?
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___
The way to see by faith is to shut the eye of reason. --Ben Franklin
The way I see it, this is the only way to increase the chances that an evil army of me-clones takes over the world.
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The way to see by faith is to shut the eye of reason. --Ben Franklin
Good idea, but solar panels most likely won't provide sufficient power once it gets out as far as Pioneer 10 is now...
Do you like German cars?
1) Aliens discover DNA bank probe travelling through space (aka needle in a haystack); or,
2) Aliens find Earth after having received over 100 years of beacon-like EM communication (radio, tv, etc).
I know which I think is the more likely scenario. (Hint: even number.)
A novel gift idea? Maybe. Valuable science? Definitely not.
"Accept that some days you are the pigeon, and some days you are the statue." - David Brent, Wernham Hogg
NASA is having problems funding the 'Pluto Express' mission. This could solve the dilemma. They should buy an X-10 camera for $69, pay these guys $3000 to strap it on this thing, and aim it at Pluto. Mission accomplished.
The problem with this is that we are giving the evil aliens the blueprints of our species. There is the chance, however unlikely, that they might find a weakness... and exploit it.
Why bother.
______
______
Once: you're a philosopher. Twice: a pervert.
When I first heard of this, the alien warlord concept was the first thing that popped into my head too. But really, it is far more likely that the probe would be discovered by our descendants than some alien race. In a thousand years the human race will most likely either be dead or colonizing other star systems, if it's the latter then our genetic makeup may have been altered significantly. A probe full of pure DNA samples could provide an interesting biological baseline or at least anthropological study.
Of course, I'm still not sending them $50. But the concept kind of validates things for those who do.
Supreme Commander Vxnor: "Sub commander Rtlof, what are the results from your exploration of the alien spacecraft retrieved from the outer reaches of our solar system?" Commander Rflof: "Sir, our preliminary research found the capsule empty. However, the aliens left behind an assortment of snack food, including protien strands encased in a tasty and crunchy glass tube."
Call me a paranoid shizofrenic alienophobic, but I damn won't give some pantsy-ass aliens my DNA.
...
If those alien dudes are smart, they'll send back sterile cloned Kenau Reeves or Leonardo DiCaprio lookalikes, and we all know what that'll lead to: no more reproduction.
I think no species in it's right mind should send the most intimate information about their genetic buildup into space, that's just too naief.
---
Living is a way of life
---
"The chances of a demonic possession spreading are remote -- relax."
After seeing this message I've concluded you're an alien reading my mind!
;)
Hmm DNA profile linked to your credit card profile... cross referenced against future thought-crimes.
Maybe CNN meant NSA not NASA?
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