Synthetic Biology May Spawn Biohackers

nusratt writes "EE Times reports 'Design automation systems tailored to the task of genetic engineering . . . can lead to the accidental or deliberate creation of pathogenic biological components.' Design of molecular machines is analogous to doing system-on-chip work, and hackers 'will not need a detailed knowledge of biochemistry to effectively create complex biochemical machines.' A Harvard genetics professor says, 'Even if we don't have bioterrorists and teen-age biohackers, we will still create things that do not have the properties that we thought they would . . . Even if you are genetically resistant and recently immunized, you will have problems with artificial biological agents.' He also says that there are two big differences between this risk and nuclear weapons: (1) building weapons is harder; (2) synth-bio work is more accident-prone. Oh great, just great: script-kiddies with smallpox . . ."

Comments

Friendly neighborhood real view

[Pichud]

As far as all this genetic stuff goes, (girls, girls, and um, byrls and goys oh my,) It seems as we are nearing whatever be the abomination that causes desolation (a.k.a somethin bad that happens that makes people leave God) be it in VR, Genes, or something. I don't like this one bit.

Even if it be possible to create life, it is still subcreation, not being creating at all. Just resequencing. This is against even the bible, being that mutilation of the body is not right. Just because you are capable of wrong does not make it okay, and I see a very topsy-turvy future, even more so than I thought.

God will get pissed that you are acting such bad, and will destroy. (i.e.insest, with animals, with of the same gender,)

Just a friendly warning, so he can say 'I told ya so'.