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IBM To Help Sequence the Chocolate Genome
Dekortage writes "The New York Times reports this morning that IBM will work with Mars — the candy company who makes M&Ms and Snickers, among other things — on a five year project to sequence the cocoa genome. According to Howard-Yana Shapiro, global director of plant science at Mars, the goal is to 'discover the genetic building blocks of traits like disease and pest resistance, drought tolerance and perhaps flavor.' Additionally, the project's results will be available for free from the Public Intellectual Property Resource for Agriculture."
The genome will be freely available to anyone who wants it. Mars said in its press release that this won't be patented, and the fricken OP says it, too.
You cannot decode the "chocolate genome" nor the "cocoa genome" any more than you can decode the flour genome. Chocolate, cocoa and flour are food stuffs, not plants. What IBM wants to do is decode the cacao genome.
Chocolate contains caffeine you idiot.
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3. Exploit a quarter-million children to work your cocoa farms in the Ivory Coast.
Well, if you want a bar without too much sugar and fat, there's always the Lindt 99% cocoa bar. Personally, I prefer the 70% bar better myself. Dark chocolate is a lot better for you because it contains a lot less sugar, and you feel satisfied after eating just a small amount. Remember to savour, not just swallow the pieces whole.
Anthropic principle: We see the universe the way it is because if it were different we would not be here to see it.