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Rogue Biohacking Is Not a Problem

Posted by timothy on from the baking-soda-and-castor-bean-stew dept.

Lasrick writes: Although biosecurity experts have long warned that biohackers will eventually engineer pathogens in the same way that computer enthusiasts in the 1970s developed viruses and adware, UC Berkeley's Zian Liu thinks fears about 'rogue biohackers' are overblown. He lists the five barriers that make it much more difficult to bioengineer in your garage than people think, but also suggests some important chokeholds regulators can take to prevent a would-be bioweaponeer from getting lucky.

2 of 43 comments (clear)

  1. Come again? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Informative

    in the same way that computer enthusiasts in the 1970s developed viruses and adware

    I might grant you the first, but not the second, and it turns out that the real problems developed not from computer enthusiasts, but dedicated actors with a profit motive.

    Which should frighten you even more when considering biologicals and companies like Monsanto and Eli Lilly.

  2. Re:Famous Last Words by gstoddart · · Score: 3, Informative

    The modern version probably includes "is the camera ready?"

    'Cuz if it aint on YouTube, it didn't happen.

    --
    Lost at C:>. Found at C.