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Scientists Hold A Secret Meeting To Consider Creating A Synthetic Human Genome (gizmodo.com)
An anonymous reader writes from a report via The New York Times, summarized by Gizmodo: Earlier this week, over a hundred scientists, lawyers, and entrepreneurs held a secret meeting to discuss the possibility of creating a synthetic human genome. Creating a synthetic human genome differs from gene editing as scientists would use chemicals to manufacture all the DNA contained in human chromosomes, instead of patching a gene here and there. Synthetic genomics, unlike genetic modifications, in that it doesn't use naturally occurring genes. Instead, it relies on the custom-designed base pair series. Currently, customers view synthetic genomics as a way to build novel microbes and animals, but with humans it raises the prospect of custom-designed humans, without any parents. George Church, a professor of genetics at Harvard Medical School and one of the organizers of the proposed project, says the characterization was a misunderstanding, and that the project was aimed to generally improve the ability to synthesize long strands of DNA, which could be applied to various types of animals, plants and microbes. "They're painting a picture which I don't think represents the project," Dr. Church said in an interview. The project was initially called "HGP2: The Human Genome Synthesis Project." However, the name was later changed to "HGP-Write: Testing Large Synthetic Genomes In Cells." Why the change? Because the original headline was suppose to be headline-grabbing, or so they say.
Expect them to beat and arrest people over this.
It's not a secret anymore.
"First they came for the slanderers and i said nothing."
....and yet the useless piles of shit here posted it anyway. New trashdot editors, same as the old trashdot editors.
Sounds like adding "secret", "confidential" , "undisclosed" to [insert story or device here] is the trendy way to get something reaching the largest public..
Slashdot, fix the reply notifications... You won't get away with it...
The plot of Weird Science comes to mind. Bad dick; go to sleep!
Table-ized A.I.
Why not start small like with a squirrel? or anything else that won't be able to sue after it grows up...
Or we're they just talking about trying to get the DNA to assemble?
Either way are they planning to make use of the new letters?
https://science.slashdot.org/s...
Minimum threshold fixed. Thanks!
I'll be done soon enough, might as well get it over with.
Don't waste your vote! Vote for whoever you want, unless you live in a swing state it won't matter anyways
So, was it a "secret" for the same reason our legislator's riders to bills, are "secret"?
trust them to build a human from the molecules up? This will not end well.
It even appeared on /.
Why is this being done in secret? Why not be open about your plans? What is there to hide about science?
The Right To Life types will go absolutely berserk over this. The whole religious underpinning of the movement...the one they never like to talk about...will have to decide whether a human created by man should enjoy the same protection as a human created by their god.
And when there's no sperm and egg union to enshrine as the moment when life begins, where will they draw the line? At what point during the assembly process does the thing in the dish deserve to be called human? A chimp shares all but 4% of our DNA, after all.
This should be fun!
I've calculated my velocity with such exquisite precision that I have no idea where I am.
To limit the opportunities for funding to the insiders who were invited.
Government sponsored research is big business and has characteristics of underworld control.
"Ladies and Gentlemen: I present you the Master Race!"
Surely nothing good will come out of this.
The best thing about synthetic genes is that they're patentable, unlike naturally occurring genes. I, for one, welcome our gene synthesizing corporate overlords.
They are going to create The Emperor Of Mankind. It's about time.was
THE INSTRUMENTALITY BEGINS http://evangelion.wikia.com/wi...
Take note of it.
YOU live in the age that will see the first bronie fuck a lab created MLP life form.
of 9 women
"Reality is that which, when you stop believing in it, doesn't go away." - Philip K. Dick
and I can confirm the meeting was held at a secret base, located underneath a volcano.
Anons need not reply. Questions end with a question mark.
Yes, so much yes, a million times yes.
Now we can finally have real life catgirls.
And for a secret meeting to have a headline-grabbing name after discovery is too convenient.
So he then breaks the second rule of fight club.
Fifth Element did it! /SouthParkReference
It's everywhere in the press and the news. We call it "the Pulcinella Secret". Ah!
Sent as ripples into the electromagnetic field. No single photon has been harmed in the process.
Scientists Hold A Secret Meeting
This is the first hint that perhaps your research will not pass the ethics committee review.
Seven puppies were harmed during the making of this post.
Every time a scientist calls another scientist is a secret meeting now? There's a difference between 'private' and 'secret', folks.
What could possible go wrong? Oh, wait...
KHAAAAAAAAN!
Chewbacon
The Bible is like Wikipedia: written by a bunch of people and verifiable by questionable sources.
They're always up to something weird!
I'm going to tell my kid to stay away from science and become a lawyer.
Why would you give your meeting a "headline grabbing" (but supposedly inaccurate) title, and then ban the press from attending? Why manipulate the title for the sake of sensationalism, and then keep it all secret?
Someone is lying about something, I just can't tell which part is the lie. Are they lying about the title change? Are they lying about the true purpose of the meeting? Did the press lie about not being invited? When you have multiple "facts" that contradict each other, it's a sure sign that something is being covered up.
This is the beginning of the Eugenics program foretold in Star Trek.
"A race of genetically engineered supermen whose egos drove them to worldwide domination."
Scientists Hold A Secret Meeting To Consider Creating A Synthetic Human Genome
It's not a secret if people know about it, just sayin'.
Mutants.
Gentlemen, I give you KHAN!
WTF, why not just create life from primordial soup and lightning bolts, like they teach us in schools?
I mean, it must work, it's how we all got here, right?
You'd be able to make anything, wouldn't you?
Or was it just a scam?
I have worked in molecular genetics for many years. I used to admire George Church as someone who developed clever, useful, and perhaps, even, exciting, molecular technologies. However, in recent years, he and other big guns in molecular biology have shown little evidence of a properly-set moral compasses. Somehow pushing the technological envelope has become more important than careful study of the associated ethical considerations. Take for example, last year's flap about another summit meeting held in NYC, organized to discussed using CRISPR/Cas90 to perform germ-line editing of human genomes. When the outcry arose, Church's defense for the meeting was that we could extend human life-spans. There comes a point where that rather simplistic desire, plus cries for academic freedom, cannot be considered as sufficient justification for some activities. One can only wonder how much yearning for fame, and especially for fortune, is providing the driving force for the heavy push to genetically modify ourselves. As the rate of our technological progress has accelerated, is it not reasonable to ask if we have started "driving" beyond the reach of our ethical headlights.
Creating a human from all synthetic DNA would be a certain failure.
There are huge parts of the genome we do not fully understand. For instance we have ancient viruses incorporated in an harmless form. Removing that sequences cause vulnerability more diseases.
The synthetic human will quickly die from a random disease that everyone else can cope with.
I do not even remember where it is, no usenet group was like the best so I posted in some sci.bio available one with few posts... Basically, the proposal was to use a ring helicoidal structure akin to how spiders weave their webs to organize genetic material, rather than the ladder DNA structure of Life. No wonder they go through secrecy and then gossip here, not very serious people while they do not acknowledge my proposals are introductory and well informed. The **synthetic Human** part sounds hype, but then there are some advantages when building from the start the more complex structure rather than starting with simple ones. The matter is of course what chemicals to use instead of Life s bases, which does not seem to be a really big problem given the underlying structural ida, possibly benzene-like accruable rather than self-assembly. And no problem with contaminating our genetic pools, chemicals would differ. Oh, I do not think they would confess if they read my thread, maybe somebody ought to confess them and the organizer exposed as not crediting his sources, if... - djb
I didn't go through the trouble of amassing billions and getting a better score than everyone else, just to take a chance on producing an heir that could be an embarrassment to me and possibly bring my dynasty to an end. No, I demand the best and I get the best: smarter, doesn't get fat, doesn't get sick, lives longer, and optimized for implants. I'm better than the pathetic corporate drones I squeeze every last bit of life out of till they are just a husk to be discarded, and I expect my kid will be too. Hell, he might even rule the world someday.