If a farmer buys terminator wheat, he has a food crop, but no seed crop. The neighbors have no seed crop either, or a really really poor seed crop. Now everyone is hooked on the Monsanto seed crop.
What happens if the gene gets transfered other members of the grass family? We could wipe out all members of those species.
Don't get me wrong, I'm for making improvements to foods. Dairy animals that produce spider silk, or medicines in the milk are a great thing. But some things are dangerous.
Michael Pollan, who bought a cow to understand its "life story"
The differences are probably more a regional thing. Cattle are very susceptable to respiratory problems, especially when they get stressed. Stress happens easliy. Bad weather, they get bullied by more agressive Cattle, moving to a new place (feedlot with lots of germs), too much dust (our problem). We did not use anti-biotics, unless needed on an individual basis. Some of the new ones cost $35 per shot.
Here in California, we have the advantage of milder weather (less weather related illness), but feed costs can be higher. We do have access to a broader range of alternative feeds. Most of them are not worth the shipping cost, sometimes you get them for free. One guy wanted us to take the leftover from making tofu. Great protein, but the water content was too high. We would have been trucking tofu flavered water, no value there. The micro-breweries were begging us to take their spent grain, quantities were too small.
The feedlot I worked for went under in 94. Now I work as a SysAdmin for Intel, The feedlot leases pens to Dairymen who keep dry cows there, the place has great facilities, and good drainage.
INAL I fed cattle. Actually almost all western US cattle taste grass. Fed cattle built up to high feed need some form of roughage >%20 at a minimum, or their gut won't work (been there). The cheapest source (California) is usually grass, it may be in the form of hay, haylage, ensiled corn stalks, legume silage. (ensiled is feed is fermented, kind of like Hawiian poi)
Almost all (>95%) of western US beef cattle are raised on grass, and the calves (the only ones to hit the feed lot are between 6-12 months old) are typically raised to at least 6 months on pasture or range land.
Cattle actually process Maize (Corn in the US), better than people. If not for processin Corn with Slacked Lime (a very caustic chemical) Corn does not provide sutable nutrition for those simple gut humans.
Cattle are fed antibiotics only in rare cases, I have only seen it in dairy replacement heifers in confinement conditions.
Specialized veternarians usually consult on livestock feed. What constitutes good cattle feed: good nutritional properities, inexpensive for the feed value, easy for the livestock to digest, complete nutritional properities. Cattle eat a very complete diet, often concocted from agricultural product you and I cannot or would not eat. Such as: Almond hulls, Corn stalks, Rice polishings, Grape Pommace, Molasses.
Cattle only eat what they want to eat. If they are fed something they can't digest, or don't want to eat, they don't gain weight. If they don't gain weight, the farmer loses money.
About FAT Farmers are paid by weight, uniformity and the amount of marbeling in meat. In Japan, they prefer the meat almost white with fat. Fat is stored energy, and an indicator of the health of an animal. A skinny rough animal is not healthy. One that can grow a good layer of stored energy, and a clean slick glossy coat is healthy. Well marbled meat contains lots of energy. I may consume more energy than I need.
In my opinion, that is because Nuclear Power is worthy of fear, while Genetic is not.
Not to join the party of the Luddites, look in to Monsanto Corp's Terminator variety of wheat. They have found a double recessive gene, which when one half is absent is fatal to wheat. In their variety, you have both recessive genes, so their variety breeds true. But if I plant near your field, your wheat get cross pollinated with the terminator, and your seed crop is sterile. Hence you have to buy terminator wheat.
What about the thousands of asthma sufferers plagued by air pollution?
Actually the air is much cleaner because of technology. Did you cook your meals over a dung fire today? Smoke deer hide into "Buck Skin"? Smoke meat to preserve it aginst insects? Smoke the fruit trees aginst pests? Eat tobacco to kill intestinal parasites?
What did we learn from studying the bronze age man in the Austrian/Italian Alps? He had been smelting copper tools. Did you have to smelt any copper today? Knapp any flint tools? Dig grubs? Milk a diseased dairy animal?
No, we live in splenor, cleanliness, few diseases, and very clean food because of technology.
Actually, I think technology did make us better people (for some definitions of better). Because of technology, we (the in first and second world) have defeated the top ten diseases/maladys that used to shorten the average life span to 40 years, with the last few in total misery.
I have a mouthful of drilled and filled teeth. A century ago, I would have had a mouth of rotten stumps planted in bleeding gums. I don't suffer from the ravages on intestional parasites. I do not maintain a population of Van Leewenhooks "Human Fleas". The cleanest water in the world comes to my house in underground pipe. Our ancestors drank surface water, where draft animals had fouled.
Technology has brought the cost of food down to a few hours worth of currency exchange. So that I'm not inclined to attack your moldy bug infested food stores, if mine are hopelessly ruined, or run short.
Before the advent of money, each of us spent 80 percent of our time raising food. The other 20 percent maintaining shelter. There was no leisure time for idle pursuits.
Because of technology, I can sit here in front of a machine, conversing with people around the world, in excellent comfort, (wait a second)... Opening a cold beer, after only working a measly eight hours.
I would not say that "the smartest" went to an island, but those with a disposition to dis-like conformity. Perhaps "tolerance to conformity" is a gene. Then the people with "conformability genes", were the smarter ones and stayed in "the society", where those stupid bad "non-conformers" were not able to be controlled by "the society", and were exiled.
Perhaps when we apply the paint of good/bad, smart/dumb, we are painting the science of genetics with morality.
Yes, an excellent success story... Or were you cheering for the home team.
When one species is more sucessful, and surplants a different species from a niche, this is call "natural selection". I believe Darwin taught this in "Evolution of Species".
I take the view of an observer. I see changes in nature, but don't express my morality over the result.
But that's what makes me a scientist, and not a priest.
Has any technology actually saved humanity from the basic ills that have plagued it since it's beginning. Crime, war, hatred, hunger,
According to a report on NPR (National Peoples Radio)
"Half of the current population of the world have never used a telephone"...
Think about what else they have never used. Perhaps computers, refridgerator, indoor cooking, indoor plumbing, electric lights, sliced bread. For them, fast food has to be caught. There is no leasure time, the wife spends the whole day cooking for the army of kids working the garden. More people die from Maliaria than from all other causes.
Me, I like technology, and the comfort it brings.. As he cracks another cold one, without dropping the remote.
humans more than likely won't become extinct becaues they can no longer enjoy swimming in Lake Havasu. I would venture to correct your statment to say that Humans in Phoenix and Las Vegas won't starve without Lake Havasu, Humans in the third world would.
If we limit agricultural production, someone will starve. Just because wealthy people like you and I don't see it on the monitor, does not mean it does not happen. If the production of a commodity is curtailed, the price goes up. For US Citizens, who usually pay about 5-8 percent of their income for food, a small increase is nothing. In the third world, people sell their children to slavery and prostitution, because they cannot afford to feed them.
But you are missing the intention of this alarmism. The intent is to sell. It's a sales event for books, seminars, etc. There are three things that get peoples attention: sex; novelty; and fear. The market for sex is pretty much cornered. That novelty thing takes thought, and can die quickly. But that whole fear thing... Man that stuff can be sold, mixed and resold time and again.
By the way, is that Stupid Gene a double recessive?
I came up with a similar conclusion, posted that... Then I read the guys resume. All of his papers are about electrical spin in conductors. Did this get published on Tuesday?
I think they've discovered a new way to make electric motors.
1. they apply a current through a metal ball. Which induces a magnetic field.
2. They place a second metal ball near the first ball. The proximity to the first magnetic field in the second ball induces a electric potential in the second ball.
3. The third ball may be electrically connected to the suspension wires of either or both balls 1 and 2. Hence, it induces a magnetic field of it's own. The relationship between the magnetic fields in the balls, is the cause of the rotation.
Of course Murphy and I could be wrong. I've been wrong before, but Murphy never has.
I know that 22GB was precious when you bought it, but today 1042585429 $20 US doubles your disk space.
Most likely you would only have the item number with it's lot number in your item DB. The customers bank card would scan revealing his ID, pulled from the parent corp's DB.
You don't want the scanners telling you about the pants the customer bought last week
Yes you do... Customer "ElectricRook" bought blue jeans sn# 9993922473 on date 1042585429. Today is wearing red shirt sn#2$7^9913zr%5. Customer is wearing unpurchased shoes missing from partner store since date 104253245. Customers ssn is 666-66-6666.
"Be they the Butcher, the Baker, the Candle Stick maker. If everything goes well, they might be able to buy a new suit of clothers every 15 years or so". From an auto biography circa 1650.
Ever hear of ESD diodes? These are build into silicon devices. They also make silicon "rad hard". Physical damage, or zap in the microwave is the way to go.
BTW: my employee badge has a unique RFID chip and antenna inside. That way the security group determines that I am allowed to go to work today. (not fired yet).
While browsing a local used book store, I found The Life and Times of Rembrandt van Rijn. I thought it was going to be a gushy butt kissing of the artist.
Instead it is the auto-bio of his close friend and Surgeon "Jan van Loon". Jan is kind of a nerdy geek who hangs out with some out casts (a Jew, a Moor, and a Frenchman) about 1620 - 1670 United Netherlands. Lots of interesting gleanings into the political structure and social scene of the post-reformation era.
Jan is doing some early research into using Cannabis (sp) as a general anesthetic. Experiments with several different varities. A ships doctor introduces him to Hashish. Church torches his hospital for denying God the right to enjoy the suffering of people in pain
Here is an interesting concept. The City is liable for damages to his hospital, because the militia failed to suppress the riot.
Jan goes to America in 1660, and spends eight years researching for the "Dutch West India Company". There is no facts of this survey, as he was under contract to the company (imagine that loyalty to the employers I.P.). I see 17'th century Netherlands as a model of 21'st century USA. In that both are the economic power houses of their day.
Good insight into religious intollerance from both sides of the reformation.
Slashdot Mirror
What happens if the gene gets transfered other members of the grass family? We could wipe out all members of those species.
Don't get me wrong, I'm for making improvements to foods. Dairy animals that produce spider silk, or medicines in the milk are a great thing. But some things are dangerous.
The differences are probably more a regional thing. Cattle are very susceptable to respiratory problems, especially when they get stressed. Stress happens easliy. Bad weather, they get bullied by more agressive Cattle, moving to a new place (feedlot with lots of germs), too much dust (our problem). We did not use anti-biotics, unless needed on an individual basis. Some of the new ones cost $35 per shot.
Here in California, we have the advantage of milder weather (less weather related illness), but feed costs can be higher. We do have access to a broader range of alternative feeds. Most of them are not worth the shipping cost, sometimes you get them for free. One guy wanted us to take the leftover from making tofu. Great protein, but the water content was too high. We would have been trucking tofu flavered water, no value there. The micro-breweries were begging us to take their spent grain, quantities were too small.
The feedlot I worked for went under in 94. Now I work as a SysAdmin for Intel, The feedlot leases pens to Dairymen who keep dry cows there, the place has great facilities, and good drainage.
Almost all (>95%) of western US beef cattle are raised on grass, and the calves (the only ones to hit the feed lot are between 6-12 months old) are typically raised to at least 6 months on pasture or range land.
Cattle actually process Maize (Corn in the US), better than people. If not for processin Corn with Slacked Lime (a very caustic chemical) Corn does not provide sutable nutrition for those simple gut humans.
Cattle are fed antibiotics only in rare cases, I have only seen it in dairy replacement heifers in confinement conditions.
Specialized veternarians usually consult on livestock feed. What constitutes good cattle feed: good nutritional properities, inexpensive for the feed value, easy for the livestock to digest, complete nutritional properities. Cattle eat a very complete diet, often concocted from agricultural product you and I cannot or would not eat. Such as: Almond hulls, Corn stalks, Rice polishings, Grape Pommace, Molasses.
Cattle only eat what they want to eat. If they are fed something they can't digest, or don't want to eat, they don't gain weight. If they don't gain weight, the farmer loses money.
About FAT Farmers are paid by weight, uniformity and the amount of marbeling in meat. In Japan, they prefer the meat almost white with fat. Fat is stored energy, and an indicator of the health of an animal. A skinny rough animal is not healthy. One that can grow a good layer of stored energy, and a clean slick glossy coat is healthy. Well marbled meat contains lots of energy. I may consume more energy than I need.
Correlation is not Causation
Migrating water fowl are the major vector of the flu. The fact that the same diseases are in asian domestic fowl is to be expected.
Not to join the party of the Luddites, look in to Monsanto Corp's Terminator variety of wheat. They have found a double recessive gene, which when one half is absent is fatal to wheat. In their variety, you have both recessive genes, so their variety breeds true. But if I plant near your field, your wheat get cross pollinated with the terminator, and your seed crop is sterile. Hence you have to buy terminator wheat.
Actually the air is much cleaner because of technology. Did you cook your meals over a dung fire today? Smoke deer hide into "Buck Skin"? Smoke meat to preserve it aginst insects? Smoke the fruit trees aginst pests? Eat tobacco to kill intestinal parasites?
What did we learn from studying the bronze age man in the Austrian/Italian Alps? He had been smelting copper tools. Did you have to smelt any copper today? Knapp any flint tools? Dig grubs? Milk a diseased dairy animal?
No, we live in splenor, cleanliness, few diseases, and very clean food because of technology.
I have a mouthful of drilled and filled teeth. A century ago, I would have had a mouth of rotten stumps planted in bleeding gums. I don't suffer from the ravages on intestional parasites. I do not maintain a population of Van Leewenhooks "Human Fleas". The cleanest water in the world comes to my house in underground pipe. Our ancestors drank surface water, where draft animals had fouled.
Technology has brought the cost of food down to a few hours worth of currency exchange. So that I'm not inclined to attack your moldy bug infested food stores, if mine are hopelessly ruined, or run short.
Before the advent of money, each of us spent 80 percent of our time raising food. The other 20 percent maintaining shelter. There was no leisure time for idle pursuits.
Because of technology, I can sit here in front of a machine, conversing with people around the world, in excellent comfort, (wait a second)... Opening a cold beer, after only working a measly eight hours.
Perhaps when we apply the paint of good/bad, smart/dumb, we are painting the science of genetics with morality.
When one species is more sucessful, and surplants a different species from a niche, this is call "natural selection". I believe Darwin taught this in "Evolution of Species".
I take the view of an observer. I see changes in nature, but don't express my morality over the result.
But that's what makes me a scientist, and not a priest.
From what threat? Lack of touch with reality is the most pressing threat I see.
According to a report on NPR (National Peoples Radio)
"Half of the current population of the world have never used a telephone"...
Think about what else they have never used. Perhaps computers, refridgerator, indoor cooking, indoor plumbing, electric lights, sliced bread. For them, fast food has to be caught. There is no leasure time, the wife spends the whole day cooking for the army of kids working the garden. More people die from Maliaria than from all other causes.
Me, I like technology, and the comfort it brings.. As he cracks another cold one, without dropping the remote.
I would venture to correct your statment to say that Humans in Phoenix and Las Vegas won't starve without Lake Havasu, Humans in the third world would.
If we limit agricultural production, someone will starve. Just because wealthy people like you and I don't see it on the monitor, does not mean it does not happen.
If the production of a commodity is curtailed, the price goes up. For US Citizens, who usually pay about 5-8 percent of their income for food, a small increase is nothing. In the third world, people sell their children to slavery and prostitution, because they cannot afford to feed them.
Excellent observation, I agree.
But you are missing the intention of this alarmism. The intent is to sell. It's a sales event for books, seminars, etc.
There are three things that get peoples attention: sex; novelty; and fear. The market for sex is pretty much cornered. That novelty thing takes thought, and can die quickly. But that whole fear thing... Man that stuff can be sold, mixed and resold time and again.
By the way, is that Stupid Gene a double recessive?
I came up with a similar conclusion, posted that... Then I read the guys resume. All of his papers are about electrical spin in conductors.
Did this get published on Tuesday?
I think they've discovered a new way to make electric motors.
1. they apply a current through a metal ball. Which induces a magnetic field.
2. They place a second metal ball near the first ball. The proximity to the first magnetic field in the second ball induces a electric potential in the second ball.
3. The third ball may be electrically connected to the suspension wires of either or both balls 1 and 2. Hence, it induces a magnetic field of it's own. The relationship between the magnetic fields in the balls, is the cause of the rotation.
Of course Murphy and I could be wrong. I've been wrong before, but Murphy never has.
Prehaps hotmail's strength could also be a weakness...
I would imagine wearing a tinfoil suit in a strong radio field is similar to wearing a "Hot Pocket" browning jacket (micro-wavable pastry snack).
And your mandated government ID card is not responding... Call the Department of Homeland Security.
Potential Terrorist Alert!
The cheap ones return a signal, the fancy ones return a unique data stream. What do you have in your wallet?
Most likely you would only have the item number with it's lot number in your item DB. The customers bank card would scan revealing his ID, pulled from the parent corp's DB.
Yes you do... Customer "ElectricRook" bought blue jeans sn# 9993922473 on date 1042585429.
Today is wearing red shirt sn#2$7^9913zr%5. Customer is wearing unpurchased shoes missing from partner store since date 104253245. Customers ssn is 666-66-6666.
Customer bank account is frozen.
Pre-Crime unit is enroute.
"Be they the Butcher, the Baker, the Candle Stick maker. If everything goes well, they might be able to buy a new suit of clothers every 15 years or so". From an auto biography circa 1650.
BTW: my employee badge has a unique RFID chip and antenna inside. That way the security group determines that I am allowed to go to work today. (not fired yet).
While browsing a local used book store, I found The Life and Times of Rembrandt van Rijn. I thought it was going to be a gushy butt kissing of the artist.
Instead it is the auto-bio of his close friend and Surgeon "Jan van Loon". Jan is kind of a nerdy geek who hangs out with some out casts (a Jew, a Moor, and a Frenchman) about 1620 - 1670 United Netherlands. Lots of interesting gleanings into the political structure and social scene of the post-reformation era.
Jan is doing some early research into using Cannabis (sp) as a general anesthetic. Experiments with several different varities. A ships doctor introduces him to Hashish. Church torches his hospital for denying God the right to enjoy the suffering of people in pain
Here is an interesting concept. The City is liable for damages to his hospital, because the militia failed to suppress the riot.
Jan goes to America in 1660, and spends eight years researching for the "Dutch West India Company". There is no facts of this survey, as he was under contract to the company (imagine that loyalty to the employers I.P.). I see 17'th century Netherlands as a model of 21'st century USA. In that both are the economic power houses of their day.
Good insight into religious intollerance from both sides of the reformation.
I have receintly come to ponder upon the fact that the USSR was a government founded and operated by artists and poets.
After musing over the fact that many Americans hang on every well balanced bit of political prose from Hollywood.
I have decided that the sense of asthetics must be contary to the sense of justice.