Even if we assume this is an act of foreign origin, it seems unlikely that a government was involved. That being the case, the bombing is not an act of war, but an act of crime. If we wish to pretend to be a just society we should consider not military retaliation but arrest and trial.
Bombing people for the crimes of their fellow citizens in the hopes that we might kill a few who were involved, is a crime no better than that of the hijackers.
Given the nature of modern warfare, I would argue that this principle holds even if a government was involved.
Adding genes is not like adding options to a car. Genes often operate in combination with one another. Characteristics are often said to be a result of "gene combinations." If gene A is responsible for characteristic X in, say, gypsy moths, its a pretty fair bet it will provide that characteristic in the target organism, say, tomatoes. However, there is no telling what other bonus items will result when gene A is added to the tomato gene.
In one case, Showa Denko engineered bacteria to provide higher levels of L-tryptophan. (Makes you sleepy after turkey dinner.) Plan worked great. Lots of L-tryptophan. Unfortunately, also lots of another amino acid that had never been seen before. The new amino acid caused a new disease: eosinophilia-myalgia syndrome. EMS causes the bodies immune system to attack its own tissue, beginning with the nerves. So, 37 people who were looking for a good nights sleep, died. 1,500 are permanently disabled.
No one saw the new amino acid mostly because its tough to make a test for things that don't yet exist. But also because the new amino acid happens to look a lot like L-tryptophane.
Fortunately, Showa Denko labled their batches and the link was established fairly easily. Of course, it may just be a huge coincidence that the people with this new disease just happened to be people who were taking this new gift from biotech, but the product was banned in Japan and Europe, with the US banning all L-tryptophan. SD settled out of court (go figure.) Not a peep about the GE link on the evening news.
In a sense, and in reference to a post above, we don't know if we are making organisms which produce petro distillates. (Okay, probably not gasoline producing corn, but you get the idea.) Genes work in combination and, as most/. readers probably know, the math gets pretty hairy when your variables affect not only the outcome but each other.
Short version: It ain't been tested till its been tested.
Slashdot Mirror
... the bombing is not an act...
I meant hijack/colliding of course.
Even if we assume this is an act of foreign origin, it seems unlikely that a government was involved. That being the case, the bombing is not an act of war, but an act of crime. If we wish to pretend to be a just society we should consider not military retaliation but arrest and trial.
Bombing people for the crimes of their fellow citizens in the hopes that we might kill a few who were involved, is a crime no better than that of the hijackers.
Given the nature of modern warfare, I would argue that this principle holds even if a government was involved.
Adding genes is not like adding options to a car. Genes often operate in combination with one another. Characteristics are often said to be a result of "gene combinations." If gene A is responsible for characteristic X in, say, gypsy moths, its a pretty fair bet it will provide that characteristic in the target organism, say, tomatoes. However, there is no telling what other bonus items will result when gene A is added to the tomato gene.
In one case, Showa Denko engineered bacteria to provide higher levels of L-tryptophan. (Makes you sleepy after turkey dinner.) Plan worked great. Lots of L-tryptophan. Unfortunately, also lots of another amino acid that had never been seen before. The new amino acid caused a new disease: eosinophilia-myalgia syndrome. EMS causes the bodies immune system to attack its own tissue, beginning with the nerves. So, 37 people who were looking for a good nights sleep, died. 1,500 are permanently disabled.
No one saw the new amino acid mostly because its tough to make a test for things that don't yet exist. But also because the new amino acid happens to look a lot like L-tryptophane.
Fortunately, Showa Denko labled their batches and the link was established fairly easily. Of course, it may just be a huge coincidence that the people with this new disease just happened to be people who were taking this new gift from biotech, but the product was banned in Japan and Europe, with the US banning all L-tryptophan. SD settled out of court (go figure.) Not a peep about the GE link on the evening news.
In a sense, and in reference to a post above, we don't know if we are making organisms which produce petro distillates. (Okay, probably not gasoline producing corn, but you get the idea.) Genes work in combination and, as most /. readers probably know, the math gets pretty hairy when your variables affect not only the outcome but each other.
Short version: It ain't been tested till its been tested.