Not quite. You have seed you buy from Monsanto. This plant is incapable of producing viable seed, regardless of pollenation source. It produces almost normal seed (which is usually the comercialy interesting part, think canola, soy etc), except that it doesn't have the ability to germinate. So from a female perspective, the plant is sterile.
You were correct that the plant still produces pollen which can go out and fertilize normal plants. The resulting seed has normal maternal genes and terminator paternal genes. Thus this seed will develop and look normal, except lack the ability to germinate. Thus the plant is also effectively paternaly sterile too, though a generation of seed is produced afterwards, at which point there is no more passing of genes.
So the only real problem is if you are a farmer growing seed next door to a terminator field and want to harvest and replant some of your seed next year. The cross pollenation from the terminator field will hurt your yeild.
Roundup isn't a pesticide. It is a herbicide. Insects are already "resistant to it", in the same way humans are resistant to penicillin.
The entire point of "Roundup Ready" crops is that you can plant them and then blanket the field in Roundup to kill the rest of the plants, namely weeds. Much easier than normal herbicide use that tends to kill your crops as well, requiring careful usage.
Sounds like you are confusing Roundup Ready with Bt plants, both Monsanto products.
The entire point behind the "Terminator" technology is that it can't make little terminator plants, so in fact, they are sterile.
The "advantage" is that this effectively prevents crossing of modified plants, and prevents the possibility of genetic contamination and creation of "super weeds" that are often heralded as the dangers of GMO's.
Of course the fact that farmers can no longer produce their own seed and have to pay money to Monsanto on a yearly basis to buy new seed has nothing do with this technology....
You buy a $500,000 mass spec or $40,000 HPLC, the manufacturer sells you a machine (usually from DELL/COMPAQ/HP) with propriatary cards, bundled with their proprietary software. Why? That way everyone with the machine is running the same OS, same software, so when you call because your $500,000 machine doesn't work anymore and you wan't to make use of your $5,000 a year service contract they either send you to DELL/COMPAQ/HP or their own database. They don't want to (and feasibly CAN'T)deal with your custom linux set up or that open source software written by who knows who to do who knows what that somebody has tweaked to work with your insturment.
There is oodles of great OSS out there. But there are a limited number of very expensive instruments and a company can't sell an instrument without software.
So, One: Nobody is going to sell an instrument without the software they spent money developing.
Two: There isn't a huge demand for OSS
alternatives, since they already paid for the software, and the instrument works. The last thing you want in your research lab it to make your expensive instrument not work. People get fired for that. Quickly.
Why is it that any time a story comes on slashdot about anime/tv/etc we always get a chorus of posts: "Am I the only one who doesn't like it? Why is this on slashdot? What do you see in this stuff, it is horrible."
Cool. You don't like it. Other people do. Why do you feel this need to rain on other peoples parade? A high percentage of "nerds" find it usesful and informative when it comes to their interests. Your interests may vary. It's not a bad thing.
If you don't like something on slashdot, don't run arround seeking validation from other people who feel like you do. It is hard putting up stuff that everybody likes all the time.
Oh and Sliders. Please. Early sliders yes. Later sliders no.:)
Has she tried installing/compiling her own software yet?
Burning a CD?
Heck even printing documents can often be a nightmare with many Linux systems.
The linux desktop is great if you have it set up for you and you just want to have it do some static tasks. Mail, web, word processing. Anything more complex or new, and you can get in over your head REAL fast without a linux guru on hand to do it for you.
"okay mom, next you type in cdrecord -v dev=0,1,0 speed=4 -data"
The DMCA is rapidly becoming a blanket law used any time corporations don't like the way new technology is being used towards their products in any other way than they specificly want.
They have a vested interest in the consumer not having instant access to sale prices from different stores, as it allows them to use a sale to gain your buisness but still retain the higher profit margins on other items. Historicly the way the model works involves a lot of research into consumer psychology and buying patterns. Which of course is threatend when technology will instantly tell you "Best towel price: XXX, Best shoe price: XXX)
DMCA just gives them a weapon against change due to technology..
Tell it to the scribes guild a few hundred years ago as far as I'm concerned. Adapt, deal, or go out of buisness.
Slashdot Mirror
Not quite. You have seed you buy from Monsanto. This plant is incapable of producing viable seed, regardless of pollenation source. It produces almost normal seed (which is usually the comercialy interesting part, think canola, soy etc), except that it doesn't have the ability to germinate. So from a female perspective, the plant is sterile. You were correct that the plant still produces pollen which can go out and fertilize normal plants. The resulting seed has normal maternal genes and terminator paternal genes. Thus this seed will develop and look normal, except lack the ability to germinate. Thus the plant is also effectively paternaly sterile too, though a generation of seed is produced afterwards, at which point there is no more passing of genes. So the only real problem is if you are a farmer growing seed next door to a terminator field and want to harvest and replant some of your seed next year. The cross pollenation from the terminator field will hurt your yeild.
Roundup isn't a pesticide. It is a herbicide. Insects are already "resistant to it", in the same way humans are resistant to penicillin. The entire point of "Roundup Ready" crops is that you can plant them and then blanket the field in Roundup to kill the rest of the plants, namely weeds. Much easier than normal herbicide use that tends to kill your crops as well, requiring careful usage. Sounds like you are confusing Roundup Ready with Bt plants, both Monsanto products.
The entire point behind the "Terminator" technology is that it can't make little terminator plants, so in fact, they are sterile. The "advantage" is that this effectively prevents crossing of modified plants, and prevents the possibility of genetic contamination and creation of "super weeds" that are often heralded as the dangers of GMO's. Of course the fact that farmers can no longer produce their own seed and have to pay money to Monsanto on a yearly basis to buy new seed has nothing do with this technology....
Whoa.....
You buy a $500,000 mass spec or $40,000 HPLC, the manufacturer sells you a machine (usually from DELL/COMPAQ/HP) with propriatary cards, bundled with their proprietary software. Why? That way everyone with the machine is running the same OS, same software, so when you call because your $500,000 machine doesn't work anymore and you wan't to make use of your $5,000 a year service contract they either send you to DELL/COMPAQ/HP or their own database. They don't want to (and feasibly CAN'T)deal with your custom linux set up or that open source software written by who knows who to do who knows what that somebody has tweaked to work with your insturment. There is oodles of great OSS out there. But there are a limited number of very expensive instruments and a company can't sell an instrument without software. So, One: Nobody is going to sell an instrument without the software they spent money developing. Two: There isn't a huge demand for OSS alternatives, since they already paid for the software, and the instrument works. The last thing you want in your research lab it to make your expensive instrument not work. People get fired for that. Quickly.
Any takers for a bet? :)
Yes. DARPA's got Metal Gear after all! Who can resist! SNAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAKE!!!!
Why is it that any time a story comes on slashdot about anime/tv/etc we always get a chorus of posts: "Am I the only one who doesn't like it? Why is this on slashdot? What do you see in this stuff, it is horrible."
:)
Cool. You don't like it. Other people do. Why do you feel this need to rain on other peoples parade? A high percentage of "nerds" find it usesful and informative when it comes to their interests. Your interests may vary. It's not a bad thing.
If you don't like something on slashdot, don't run arround seeking validation from other people who feel like you do. It is hard putting up stuff that everybody likes all the time.
Oh and Sliders. Please. Early sliders yes. Later sliders no.
Has she tried installing/compiling her own software yet?
Burning a CD?
Heck even printing documents can often be a nightmare with many Linux systems.
The linux desktop is great if you have it set up for you and you just want to have it do some static tasks. Mail, web, word processing. Anything more complex or new, and you can get in over your head REAL fast without a linux guru on hand to do it for you.
"okay mom, next you type in cdrecord -v dev=0,1,0 speed=4 -data"
*mom's head explodes*
The DMCA is rapidly becoming a blanket law used any time corporations don't like the way new technology is being used towards their products in any other way than they specificly want. They have a vested interest in the consumer not having instant access to sale prices from different stores, as it allows them to use a sale to gain your buisness but still retain the higher profit margins on other items. Historicly the way the model works involves a lot of research into consumer psychology and buying patterns. Which of course is threatend when technology will instantly tell you "Best towel price: XXX, Best shoe price: XXX) DMCA just gives them a weapon against change due to technology.. Tell it to the scribes guild a few hundred years ago as far as I'm concerned. Adapt, deal, or go out of buisness.