Comments on: Synthetic Biology https://blog.speculist.com/nanotechnology/on-friday-newsf.html Live to see it. Thu, 16 Dec 2021 08:21:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.6.1 By: Stephen Gordon https://blog.speculist.com/nanotechnology/on-friday-newsf.html#comment-8576 Stephen Gordon Tue, 08 Mar 2005 13:06:41 +0000 http://localhost/specblog/?p=239#comment-8576 Karl:

Usually stuff that we tinker with for our benefit is less robust than what is found in nature.

I think that most of the specialized organizms could easily be controlled by giving them certain needs – a need for a particular nutrient not readily available in nature, for example.

If someone were trying to hurt the environment, it might be possible to design the perfect pest with genetic algorithms. But the scientist would almost have to be trying to do harm. There are much easier ways for a terrorist to cause problems.

]]> By: Karl Hallowell https://blog.speculist.com/nanotechnology/on-friday-newsf.html#comment-8575 Karl Hallowell Mon, 07 Mar 2005 17:12:40 +0000 http://localhost/specblog/?p=239#comment-8575 One problem with engineering natural systems is that they are far more likely to be able to survive in the wild than say something that needs to operate in a hydrocarbon fluid and survives off of high frequency sound waves. Also the interaction of these systems with the cornucopia of living organisms is far less predictable.

OTOH, the machinery is there, you just need to use it.

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