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<p class="MsoPlainText"><a href="https://www.nature.com/news/2002/020712/full/news020708-17.html">Polio</a> was synthesized 16 years ago. Today, there are even
<a href="http://cidarlab.org/cello/">compiler toolchains</a> to do it, and <a href="http://engineeringbiologycenter.org/">
initiatives</a> to improve the speed and reliability of synthesis techniques.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText">Suppose one could, though data mining of full genome sequences, find a genomic signature for a predisposition for some objectionable thing. Then one could conditionally activate of gene edits:<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText">if (signature_found(genome,FEATURE)) {<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"> genome = perform_edit(genome,downregulate_progesterone)<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText">}<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText">FEATURE would vary by interest group, religion, and political party, e.g. “likely to have same sex attractions” or “prone to tribalism”.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText">It would all look like an accident. I think it is hard to see how something like this
<b>won’t</b> happen.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText">Marcus<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText">On 9/15/18, 7:25 AM, "Friam on behalf of Prof David West" <friam-bounces@redfish.com on behalf of profwest@fastmail.fm> wrote:<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"> Evidently we already know how to create organisms from a file:<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"> https://www.ted.com/talks/dan_gibson_how_to_build_synthetic_dna_and_send_it_across_the_internet/transcript?language=en<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"> They did a flu virus vaccine - but it looks like you just as easily print up some anthrax. (Don't know if this is so, it seems like it from what I have read, but I am not a biologist.)<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"> Scariest part, it appears that the "printer" is Internet accessible. But, of course, it is "secured."<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"> And again, of course, what one can build so can another.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"> If you want some nice science fiction focused on potentially dire (even existential) consequences from existing tech (hacking/games, drones, CRISPR) try Daniel Suarez' Daemon and Freedom; Change Agent; and, Kill Decision.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"> davew<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"> On Fri, Sep 14, 2018, at 2:30 PM, Marcus Daniels wrote:<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"> > < But it's irresponsible to ignore the material cause: guns. But those
<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"> > who know me, know I'm an inherent supporter of weapon freedom. Anyone
<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"> > ought to be able to own (and use) pretty much any weapon they want. ><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"> > <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"> > Without getting in to the usual arguments of that discussion, my 2-faced
<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"> > position (not really) comes with the recent printable gun controversy.
<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"> > If someone wants to share a file, who is to say they can't do it? And
<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"> > sooner-or-later there will be the possibility of programmable fabricated
<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"> > nano-machines or organisms. The gun thing is just the tip of the
<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"> > iceberg. The possibly of genocide scale violence initiated by
<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"> > individuals or small groups will come with it. What then?
<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"> > <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"> > Marcus<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"> > <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"> > <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"> > ============================================================<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"> > FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"> > Meets Fridays 9a-11:30 at cafe at St. John's College<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"> > to unsubscribe http://redfish.com/mailman/listinfo/friam_redfish.com<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"> > FRIAM-COMIC http://friam-comic.blogspot.com/ by Dr. Strangelove<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"> ============================================================<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"> FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"> Meets Fridays 9a-11:30 at cafe at St. John's College<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"> to unsubscribe http://redfish.com/mailman/listinfo/friam_redfish.com<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"> FRIAM-COMIC http://friam-comic.blogspot.com/ by Dr. Strangelove<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"> <o:p></o:p></p>
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