quote:

Originally posted by InsomnEac we need dogs that make beer. [NSM] ps. sarcoman: your mushroom avatar ruled!

Thanks man... I'll have to bring Mushie back then.

___________________

I am enough of an artist to draw freely upon my imagination. Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world.
Albert Einstein

man all i want is in the next 30-40 years i want my cousin 2 see. hes blind and i promised him that he would be able 2 see 1 day. right now hes 17 he always ask's me hows the world and how it looks like. he wants 2 be a pilot and fly liek the birds.so hopefully genetics could change his life for ever.

quote:

Originally posted by amit man all i want is in the next 30-40 years i want my cousin 2 see. hes blind and i promised him that he would be able 2 see 1 day. right now hes 17 he always ask's me hows the world and how it looks like. he wants 2 be a pilot and fly liek the birds.so hopefully genetics could change his life for ever.

have you heard of the thing hwere they put cameras and hook them up to their brain? sounded interesting

quote:

Originally posted by amit man all i want is in the next 30-40 years i want my cousin 2 see. hes blind and i promised him that he would be able 2 see 1 day. right now hes 17 he always ask's me hows the world and how it looks like. he wants 2 be a pilot and fly liek the birds.so hopefully genetics could change his life for ever.

i saw on the news the other day, this thing that makes blind people "see". its like a camera in glasses and they hook it up to your optical nerve. its not exactly how we see, its a dot-matrix picture, and its its kinda dark and fuzzy. but, if you were blind, it would be a world of difference. the guy that had it done said it was like opening a curtain that had been closed for 40 years. its not approved by the AMA yet, i think it was portugal where they do the operation. even if its not perfect, there could be hope for your cous...


[NSM]

EDIT: DAMMIT lmilk you beat me to it! lol

yeah I saw that too. They even had the guy drive a car really slowly and he was able to navigate a parking lot. crazy shit

Thatd be awesome if they could alter me to where I peed beer. Think about it!

quote:

Originally posted by quddha true, I agree with you there. It'd probably be a better idea to research genetics more thoroughly before we begin experimenting. But in this paticular case, I think the scientists have a good grasp of what they're doing. Genetically modified foods are not a new thing. They've been doing it for years. So far, no bad consequences. Some people choose not to eat them, but those who have don't seem to be affected yet.

Good point. I guess we can't really judge the "consequences" before they start popping up. Actually I'm not of an expert on the whole genetics thing so I'm not sure of any inherent risks that are present from the start.

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Originally posted by quddha Yes, the rate at which technology is advancing is kinda scary. But since the beginning of agriculture we have, in a way, been playing with genes and genetics. We might not have understood the actual mechanism, but we've been breeding plants and animals in a controlled environment long before this has become an issue. Today, it becomes more complex with the infinite possibilities available to us, and you are right, we must be careful. Careful, but I don't think we should stop.

Interesting point there. Some people might not agree though. As for myself I am unsure of my position, really, although I am so far against genetic modifications overall (though not really against "controlled evolution" or breeding).

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[b]Originally posted by quddha/b]I look at it this way, nature being so "perfect", also gave us the ability to manipulate it. People say we aren't supposed to play God, or we're not supposed to tamper with nature, but it was God/Nature that gave us the ability to do so, so it's my belief that we should use this gift of knowledge and intelligence to our advantage, yet be extra cautious at the same time.

This is a wonderful point, I agree with you. Why shouldn't we use our capabilities? They're there to be used, otherwise why do they exist? However they should be used carefully and moderately. Take martial artists for example, they have the capability to kill (well at least the proficient ones). But do they go out on the street and kill everyone in sight? No - they use their ability only when needed, when in danger, etc. So what I'm saying is just because we have the "power of genetics," doesn't mean we should start messing around left and right, creating things at our whim (modifying, actually - we cannot "create" life).

Well I myself am a little confused in this matter. I have to straighten things out for myself. But for now, I won't be preoccupied or upset about any of this.

wtf?!
i'm scared shitless of spiders
<- someone please explain to me how this smilie symbolizes "wtf"