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from the just-because-we-can-doesn't-mean-that-we-should dept.
One of CRISPR's inventors has called for controls on gene-editing technology
Regulators need to pay more attention to controlling CRISPR, the revolutionary gene-editing tool, says Jennifer Doudna.[*]
The anniversary is that of the announcement by a Chinese scientist, He Jiankui, that he had created gene-edited twin girls. That was a medical felony as far as Doudna is concerned, an unnecessary experiment that violated the doctor’s rule to avoid causing harm and ignored calls not to proceed.
“I believe that moratoria are no longer strong enough countermeasures,” she writes, adding that there are “moments in the history of every disruptive technology that can make or break its public perception and acceptance.”
But the same advances mean that “the temptation to tinker with the human germline” is not going to go away, Doudna says. That language—tinkering and temptation—makes it clear she thinks designer babies are a Pandora’s box we might not want to open.
Doudna specifically calls out Russia, since a scientist there is bidding to use the technology again to make babies.
[*] Wikipedia entry on Jennifer Doudna.
(Score: 4, Insightful) by jmichaelhudsondotnet on Monday November 18 2019, @04:30PM (1 child)
So this public interest technology thing, it has real scope.
All kinds of things are technology, and virtually any technology could wipe out the species or worse.
This writer is saying 'Please help us public interest technologist!' like lois lane dangling from a tall building calling for superman.
Only in this case when the public interest technologist tries to fly there, it turns out they can't because there is no career path and every military in the entire world doesn't want any philosphers or ethicists looking over their shoulder while they go strangelovian.
Yes it is a real problem, one I am actively trying to do something about, while going broke and being laughed at.
This is what d2500 is about. Really, think about it.
https://ipfs.io/ipfs/QmRf8CnisFhv41tnHFomXmXyPKqxWbPx5K6cvFag2uaBTC [ipfs.io]
I am not kidding about this shit, we are at severe risk of all dying horrible meaningless deaths at the hands of people less intelligent than ourselves, and that is not going to change through nihilism and/or relativism.
Or worse, some cult nutjobs like epstein will get there first and try take over, resulting in one or more of the bizarre dystopias predicted by sci fi.
Think the winged people vs. the equisapien. Watch 'Sorry to Bother You.' Stuff doesn't seem far fetched anymore. Really stop accepting candy from strangers.
Trick or treat is basically a very stupid idea at this point.
(Score: -1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Monday November 18 2019, @09:54PM
While we're at it, I'd like public interest watchdog a to z too since we know tax funded govie run watchdogs are no good right? Right?