Sunday, January 11, 2009
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"A stunning survey of the latest evidence for intelligent life on Mars. Mac Tonnies brings a thoughtful, balanced and highly accessible approach to one of the most fascinating enigmas of our time."
--Herbie Brennan, author of Martian Genesis and The Atlantis Enigma
"Tonnies drops all predetermined opinions about Mars, and asks us to do the same."
--Greg Bishop, author of Project Beta
"I highly recommend the book for anyone interested in the search for extra-terrestrial artifacts, and the political intrigues that invariably accompany it."
--David Jinks, author of The Monkey and the Tetrahredron
"Mac Tonnies goes where NASA fears to tread and he goes first class."
--Peter Gersten, former Director of Citizens Against UFO Secrecy
And don't miss...
(Includes my essay "The Ancients Are Watching.")
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2 comments:
Let's see: The video clip notes a bacteria that has been genetically modified to consume plastic waste in landfills (most plastics are based on oil, btw). Another vidbit covers genetically altered bacteria being developed that uses sunlight as energy to convert water to biofuel. DIY synthetic biology by high school and college students. A contest to compete for prizes for the best "biological machines" using bacteria and virii as substrate platforms.
Biological organisms both reproduce, and mutate. And migrate in the most unexpected ways. Could this lead to mutated synthetic bio forms that consume oil as a terrorist weapon or that convert water via sunlight to biofuel breakdown products like hydrogen? And if someone puts sufficient quantities of the latter in your local reservoir or perhaps, say, the ocean? Those are just two out of unknown thousands of radically scary prospects with synthetic biology here.
I see some real potential trouble ahead with biohacking applications; I guess we just don't have enough artificial existential threats already. Boy, ain't technology wonderful?
Your fears are nothing if not well-founded. Still, I can't help but see some good come of this. Whether that good is eclipsed by the bad is the issue at hand.
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