> > Or something else. The thing is the chances that something really bad
> > happens are really low, but multiplied with the exposure, it is virtually
> > certain to happen. And believe me, the only thing certain is Murphy -- and
> > it's not restricted to electronics or programming :)

> A one in a billion outcome is almost certanity when you look at say an
> indiana full of corn plants.

Hmmm. Frankly I think the danger of nuclear/biological weapons in the
hands of politicians seem much more dangerous to me.

Yes, there is a chance that GM could cause some major problems. However,
nature has been doing GM for, well, ever since there was nature.

After looking at the numbers it seems that the chance of reward (and I'm
not thinking of finances here) is much greater than the chance of disaster.

Imagine produce that doesn't go bad as fast. People die in the US of
bad produce.

Of course, we could do the same thing easier with irradiating the food
products, but Americans seem to have a strong irrational tabu against
anything nuclear.

> It would be really fun to get a mutation that was say strongly dominant, and
> made the corn indigestable by spinning some sugar or protein the other
> direction.   Great for making diet food, but you might want some REAL food.

The chance of this happening is almost ridiculous. If something like this
could happen the chances are that it would be rather poisonous.
-- 
D. Jay Newman           ! _Linux Robotics: Building Smarter Robots_
jay@sprucegrove.com     ! To be released soon to unsuspecting bookstores
http://enerd.ws/robots/ ! everywhere.
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