It was/is bound to happen. I have a hard time believing that scientists are anywhere near creating (accidently or purposefully) anything that will both survive in the real world and destroy any animal population or significant resource (water, oxygen, CO, etc). My assumption is that nature (evolution & darwin) would be (and has been) much more efficient at delivering deadly and dangerous microbes than scientists will be for decades to come. But I could be wrong. At least most of this research is happening far from me so I should have a few days notice. ;-D -Adam On 1/24/08, Apptech wrote: > My cousin Matthew forwarded me this reference. > I was sure that it would just be more of the rubbish that pervades this > topic but decided to have a quick look to confirm my suppositions. > > The not quite smiling face of Craig Venter that heads the article told me > immediately that this is, after all, the real thing. > We stand on the bridge at Khazad-d=FBm. The not distant enough drums sound > their doom-doom call and it's not certain, yet, if Venter is himself the > Balrog or if he is soon to conjure it from the abyss. As he's one of my > select group of (anti?-)heroes I can't complain all too much. > > If you can't make head nor tail of that wait a few years and it will be t= he > only news going :-). > > http://www.wired.com/science/discoveries/news/2008/01/syntheti= c_genome?currentPage=3Dall > > > > > Russell > -- > http://www.piclist.com PIC/SX FAQ & list archive > View/change your membership options at > http://mailman.mit.edu/mailman/listinfo/piclist > -- = - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Moving in southeast Michigan? Buy my house: http://ubasics.com/house/ Interested in electronics? Check out the projects at http://ubasics.com Building your own house? Check out http://ubasics.com/home/ -- = http://www.piclist.com PIC/SX FAQ & list archive View/change your membership options at http://mailman.mit.edu/mailman/listinfo/piclist