[ExI] President's Commission on Bioethics write-in

[Bryan Bishop]

Hey all,

Today, bioethics.gov began holding talks about synthetic biology and
bioethics. This committee is very much reformed since the last committee
under the previous administration. There are videos being posted on the
site, and transcripts that they typed (however, I found their transcriber to
be.. not good, so I did it myself and posted to the diybio mailing list).

The topics of synthetic biology and bioethics are dear and critical to the
transhumanism community. Interestingly enough there was a transhumanist who
spoke to the committee today. Through the DIYbio community and garage
biotech activists, I am organizing a write-in to info at bioethics.gov -- of
one nature or another. I think that there's a non-neglible probability that
something we say as a community will be heard, at least at the Bioethics
Committee level.

So here is where I explain the situation:

http://groups.google.com/group/diybio/browse_frm/thread/7dad27a5b3810f84

Now then: if something were to make its way up to the Bioethics Committee,
and then to the President of the United States, what would you say? In
particular about biotechnology, innovation, synthetic biology, garage
biotechnology, transhumanism, the ethics of human enhancement?

"People’s freedom to innovate technologically is highly valuable, even
critical, to humanity. This implies several imperatives when restrictive
measures are proposed: Assess risks and opportunities according to available
science, not popular perception.  Account for both the costs of the
restrictions themselves, and those of opportunities foregone.  Favor
measures that are proportionate to the probability and magnitude of impacts,
and that have a high expectation value.  Protect people’s freedom to
experiment, innovate, and progress."

- Bryan
http://heybryan.org/
1 512 203 0507
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