[extropy-chat] GM Food [was: World map of human ES cell and nuclear transfer policies]

[The Avantguardian]

--- Robert Bradbury <robert.bradbury at gmail.com> wrote:

> This isn't something I'm uneducated about.  The
> Hunger Project has been
> around for ~25 years and for many of those years I
> supported their efforts
> to pursue what could be called the "economic
> development" path.  After I
> became more educated about microbiology and
> biotechnology it became clear
> that the GMO route would be much faster and save
> many more lives.

I tend to agree with you here, Robert. I think
empowered biotechnology is the best hope for salvation
of the world in terms of hunger, medicine, and as
Morris pointed out, the energy crisis. It's not by
accident that I chose microbiology as my profession.
It IS however a shame that the bureacratic hurdles
that even good scientists have to jump through in
order get funding are so immense. In the U.S. grant
funding commitees are hopelessly politicized with "who
knows whom" taking the place of the simple scientific
merits of an idea. I think a double-blind system,
similar to what is used by FDA drug-studies would be
an improvement over simple peer-review as it is
practiced which is in all honesty a "good old boy
network". Add to this the fact that the funding pool
goes up and down at the whim of clueless politicians
and the system seems to be quite clearly broken. Even
if we develop superintelligent AGI and ask it to save
us, I think its answer is going to be rather
predictably simple, "Give me access to immense capital
and I will see what I can do."
   

The Avantguardian 
is 
Stuart LaForge
alt email: stuart"AT"ucla.edu

"The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the source of all true art and science. He to whom this emotion is a stranger, who can no longer wonder and stand rapt in awe, is as good as dead: his eyes are closed. . ."

- Albert Einstein, "What I Believe" (1930)


		
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