Rawstory: Pentagon plans for immortal 'synthetic organisms'

[RJN]

http://rawstory.com/2010/02/pentagon-sy ... organisms/

[geckzilla]

Maybe astronomers need to start searching for gray goo planets to discover our future.

[Qev]

I always hate the stupid "playing God" chestnut that's always pulled out against performing certain types of science. It's bad enough that people do that in science fiction all the time... XD

[wonderboy]

This sounds like pretty scary stuff. Imagine if all babies in the future were impanted with this genetic code so that if they commited murder the death penalty would be so much swifter!? God. The military would love to get their paws all over this.

[geckzilla]

Riiiiight.

[wonderboy]

Riiiiight.

Well its true. Its pretty scary if they can create organisms that can "self destruct" at the push of a button as they say, then think of the implications that could have. I'm not saying it would be used for evil, but the potential is there, and where theres potential for harm theres always a risk that that harm may rear its ugly head. I don't like it, not one bit at all.

[geckzilla]

That story doesn't even make any sense to me. What are they trying to manipulate? Mice? Bacteria? Where does it say they are messing with humans or anything? "Synthetic organisms" sounds like they are attempting to create something like a virus.

[wonderboy]

Fair enough, it doesn't but would the step up be that difficult? I'm not gonna pretend to know what I'm talking about, I just see it as a possible outcome of such research.