Frightening question: what if this technology could be targeted not at species, but at races?
There is no biological basis for the word race.
CRISPR machines that can wipe out entire species
21–30 of 122 posts
Re: CRISPR machines that can wipe out entire species
#22Re: CRISPR machines that can wipe out entire species
#23Frightening question: what if this technology could be targeted not at species, but at races?
You may find interesting this presentation from John Sotos on DEF CON https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HKQDSgBHPfY "Genetic Diseases to Guide Digital Hacks of the Human Genome".
Re: CRISPR machines that can wipe out entire species
#24Re: CRISPR machines that can wipe out entire species
#25Frightening question: what if this technology could be targeted not at species, but at races?
Not that frightening for this specific case. A gene drive is distributed by reproduction, and the major effect is that it is passed down far more efficiently than any trait subject to the usual genetic rules.
Humans reproduce far slower than mosquitoes, and if someone managed to modify a few humans, there would likely be plenty of time to detect it and fix or contain it in some way.
Re: CRISPR machines that can wipe out entire species
#26Frightening question: what if this technology could be targeted not at species, but at races?
It probably already can. I'm not an expert, but from what I understand CRISPR targets specific DNA sequences. Race can be determined by DNA testing, therefore I think (again, I'm not an expert) that there would be certain sequences that are specific to a race.
Now CRISPR alters the specific sequence that it targets. In fact, CRISPR only cuts the DNA at that sequence, other proteins must be employed to change and then fix the DNA. It may be well enough to simply cut up a specific race's DNA and leave it at that. Or if those cells die off too fast, splice in some garbage DNA that will at least let the cell reproduce.
Re: CRISPR machines that can wipe out entire species
#27Earlier quoted context omitted.
There is no biological basis for the word race.
Colour of skin, epicanthic fold, and a thousand more designating traits of race are biologically encoded in DNA.
They aren’t, however, so uniform that an attack based on presence or absence of a handful of polymorphisms together could form anything like a perfect classifier and therefore target. Race and genetics are related, but not so closely as to facilitate this.
Re: CRISPR machines that can wipe out entire species
#28ITT: people who live in countries that aren’t ravaged by malaria share their vague feelings of doubt about whether or not getting rid of mosquitos is a good idea
If you've been personally affected by malaria your immediate impulse is do whatever it takes to stop it. But we know nothing comes for free, no good human deed goes unpunished. There's a lot of debate about whether destroying malaria-carrying mosquitoes would have any side effects whatsoever. Alternately, it may have some. I don't think your characterization is fair, in other words. Those of us in areas not immediate…
> But we know nothing comes for free, no good human deed goes unpunished.
We know nothing of the sort. Perhaps this is something you know.