Thousands of Genetically Modified Insects Set For Release

I, for one, welcome our new insect overlords and would like to offer my help in rounding up people to toil in their gigantic underground sugar mines.

We all know the Killer bee are we now introducing the killer fly...?

reply to post by rickymouse


Oh and how exactly woud that happen? how would one of the new genes and pathways these organisms have, mutate into some kind of disaster as you people see it?

I bet you dont have a clue how such a thing would happen...because you made it up in your technophobe head.
The truth is that it is safe and extremely high precautions are taken to alay irrational fears of people who know nothing of the science. Your fears are the same as someone claiming that washing machines might take over the world...your claims are like the kind seen in the victorian era or like that of those who claim the world is going to end every six months or that vaccines give children autism...jumped up fear-mongering nonsense.

reply to post by violet


Theres no such thing as mother nature, there is no great balance. What there is, is chaos. Look at the rose bush and its thorns, look at the plants slowly strangling each other in a constant battle for survival...theres nothing motherly about nature...its perpetual warfare.

But we humans have luckily emerged with a brain to plan ahead and hands with which to build...we alone can change things for the better and no longer need to live by survival of the fittest and its selfish desires.

reply to post by robin22391


Horizontal transfer of genetics. Look it up. It is a fairly new discovery. It doesn't have to actually be the insect itself, it could effect the microbes the insect is symbiotic with also. It is evident that they only check for certain specified things in their testing. Broad form testing is not done, only testing on expected results.

robin22391
reply to post by violet

 

Theres no such thing as mother nature, there is no great balance. What there is, is chaos. Look at the rose bush and its thorns, look at the plants slowly strangling each other in a constant battle for survival...theres nothing motherly about nature...its perpetual warfare.

But we humans have luckily emerged with a brain to plan ahead and hands with which to build...we alone can change things for the better and no longer need to live by survival of the fittest and its selfish desires.

The natural chaos is the mother nature.

Things correct themselves as long as Humans don't interfere.

But we humans have luckily emerged with a brain to plan ahead and hands with which to build...we alone can change things for the better and no longer need to live by survival of the fittest and its selfish desires.

That is the danger !!!!!

"selfish desires" are created by Humans ... yes?

Some of these replies are a bit over the top. Though I can understand it.

This seem to be a different technique as the sterile insect technique:

en.wikipedia.org...

A method using recombinant DNA technology to create genetically modified insects called RIDL (Release of Insects carrying a Dominant Lethal) is under development by a company called Oxford Insect Technologies (Oxitec), UK. The method works by introducing a repressible "Dominant Lethal" gene into the insects. This gene kills the insects but it can be repressed by an external additive, which allows the insects to be reared in manufacturing facilities. This external additive is commonly administered orally, and so can be an additive to the insect food. The insects can also be given genetic markers, such as DsRED fluorescence, that make monitoring the progress of eradication easier, preferably under the field conditions.

I think it would work out fine, in the short term, in the long term other problems might appear some much more uglier. But that's speculation.

reply to post by xuenchen


No, selfish desires are a result of our climb to the top of our evolutionary mountain...we are selfish because of our genetics.

And you say things "correct themselves", but the truth is that there is no correct...just chaos...only we can decide how we go from there, we decide what we will take as right and wrong, that is the brilliance of our minds, we can think ourselves into a better place.

reply to post by rickymouse


I am studying biology and i'm in my final year, its not news to me...

there are risks in everything...but these risks are way overblown, very strict measures are in place for things like this even though risks are minimal. Put it this way, any new gene an organism like a yeast or bacteria has...which is the real concern believe me...it must be beneficial or the organism will die out...if a bacteria starts making pesticides randomly it will die out.

i would like to know who, for example funds the anti monsanto campaigns...i bet it is one of their competitors...

really gmo's aren't a big deal...people chomping down aspirins and paracetamol and aderal etc...that is a problem...yet people say nothing.

ForbiddenDesire

This gene kills the insects but it can be repressed by an external additive, which allows the insects to be reared in manufacturing facilities. This external additive is commonly administered orally, and so can be an additive to the insect food.

Jurassic Entomology Park.

This is fine as long as I am not forced to eat the flies, three meals a day, without my knowledge, and for the rest of my life, without recourse or avenue of feedback to the makers; who did not do any science until after they had already started feeding the flies to 60% of the population, 6 years later and only after people found out and got mad.

As long as that does not happen, I am OK.

robin22391
reply to post by xuenchen

 

No, selfish desires are a result of our climb to the top of our evolutionary mountain...we are selfish because of our genetics.

And you say things "correct themselves", but the truth is that there is no correct...just chaos...only we can decide how we go from there, we decide what we will take as right and wrong, that is the brilliance of our minds, we can think ourselves into a better place.

Well now you got me scared half to death !!

It's thinking like this that may be the problem.

All the wild mad scientist stuff is real recent compared to the history of life on Earth.

"" that is the brilliance of our minds, we can think ourselves into a better place. ""

..... or out think ourselves into a worse place.... what then ?

reply to post by robin22391


You have been conditioned to think a certain way. Even with that conditioning you realize that modifying a microbe can be bad though. That is good. The problem with Monsanto's endeavor is that they are ignoring the evolution of the microbes caused from the changing of their product. That is already happening.

I have seen the problems that have occurred by introducing bugs in this area that had no natural preditor to try to kill something that was found later to be less of a threat than what they incorporated to kill it. Sure the consequences were unknown, and now these introduced bugs are considered invasive species. It is funny how this practice of mistakes gets buried because someone in the government allowed it.

The big problem with Monsanto is that their actions increase the amount of Soy and Corn products in the foods we eat. You cannot only take the direct effects into consideration, you need to look at the whole picture when evaluating something. The side effects of modifying our diets too much usually leads to more disease and problems with thinking. This leads to the products contributing to the problem, not actually being a direct cause of the problem. Too much corn is not good for cows. This leads to problems in formation of the meat and even changes the milk.

Now Monsanto does not directly cause this problem, but the fact that corn is more available to feed the cow at a cheaper price is a major player. Cows can have a little grains as a treat but now they are feeding them a lot more and the result is they grow bigger but the quality of the meat is compromised. The elastin binding proteins aren't forming right and the good forms of lipoic acid are reduced. We evolved having these chemicals at certain levels in the beef, if they are not present our health is compromised. On top of that, we need to eat more to acheive our needs and the excess sugars get stored. Now until the government lists some of these chemicals as essential nutrients, the producers nutrition will tend to show that the food is just as nutritious. But it is not. Food is more than vitamins and minerals. Food is more than proteins and fats. The realization that certain fats are better than others is finally being accepted but the people who learn of it do not look at the big picture.

Look at the levels of the Omega threes of a lean beef brisket. Look at the levels of Omega threes of round steak. The proportions of Omega 3 to Omega 6's is way different, even on the same cow. These muscles are way different. Do you need to eat fish to get your proper amount of 3's. Or do you pick a variety of different beef cuts in your diet. The nutrition database is a good place to observe this.

This is food science, not what they teach you in school. We have a lot of evidence out there that needs to be evaluated to see what it says, by someone who has the ability to see what is going on, someone with an open mind who has not been trained to believe a certain way.

Good luck with your schooling, I hope I have opened your eyes a little to see what is really out there. Yes, people often get carried away trying to show that Monsanto's products are bad but they are using the wrong evidence. What they are seeing is true but they haven't correctly identified the problem and the problem needs the right evidence to support it. Only certain evidence is allowed as real and proven also. That is not science at all, science knows we know little about things, it knows there is much to learn. If we knew everything, why would we need scientists?

Who funds anti-Monsanto? Probably a lot of older people who see that something is wrong. Probably farmers who see a possible problem. Look at the people out there who like to eat organic, they are not poor. I am not rich, even though my name is rich, but I avoid GMO food and if I had a trillion bucks I would definitely destroy the company using real evidence and scientific research. But all I can do is to avoid their foods.

reply to post by rickymouse


oh yes ive been conditioned...utter bunkum. i would gladly eat only gmo's all my life just to proove you people wrong, and i'd be healthier for it since the nutritional profiles of many plants are actually better by far.
Give me some good examples of how the case of genetic engineering in this post could go wrong.

reply to post by xuenchen


well thats a meaningless statement...our brains make us one of the only species capable of committing suicide...is that scary, No. You shouldn't be scared of progress just because it could get worse...if we all thought like that humans would never have left africa, because its dangerous to travel into unknown lands. You can be a pessimist all you like but i'm confident of progress in all ways

robin22391
reply to post by xuenchen

 

well thats a meaningless statement...our brains make us one of the only species capable of committing suicide...is that scary, No. You shouldn't be scared of progress just because it could get worse...if we all thought like that humans would never have left africa, because its dangerous to travel into unknown lands. You can be a pessimist all you like but i'm confident of progress in all ways

Now I'm *really* frightened !!

You do realize that Humans have developed massive psychiatric problems too don't you ?

Many of those problems display in the 'highly' educated circles.

How can the average person be expected to always believe in theories, that many are, conjured up by people that may be inflicted with psychiatric and deep psychological problems ?

One fact that stands true ..... every financial and political 'crisis' has always been developed and caused by the 'highly educated' sectors of society. And, every scientific boondoggle has been caused by 'highly educated' people.

Joe Sidewalk doesn't cause massive negative impacts on anybody.

Thanks but "No Thanks".... Proof is more than just somebody else's good word.

reply to post by xuenchen


i could quite as easily put it to you that the un educated and the fearful are the sole cause of the human race's ills, causing the death of over a billion people.

it would be helpful if people such as the op would stop posting such gibberish about genetics when they dont have even the slightest background in biology.

sometimes i think some of you have seen so many pictures of needles injecting stuff into tomatos that you think that is actually how it works. Making up words like "frankenfoods" etc does well to scare the general public into hating what i know is a brilliant piece of technology. As i said before there is a suspicious amount of attacks on gmo's...one wonders "cui bono?" who benefits?, i have to notice the power of the organic food lobby...there wasn't this much of an outcry against ivf.

take a biology course, you will be making gmo's in your second year...it is simple science to us...yet it is so misunderstood by the general public

robin22391
reply to post by xuenchen

 

i could quite as easily put it to you that the un educated and the fearful are the sole cause of the human race's ills, causing the death of over a billion people.

Now don't you think that type of comment is exactly what scares the average person ?
[ Good debate tactic by the way, very effective ]


My darkest suspicions are coming to light.

reply to post by xuenchen


no, i don't. You are laughable by the way. its not a good debate tactic, it was a ridiculous parody of the way you write.

its ridiculously pitiful, the people who thrive on fear...reminds me of the people who support crazy dictators like hitler.