Bio-Techno-Fear (or Re: Genetic engineering?)

[Jarrod Stenberg]

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I have recently developed an interest in the emergent biotechnologies, 
specifically genetic engineering.  This is difficult to avoid considering 
the amount of information that flows in the newspapers and even on the 
increasingly schlocky TV news.  Bio-technologies also have begun to 
blanket all aspects of human life, ranging from medicine and 
pharmaceuticals (AIDS protease techs in the news), food processing, 
agriculture (vigile ante virus that kill pests and herbicidal resistant 
produce) and so forth.  The debate has reached all the way to the Pope 
regarding in vitro fertilization particlularly when applied to gene 
screening (=selection), prompting scientists to consider that filthy word 
morality, which is apparently made innocuous by dilligent ethics.

This is very abbreviated and I will put forth a larger effort by the end 
of the week as regards my interest.  I hope to promote a thread specific 
to this interest in the mean time.

In researching the subject, I have found that much of the literature has 
difficulty concealing a bias towards biotechnology with a flavour of big 
business.  The trend is to accuse public  ignorance for a strain of 
techno-fear which in this case would be bio-techno-fear.

I appreciate those who will sincerely promote this thread.  I welcome any 
view as I expect from this group.

Thanks,
-jarrod



--
Jarrod P. Stenberg
sten0013 at gold.tc.umn.edu
http://www.tc.umn.edu/nlhome/g414/sten0013/
St. Paul, Minnesota  --  U.S.A