Comments on: An Artificial World http://www.tdaxp.com/archive/2007/12/16/an-artificial-world.html All of us against the machine Sat, 20 Mar 2010 03:18:56 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: tdaxp » Blog Archive » The Genomeplex Crosses Time http://www.tdaxp.com/archive/2007/12/16/an-artificial-world.html/comment-page-1#comment-74501 tdaxp » Blog Archive » The Genomeplex Crosses Time Wed, 21 May 2008 22:55:36 +0000 http://www.tdaxp.com/archive/2007/12/16/an-artificial-world.html#comment-74501 [...] December 2007: 10,000 years ago the artificial genome-plex radically expanded its scope, adding plants to its [...] [...] December 2007: 10,000 years ago the artificial genome-plex radically expanded its scope, adding plants to its [...]

]]> By: Adam http://www.tdaxp.com/archive/2007/12/16/an-artificial-world.html/comment-page-1#comment-18858 Adam Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.tdaxp.com/archive/2007/12/16/an-artificial-world.html#comment-18858 <p>Someone is working on re-incarnating extinct plant species? I'd love a link on that, if its happening already.<br /> <br /> I'm still impatiently waiting for my pet woolly mammoth. From what I understand, the only real problem is the logistics of getting a successful birth from an elephant.</p> Someone is working on re-incarnating extinct plant species? I'd love a link on that, if its happening already.

I'm still impatiently waiting for my pet woolly mammoth. From what I understand, the only real problem is the logistics of getting a successful birth from an elephant.

]]> By: ElamBend http://www.tdaxp.com/archive/2007/12/16/an-artificial-world.html/comment-page-1#comment-18860 ElamBend Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.tdaxp.com/archive/2007/12/16/an-artificial-world.html#comment-18860 <p>Dan,<br /> I'm happy you were able to understand what I was writing as now that I look at it, it is filled with typos. Such is the danger of writing quickly under the stress of "It's late, aren't you coming to bed?!" coming from my girlfriend.</p> Dan,
I'm happy you were able to understand what I was writing as now that I look at it, it is filled with typos. Such is the danger of writing quickly under the stress of “It's late, aren't you coming to bed?!” coming from my girlfriend.

]]> By: Dan tdaxp http://www.tdaxp.com/archive/2007/12/16/an-artificial-world.html/comment-page-1#comment-18859 Dan tdaxp Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.tdaxp.com/archive/2007/12/16/an-artificial-world.html#comment-18859 <p>A nifty article on "biobricks," which would be shocking if we hadn't been doing the same thing (creating new, coopted species from old, free ones) for thousands of years. [1]<br /> <br /> Jayson,<br /> <br /> Looking forward to your opinion!<br /> <br /> fl,<br /> <br /> No, but I just read the wikipedia article on him after I read your comment. :-)<br /> <br /> (I must have come across the name while reading Matrix and Philosophy, but aside from the incompressible idea of simulwhatever it is I don't think I remembered much :-) )<br /> <br /> ElamBend,<br /> <br /> Absolutely agree.<br /> <br /> Adam,<br /> <br /> I don't know of any present work on cloning extinct plants, but I see nothing to stop it.<br /> <br /> Cloned extinct animals would have an entirely different epigenome than their ancient twins (a wild woolly mammoth would grow up in a womb of mammoth cytoplasm, while a cloned up presumably would be influenced by the elephant cytoplasm)... but if you could make it dwarf enough, that would be a cute pet!<br /> <br /> [1] <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/12/16/AR2007121601900_pf.html" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/12/16/AR2007121601900_pf.html</a></p> A nifty article on “biobricks,” which would be shocking if we hadn't been doing the same thing (creating new, coopted species from old, free ones) for thousands of years. [1]

Jayson,

Looking forward to your opinion!

fl,

No, but I just read the wikipedia article on him after I read your comment. :-)

(I must have come across the name while reading Matrix and Philosophy, but aside from the incompressible idea of simulwhatever it is I don't think I remembered much :-) )

ElamBend,

Absolutely agree.

Adam,

I don't know of any present work on cloning extinct plants, but I see nothing to stop it.

Cloned extinct animals would have an entirely different epigenome than their ancient twins (a wild woolly mammoth would grow up in a womb of mammoth cytoplasm, while a cloned up presumably would be influenced by the elephant cytoplasm)… but if you could make it dwarf enough, that would be a cute pet!

[1] http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/12/16/AR2007121601900_pf.html

]]> By: Jayson http://www.tdaxp.com/archive/2007/12/16/an-artificial-world.html/comment-page-1#comment-18855 Jayson Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.tdaxp.com/archive/2007/12/16/an-artificial-world.html#comment-18855 <p>Wow. Now *this* is an interesting "take" on things.<br /> Interesting observation. (As for my opinion, well, can't make up my mind on it yet. Would like to see others' take first....)</p> Wow. Now *this* is an interesting “take” on things.
Interesting observation. (As for my opinion, well, can't make up my mind on it yet. Would like to see others' take first….)

]]> By: ElamBend http://www.tdaxp.com/archive/2007/12/16/an-artificial-world.html/comment-page-1#comment-18857 ElamBend Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.tdaxp.com/archive/2007/12/16/an-artificial-world.html#comment-18857 <p>Dan,<br /> I absolutely agree. Few people, particularly earth worshipers, realize how changed the earth's landscape is from human hands, outside some old stone ruins. Indeed, when this change is recognized, it is regarded somehow unnatural, yet this has been going on since apes could swing a bone. Books like "The World Without Us"[1] fetishize the fantasy that human change is unnatural. Or, even more bizarre, those who argue that it would have been better that we not exist at all. [2]<br /> It reaches the heights of hilarity when such people worship the aboriginal as an Rousseuian perfect man. Yet, it was the Australian aborigines who contrived to sail to Australis en mass, then proceeded to burn the low forests that existed there, driving out and killing the man-eating giant lizards that greeted them and forever changing the landscape of the continent. It was also the Indian of meso-America that that derived corn from a weed that looks nothing like its moder ancestor, a much more difficult feat than those who cultivated wheat or rye.<br /> So, yes, this is in many ways an artificial world, but it has become so in the most natural of ways and to to see our genetic tinkering as anything but a continuation of such is to be ignorant of history. <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> [1]<br /> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/World-Without-Us-Alan-Weisman/dp/0312347294/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1197870239&sr=8-1" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://www.amazon.com/World-Without-Us-Alan-Weisman/dp/0312347294/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1197870239&sr=8-1</a><br /> <br /> [2] <a href="http://www.oup.com/us/catalog/general/subject/Philosophy/EthicsMoralPhilosophy/?view=usa&ci=9780199296422" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://www.oup.com/us/catalog/general/subject/Philosophy/EthicsMoralPhilosophy/?view=usa&ci=9780199296422</a></p> Dan,
I absolutely agree. Few people, particularly earth worshipers, realize how changed the earth's landscape is from human hands, outside some old stone ruins. Indeed, when this change is recognized, it is regarded somehow unnatural, yet this has been going on since apes could swing a bone. Books like “The World Without Us”[1] fetishize the fantasy that human change is unnatural. Or, even more bizarre, those who argue that it would have been better that we not exist at all. [2]
It reaches the heights of hilarity when such people worship the aboriginal as an Rousseuian perfect man. Yet, it was the Australian aborigines who contrived to sail to Australis en mass, then proceeded to burn the low forests that existed there, driving out and killing the man-eating giant lizards that greeted them and forever changing the landscape of the continent. It was also the Indian of meso-America that that derived corn from a weed that looks nothing like its moder ancestor, a much more difficult feat than those who cultivated wheat or rye.
So, yes, this is in many ways an artificial world, but it has become so in the most natural of ways and to to see our genetic tinkering as anything but a continuation of such is to be ignorant of history.

[1]
http://www.amazon.com/World-Without-Us-Alan-Weisman/dp/0312347294/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1197870239&sr=8-1

[2] http://www.oup.com/us/catalog/general/subject/Philosophy/EthicsMoralPhilosophy/?view=usa&ci=9780199296422

]]> By: fl http://www.tdaxp.com/archive/2007/12/16/an-artificial-world.html/comment-page-1#comment-18856 fl Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.tdaxp.com/archive/2007/12/16/an-artificial-world.html#comment-18856 <p>Somewhat creepy, perhaps, but promising as long as we think these possibilities in terms of science (maybe).<br /> <br /> "We live in a world, radically artificial twice over" ~ have you read Baudrillard?</p> Somewhat creepy, perhaps, but promising as long as we think these possibilities in terms of science (maybe).

“We live in a world, radically artificial twice over” ~ have you read Baudrillard?

]]> By: Jeffrey James http://www.tdaxp.com/archive/2007/12/16/an-artificial-world.html/comment-page-1#comment-18861 Jeffrey James Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.tdaxp.com/archive/2007/12/16/an-artificial-world.html#comment-18861 <p>"When Jurassic Park came out, the idea of bringing dinosaurs back to life seemed incredible. I think now it's just as much a matter of time. Same thing for other extinct animals, and extinct plants."<br /> <br /> Well, assuming that the atmosphere will not be an obstacle in bringing back extinct animals and plants. After all, isn't the size of curtain extinct animals attributed to the fluctuation of oxygen in the atmosphere, with Dinosaurs existing during of time of thinner oxygen and required a larger set of lungs to breath?</p> “When Jurassic Park came out, the idea of bringing dinosaurs back to life seemed incredible. I think now it's just as much a matter of time. Same thing for other extinct animals, and extinct plants.”

Well, assuming that the atmosphere will not be an obstacle in bringing back extinct animals and plants. After all, isn't the size of curtain extinct animals attributed to the fluctuation of oxygen in the atmosphere, with Dinosaurs existing during of time of thinner oxygen and required a larger set of lungs to breath?

]]> By: Dan tdaxp http://www.tdaxp.com/archive/2007/12/16/an-artificial-world.html/comment-page-1#comment-18862 Dan tdaxp Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.tdaxp.com/archive/2007/12/16/an-artificial-world.html#comment-18862 <p>ElamBend,<br /> <br /> I wouldn't be comparing the charms of a blog with a lady if you want to keep her! :-)<br /> <br /> Jeffrey,<br /> <br /> Hadn't heard that -- do you have any more on that theory?</p> ElamBend,

I wouldn't be comparing the charms of a blog with a lady if you want to keep her! :-)

Jeffrey,

Hadn't heard that — do you have any more on that theory?

]]> By: zenpundit http://www.tdaxp.com/archive/2007/12/16/an-artificial-world.html/comment-page-1#comment-18863 zenpundit Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.tdaxp.com/archive/2007/12/16/an-artificial-world.html#comment-18863 <p>Bring back the Neanderthal.</p> Bring back the Neanderthal.

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