Re: `genetic engineering', not

From: Lee Daniel Crocker (lee@piclab.com)
Date: Wed Dec 26 2001 - 10:27:45 MST


> I think this mischievous, or maybe just ignorant, misuse of words
> ["genetic engineering"] needs to be combatted every time it arises. Of
> course, maybe it's better to let it run unchecked... because then by
> the time people *are* doing real genetic engineering, the boy will have
> cried wolf so often everyone will be heartily sick of the silly noise.

I'm definitely on the latter side of this one: if we allow people to
call this particular use of technology "genetic engineering" even
though it isn't, when /real/ genetic engineering comes around we'll
be better prepared to point to the earlier fearmongering by moral
midgets and the positive results of people justly ignoring them.

--
Lee Daniel Crocker <lee@piclab.com> <http://www.piclab.com/lee/>
"All inventions or works of authorship original to me, herein and past,
are placed irrevocably in the public domain, and may be used or modified
for any purpose, without permission, attribution, or notification."--LDC



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