Warning of 'Unprecedented Risks,' Scientists Say Mirror Bacteria 'Should Not Be Created'

[Brenda]

https://www.commondreams.org/news/mirror-bacteria-threat-risk
https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.ads9158
https://www.theguardian.com/science/2024/dec/12/unprecedented-risk-to-life-on-earth-scientists-call-for-halt-on-mirror-life-microbe-research

Dozens of scientists are calling in no uncertain terms for a halt on research to create "mirror life," particularly "mirror bacteria" that could "pose ecological risks" and possibly cause "pervasive lethal infections in a substantial fraction of the plant and animal species, including humans."

The group of 38 scientists, who include Nobel laureates and other experts, addressed research into "mirror life"—mirror-image biological molecules—in a piece of commentary published in the journal Science published Friday, which accompanied a technical report that was released earlier in December.

One of the scientists, synthetic biologist Kate Adamala at the University of Minnesota, was working on creating a mirror cell but "changed track last year" after studying the risks, according to the Guardian.

"We should not be making mirror life," she told the outlet. "We have time for the conversation. And that's what we were trying to do with this paper, to start a global conversation."

The ability to create mirror life is likely over a decade away and would require sizable investment and technical progress, meaning the world has the opportunity to "preempt risks before they are realized," according to the scientists.

When broken down into simple terms, mirror life sounds like something out of science fiction. All the biomolecules that constitute life have a "handedness" to them—"right-handed" nucleotides make up DNA and RNA, and proteins are formed from "left-handed" amino acids.

Ethical scientists are saying "STOP, you're opening Pandora's Box" on multiple fronts. This post is about one and here's another about geoengineering:

https://www.truthdig.com/articles/should-we-use-geoengineering-to-alter-the-climate/

[OKIsItJustMe]

1. "Geoengineering" is a scare word

Essentially, if you do anything with the intent of affecting the environment, you are geoengineering. (Let’s say you want to plant great swaths of forest in the arctic for example. It seems harmless enough, it’s “natural” right? Well, the snow is highly reflective, bouncing light back into space. Trees are darker, increasing the Earth’s “albedo…”)

While we may not like the idea of tinkering with the natural environment, we’ve done it from the moment we first set foot on the planet.

For the past few centuries, we’ve been rapidly changing the composition of the atmosphere, unintentionally leading to global heating, which may kill all of us, not to mention the rest of the “natural world.” (We are, after all, part of nature ourselves.)

In Global Warming in the Pipeline, James Hansen et al, warn:

… Required actions include: (1) a global increasing price on GHG emissions accompanied by development of abundant, affordable, dispatchable clean energy, (2) East-West cooperation in a way that accommodates developing world needs, and (3) intervention with Earth’s radiation imbalance to phase down today’s massive human-made ‘geo-transformation’ of Earth’s climate. …

15 years ago, they were not recommending this sort of solution. Instead they were recommending rapid reductions in emissions, and using various other means to lower the atmospheric concentrations of "greenhouse gases.” Well, we failed to follow their advice, and that put us where we are now, needing to resort to more drastic measures.

[Brenda]

3. Just stop with the patronizing shit

I don't need you to explain to me (or the majority of people in this Group) what's been happening with the climate. And frankly I wonder why you spam this Group with multiple threads at a time with MSM stories that are often useless, redundant or sometimes just wrong. They usually do not have replies.

So what is your purpose of posting so many things when nobody replies?

[OKIsItJustMe]

4. If we are going to survive this as a species it will be through the application of science

We cannot simply sit back and wait for the Earth to heal itself.

I like to keep abreast of the science both of how “Climate Change” is progressing, and efforts to combat it. I assume others do as well. I may be wrong.

If I post something you believe is wrong, please, draw it to my attention.

[Brenda]

6. Who ever said we should sit back?

Name them.

You obviously are NOT kept abreast of the science because you only post msm corporate news about climate change which is VASTLY underreported and greenwashed.

Truly sad that there are so many DU members like you who refuse to hear what is happening or are purposefully trying to shutdown information about what's really going on.

[OKIsItJustMe]

7. You must have mistaken me for someone else.

Frankly, I am terrified by how things are going, and I have been for decades. I do not post stories which downplay the threat.

[Irish_Dem]

2. Humans seem hell bent on destroying themselves as quickly as possible this century.

[Brenda]

5. Nope, not Humans but CERTAIN humans

Billionaires are trying to be Gods. They believe Ray Kurzweils's crap about merging with AI where they become immortal.

They represent less than 1% of humans.

So to say Humans seem hell bent ... is wrong.

Richie Riches think they will become immortal so they don't need a planet or resources or health insurance.

Blaming the masses for the horrific decisions of the 1% world rulers is absurd and disgusting.

[OKIsItJustMe]

8. The 1% certainly have an effect, but don't let the rest of America off the hook

Oh, the “jet setters” are obscene, but Americans do love to fly…
https://norwegianscitechnews.com/2024/04/big-data-reveals-true-climate-impact-of-worldwide-air-travel/

Climate emissions from air travel 50 per cent higher than reported

A new study that looked at nearly 40 million flights in 2019 was able to calculate the greenhouse gas emissions from air travel for nearly every country on the planet. At 911 million tonnes, the total emissions from aviation are 50 per cent higher the 604 million tonnes reported to the United Nations for that year.

By Nancy Bazilchuk - Published 30.04.2024

…

Big surprises – or not

As might be expected, the United States is at the top of the list of emitters when it comes to the total sum of aviation emissions for both international and domestic flights.

…

“The masses” are able to accomplish tremendous damage by our sheer numbers.

[Brenda]

10. NAFTA and Amazon created this nightmare.

Americans like to think everything is great because I don't pay much at the gas pump.

I can buy anything from a small screw to a monthly pharmaceutical to a refrigerator right through AMAZON!

I can destroy the best United States government program - US Mail - because I want to save a buck and I'm lazy.

I can buy goods very cheaply because Walmart.

A lot of America is now like a 3rd world country

[Irish_Dem]

9. In democracies, people are voting in the monsters.

In the US one third of the people voted for Trump, and another third didn't care enough to vote.

This is way more than 1%.

Calling me absurd and disgusting is way over the line.

When a person has to resort to lies and personal attacks it means they have no legitimate argument.
It is much better to stick to facts, evidence and logic.

[Brenda]

12. You really think the 1/3 of this or that is

responsible for the results of the election?

Tell me about the 1/3 who voted for Trump: who they are and why they voted for him:

One third of eligble voters did not vote is because NOTHING CHANGES is their answer when they are interviewed.

Calling me absurd and disgusting is way over the line.


What are you talking about? I said this:

Blaming the masses for the horrific decisions of the 1% world rulers is absurd and disgusting.

[eppur_se_muova]

11. What, exactly, would be the point of creating mirror life ? It would be almost indistinguishable from normal life.

"Mirror matter", on the other hand, is almost nonexistent on Earth, and a very interesting topic of study in fundamental physics.

[Brenda]

13. Interesting how?

[eppur_se_muova]

14. Honestly, mostly in ways over my head. But last I heard, it wasn't yet clear if gravitational attraction ...

... was exactly the same for antimatter as for normal matter.

If it could be stored in quantity, it might make the most powerful spaceship propellant ever. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antimatter#Fuel