(NOISE) Re: PLA_gue Germ Terrorism

Sat Dec 30 22:38:48 PST 1995

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On Sat, 30 Dec 1995, jonnyx wrote:

> Date: Sat, 30 Dec 1995 21:54:15 -0600 (CST)
> From: jonnyx <jonnyx at edge.edge.net>
> To: cypherpunks at toad.com
> Subject: (NOISE) Re: PLA_gue Germ Terrorism
> 
> In a recent message, John Young babbled:
> 
< GIANT snip >

am i troll-bait or what?

> Think that's fun? How 'bout this: given that the initial "mapping"
> phase of the human genome project is nearly complete, and the huge
> amount of genetic information available on the net, PLUS ever-
> more-powerful-yet-less-costly computers anyone can purchase, just
> how long do y'all think it'll be before some nut whips up a bug
> that targets, say, people with negroid genetic characteristics?
> Or epicanthic folds? Or blonde hair?

this is so much shit.  targetting anything is very difficult.  just ask 
all those people about the wonders of gene therapy.  hell, even the 
economist had an article about it's failures recently (Dec 16-22 1995, 
p77).

in any event the so-called 'differences' you are imagining are
phenotypes.  these are a long cry from DNA.  i'm not aware of any
genetic markers available to distinguish a black man from a white
man. and, even if there were, recombination requires long
stretches of homology between DNAs, not small differences.  i'd bet
it's nearly impossible to target black vs white vs yellow vs a
gorilla.

> Seem kinda far-fetched? The November NUTS & VOLTS has a nifty 

yes.

- -pjf

patrick finerty = zinc at zifi.genetics.utah.edu = pfinerty at nyx.cs.du.edu
U of Utah biochem grad student in the Bass lab - zinc fingers + dsRNA!
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