Biology is technology
by Robert H. Carlson · first published 2010
4mentions
2recommended by
3HN commenters
2010–2012first – last mentioned
67% recommend33% neutral
"Technology is a Process and a body of knowledge as much as a collection of artifacts. Biology is no different - and we are just beginning to comprehend the challenges inherent in the next stage of biology as a human technology. It is this critical moment, with its wide-ranging implications, that Robert Carlson considers in Biology Is Technology. He offers a uniquely informed perspective on the endeavors that contribute to current progress in this area - the science of biological systems and the technology used to manipulate them." "In a number of case studies, Carlson demonstrates that the de
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This is a review of a book about biohackers by a journalist. If you want a better take on it read Rob Carlson's Biology Is Technology, http://www.amazon.com/Biology-Technology-Promise-Business-En..., and his website http://www.synthesis.cc/ , including for example, Garage Biology in Silicon Valley from a year ago, http://www.synthesis.cc/2010/03/garage-biology-in-silicon-va....
on “Can Hobbyists and Hackers Transform Biotechnology?” ↗There is a problem with patent thickets in pharmaceuticals and biotech interfering with innovation, see Carlson's book Biology Is Technology for a good discussion of the problems there. A better alternative for pharmaceuticals may be for whoever puts it through trials to get a patent or license since that is by far the most expensive part…
on “The Patent Pledge” ↗…High Financier: The Lives and Time of Siegmund Warburg. By Niall Ferguson Science and technology A Vast Machine: Computer Models, Climate Data, and the Politics of Global Warming. By Paul Edwards Biology is Technology: The Promise, Peril, and New Business of Engineering Life. By Rob Carlson The Rational Optimist: How Prosperity Evolves. By Matt Ridley Where Good Ideas Come From: The Natural History of Innovation.…
on “Economist books of the year (science and technology picks)” ↗…might mitigate the negative consequences of this technology? (...) The genie is definitely already out of the bottle so I guess the only solution is better defences. Agreed. Rob Carlson [1] argues in "Biology is Technology" [2] that regulation can't form an effective means to mitigate threats by limiting access to skills or materials, and that we should instead invest in the ability to develop rapid responses. Further,…
on “Synthetic biology is heading for the cloud” ↗