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YOs-<br>
<br>
It would be more impressive if they had defied physics, for example
by exceeding c.<br>
<br>
Or if they had cross-bred the outcome of the first experiment, with
a polar bear, and announced the outcome with a press release titled
"Lions and Tigers and Bears, oh my!"<br>
<br>
Realistically though, there is no "defying" biology any more than
"defying" chemistry, physics, or maths. What there is, is humans
experimenting with biology and creating new organisms that haven't
existed before. That, in and of itself, is interesting as science
and omnious* as technology.<br>
<br>
Though, we should encourage the media to not use language that
suggests that scientific accomplishments are in some way
supernatural (by which I mean, "above or outside of nature or
empirical methods"). By definition the only thing that can exist
"above" nature would be a deity that can create an entire universe
at will. And any such entity is also outside the scope of empirical
methods to verify or falsify, which is why science is necessarily
agnostic.<br>
<br>
* Omnious: accidental neologism. I had meant to type "ominous, for
both good and bad," in the sense that our newly gained powers in
experimental biology hold out the hope for new cures for diseases
and new weaponized germs alike. All the way up the phylogenetic
scale, to the prospect of neo-eugenics (who wouldn't want to tweak
their own sperm cells or egg cells in order to have a kid who is
more capable in whatever way?).<br>
<br>
But a typo rendered "ominous" as "omnious," which turns out to be
interesting: the root "omni" means "all," thus, something that is
"omnious" has all-encompassing possibilities. Experimental biology
is in that sense an "omnious" technology. (And a quick online
search turns up nothing, so apparently I'm the first to coin that
term, heh;-)<br>
<br>
-G.<br>
<br>
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=-=-=-=<br>
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<div class="moz-cite-prefix">On 13-05-10-Fri 7:00 PM, Leonid Kozhukh
wrote:<br>
</div>
<blockquote
cite="mid:CAHqJdnuWY0Z=CMURCc2T5Ntv6+z0zwiQ_0Yx9+BkBHpLe0Z=nw@mail.gmail.com"
type="cite">
<div dir="ltr">hybrid of a lion & a liger: <a
moz-do-not-send="true"
href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Zmch-qpBu4">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Zmch-qpBu4</a><br
clear="all">
<div><br>
</div>
-- <br>
<div>len</div>
<div><br>
</div>
founder, ligertail
<div>
<a moz-do-not-send="true" href="http://ligertail.com"
target="_blank">http://ligertail.com</a></div>
</div>
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