Finally finding the time to catch up on your article - this humble warehouse worker - independent researcher is currently on an Amtrak to LA to present our findings at ASM 2025. I felt this was an interesting dichotomy in light of your thoughts on where synbio community is going & outsider research.
I have to say, as someone deeply interested and invested in concept of public sharing and contribution to the sciences, I still remain deeply skeptical of the biohacking community. The ones I had a chance to talk to didn't really seem to believe in building up a communal body of knowledge and effective training/education for all. Maybe I should give it a chance at the unconference next year - hopefully there are some biohackers who feel contributing to public repository of knowledge is as meaningful as introducing new products.
Also, thank you for linking to your older writeup and mentioning Jim Kent's work. Looking forward to learning more about this one.
Thank you for your thoughtful and kind comment. I shall look forward to any report you care to share from ASM 2025. I still have on a shelf someplace the proceedings of ASM 1977. The contents don't mean anything; it's simply an artifact of when I was just getting to know the person I've been married to for the last nearly 45 years. She gave it to me when everything about her and the science she was doing in her lab were new, exotic & thrilling.
It is always so dangerous picking up a SFIO article. Hours later I find myself still looking up words, down Wikipedia rabbit holes and watching YouTube videos.
... and, btw, Tina Brown says: "You're welcome". Sarkily.
I do owe you a 'thank you' for nudging me to read about the dire wolf stuff. So, thank you. I liked the story in the New Yorker, pretty much, but that 'George Church with the twinkle in his eye' stuff was way over the top for me. I miss the eloquent, understated voice of John McPhee. (And I'm a fine one to talk, as my stuff goes over the top all the freakin' time. If your prose is too purple for Sundman, I might even say, as a general rule of thumb, that means that it's too purple.)
Thanks for your comment & like, and thanks for any proselytizing you may do on behalf of SFIO!
John, your best piece of writing yet. It scared the heck out of me.
Another great read, thank you!
Finally finding the time to catch up on your article - this humble warehouse worker - independent researcher is currently on an Amtrak to LA to present our findings at ASM 2025. I felt this was an interesting dichotomy in light of your thoughts on where synbio community is going & outsider research.
I have to say, as someone deeply interested and invested in concept of public sharing and contribution to the sciences, I still remain deeply skeptical of the biohacking community. The ones I had a chance to talk to didn't really seem to believe in building up a communal body of knowledge and effective training/education for all. Maybe I should give it a chance at the unconference next year - hopefully there are some biohackers who feel contributing to public repository of knowledge is as meaningful as introducing new products.
Also, thank you for linking to your older writeup and mentioning Jim Kent's work. Looking forward to learning more about this one.
Thank you for your thoughtful and kind comment. I shall look forward to any report you care to share from ASM 2025. I still have on a shelf someplace the proceedings of ASM 1977. The contents don't mean anything; it's simply an artifact of when I was just getting to know the person I've been married to for the last nearly 45 years. She gave it to me when everything about her and the science she was doing in her lab were new, exotic & thrilling.
btw... I place some hope in TACOs. Yeah, that's it. TACO.
It is always so dangerous picking up a SFIO article. Hours later I find myself still looking up words, down Wikipedia rabbit holes and watching YouTube videos.
... and, btw, Tina Brown says: "You're welcome". Sarkily.
I do owe you a 'thank you' for nudging me to read about the dire wolf stuff. So, thank you. I liked the story in the New Yorker, pretty much, but that 'George Church with the twinkle in his eye' stuff was way over the top for me. I miss the eloquent, understated voice of John McPhee. (And I'm a fine one to talk, as my stuff goes over the top all the freakin' time. If your prose is too purple for Sundman, I might even say, as a general rule of thumb, that means that it's too purple.)
Thanks for your comment & like, and thanks for any proselytizing you may do on behalf of SFIO!
George Church is the subject of the latest Behind The Bastards 👀
Behind the Bastards: Part One: Dire Wolves, Dr. George Church & The De-Extinction Grift
Episode webpage: https://omny.fm/shows/behind-the-bastards/part-one-dire-wolves-dr-george-church-the-de-extinction-grift
Media file: https://podtrac.com/pts/redirect.mp3/pscrb.fm/rss/p/traffic.omny.fm/d/clips/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/e5f91208-cc7e-4726-a312-ae280140ad11/71ceae33-d48a-4557-b40a-b2f0016b9e61/audio.mp3?utm_source=Podcast&in_playlist=d64f756d-6d5e-4fae-b24f-ae280140ad36