Thursday, March 20, 2014

Group 1 Discussion of Chapters 6 and 7

Our group did not discuss who would post for today, so I just want us to have something up!

We were part of the class discussion that discussed free-will and the true relevance of life. We discussed that life could just be neurotransmitters firing in our brains and all figments of our mind. Kat made the point that whether these things are true or whether they aren't she will still carry on with her daily routine.

2 comments:

  1. (FQ) What was success signaled with in the synthesis of the first synthetic cell?
    Blue cells pg 119

    (FQ)What example does Venter use for reconciling that his positive innovations could potentially be used for negative purposes?
    The use of fire, since the beginning of human existence, could be used for good or evil. pg 154

    (DQ)-Venter says that some people disagree with synthetic biology and say it is evolving too quickly. I would like to hear if others think that a slower, regulated process would be acceptable, or if synthetic biology has the potential to be dangerous no matter what.

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  2. I know it's definitely too late for the DQ, but I thought I'd post to still further our knowledge on our readings!

    (FQ) What is believed to be the precursor of DNA?
    Answer: RNA (pg. 132)

    (FQ) What protein is able to cause bioluminescence, and for what purposes has it been used in research?
    Answer: GFP; Neurogenesis and cancer metastasis (pg. 112)

    (FQ) What are watermark sequences used for?
    Answer: To encode complex messages in DNA, such as letters of the English alphabet (pg. 124)

    DQ: What dangers are there in creating synthetic life? Is it possible for our own creations to lead to our demise?

    Link: http://www.ted.com/talks/craig_venter_is_on_the_verge_of_creating_synthetic_life

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