Analysis & Opinions - CNN
What Digital Nerds and Bio Geeks Have to Worry About
Genes and genomes are based on code — just like the digital language of computers. But instead of zeros and ones, four DNA letters — A, C, T, G — encode all of life. (Life is messy, and there are actually all sorts of edge cases, but ignore that for now.) If you have the sequence that encodes an organism, in theory, you could recreate it. If you can write new working code, you can alter an existing organism or create a novel one.
If this sounds to you a lot like software coding, you're right. As synthetic biology looks more like computer technology, the risks of the latter become the risks of the former. Code is code, but because we're dealing with molecules — and sometimes actual forms of life — the risks can be much greater....
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For Academic Citation:
Schneier, Bruce and Larisa Rudenko.“What Digital Nerds and Bio Geeks Have to Worry About.” CNN, September 13, 2019.
The Authors
Bruce Schneier
- Adjunct Lecturer in Public Policy, Harvard Kennedy School
- Fellow, Cyber Project
Larisa Rudenko
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Genes and genomes are based on code — just like the digital language of computers. But instead of zeros and ones, four DNA letters — A, C, T, G — encode all of life. (Life is messy, and there are actually all sorts of edge cases, but ignore that for now.) If you have the sequence that encodes an organism, in theory, you could recreate it. If you can write new working code, you can alter an existing organism or create a novel one.
If this sounds to you a lot like software coding, you're right. As synthetic biology looks more like computer technology, the risks of the latter become the risks of the former. Code is code, but because we're dealing with molecules — and sometimes actual forms of life — the risks can be much greater....
Want to Read More?
The full text of this publication is available via CNN.The Authors
Bruce Schneier
- Adjunct Lecturer in Public Policy, Harvard Kennedy School
- Fellow, Cyber Project
Larisa Rudenko
- Recommended
- In the Spotlight
- Most Viewed
Recommended
Audio - Techdirt
Public Interest Tech, With Bruce Schneier
Analysis & Opinions - The New York Times
We Must Prepare for the Next Pandemic
Newspaper Article - Harvard Gazette
As Measles Cases Crack 1,000, a Look at What to Do
In the Spotlight
Most Viewed
Analysis & Opinions
US-China Relations: An Interview with Graham Allison
