I think the video is fascinating. I can't say there is enough information for me to fully appreciate the nature of the work, and therefore the full extent of the dangers they are talking about. It asks for a small amount of faith in their arguement from me. However, I can see how a biological anti-biota might lead to total global annihilation. I suspect the nature of life on our planet won't allow such a scenario, but, as the video points out, maybe human life won't be what survives.
The argument is based on assumptions of threats that we don't know are real, and can't know unless we risk that threat. That is why I posted the excerpt from Typhoon. It is about the decision to experience a danger vs assuming a danger and going to the trouble and cost of avoiding the existential threat so that it never manifests.
As for the particular threat of mirrored biology, I am in favor of backing off on actual, viable construction, until we have many more decades of technological knowledge about the nature of such things. Also, wait until we can isolate the treat in an off-planet laboratory.
Great material for sci-fi story though.
-Will
The argument is based on assumptions of threats that we don't know are real, and can't know unless we risk that threat. That is why I posted the excerpt from Typhoon. It is about the decision to experience a danger vs assuming a danger and going to the trouble and cost of avoiding the existential threat so that it never manifests.
As for the particular threat of mirrored biology, I am in favor of backing off on actual, viable construction, until we have many more decades of technological knowledge about the nature of such things. Also, wait until we can isolate the treat in an off-planet laboratory.
Great material for sci-fi story though.
-Will
