SYNTHETIC LIFE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY
Stop Unsafe Nanosilver Campaign | 10.06.2010 18:10 | Bio-technology | Social Struggles | Technology
SYNTHETIC LIFE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY:
A PUBLC TALK ON THE POLITICS OF TECHNOLOGY
Organised by the Stop Unsafe Nano-silver Campaign and Corporate watch
Monday June 14th, 7 - 9pm
at Brixton Community Base, Talma Road, Brixton, SW2 1AS
see
http://www.bsvcc.org/contact.html for directions
The evening will include:
- a presentation by the Stop Unsafe Nano-silver Campaign on their legal challenge against the selling of unsafe nano-silver products in the UK. see http://www.eco-action.org/nanotech and www.corporatewatch.org for more information.
- a speaker on the new 'synthetic life' genetics from Human Genetics Alert. See http://www.hgalert.org for more information
- time for discussion, questions, planning, announcements, updates
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We are at the beginning of a new industrial revolution, a 21st Century
industrial revolution where computers, molecules, and genetic engineering
are being combined in new and uncanny ways. While the many advances in new
technologies may bring great promise, they also create many concerns.
Genetically Modified Food, Biotechnology, Nanotechnology, Geoengineering &
now ‘synthetic life’…what are all these new technologies and how can we
know they are safe? We are told that these technologies will be the
future, but who's making the decisions and who benefits the most from the
insertion of these new forces into our lives? Which corporations are
behind these technologies and how are they doing well out of these
apparent advancements? Are we moving too far too fast with inadequate
precaution & no democratic safeguards?
The talk and discussion will be a chance for people to get a grip on
what's going on. We will discuss environmental, human health, economic and
social concerns. Everyone is welcome, we hope you can make it.
---------------
Glossary:
Nano-silver is a brand new type of silver that is highly reactive and extremely small in size. As a powerful bactericide it can kill both the good bacteria and the bad bacteria in our ecosystems, in our water supply, and in our human bodies. For more information see
http://nano.foe.org.au/node/332
http://www.eco-action.org/nanotech/
'Synthetic life' is the use of laboratories to make genetic material which can be inserted into microbes which then reproduce with the new genetic material. Investors hope to build bugs that will produce oil and other valuable chemicals. For more information on 'synthetic life' see
http://www.etcgroup.org/en/node/5142
http://www.icta.org/template/page.cfm?id=218
The biotechnology research for these so-called advances is publicly funded despite poor returns on the investment. Universities and the public purse often cooperate with private corporations who take all the rewards in the end. For more information on the biotechnology research economy see "Biosciences for Life"
http://www.genewatch.org/pub.shtml?als%5Bcid%5D=492774
Monday June 14th, 7 - 9pm
at Brixton Community Base, Talma Road, Brixton, SW2 1AS
see http://www.bsvcc.org/contact.html for directions
- a presentation by the Stop Unsafe Nano-silver Campaign on their legal challenge against the selling of unsafe nano-silver products in the UK. see
http://www.eco-action.org/nanotech and www.corporatewatch.org for more information. - a speaker on the new 'synthetic life' genetics from Human Genetics Alert. See
http://www.hgalert.org for more information - time for discussion, questions, planning, announcements, updates
//\\//\\DESCRIPTION//\\//\\
We are at the beginning of a new industrial revolution, a 21st Century
industrial revolution where computers, molecules, and genetic engineering
are being combined in new and uncanny ways. While the many advances in new
technologies may bring great promise, they also create many concerns.
Genetically Modified Food, Biotechnology, Nanotechnology, Geoengineering &
now ‘synthetic life’…what are all these new technologies and how can we
know they are safe? We are told that these technologies will be the
future, but who's making the decisions and who benefits the most from the
insertion of these new forces into our lives? Which corporations are
behind these technologies and how are they doing well out of these
apparent advancements? Are we moving too far too fast with inadequate
precaution & no democratic safeguards?
The talk and discussion will be a chance for people to get a grip on
what's going on. We will discuss environmental, human health, economic and
social concerns. Everyone is welcome, we hope you can make it.
---------------
Glossary:
Nano-silver is a brand new type of silver that is highly reactive and extremely small in size. As a powerful bactericide it can kill both the good bacteria and the bad bacteria in our ecosystems, in our water supply, and in our human bodies. For more information see
http://nano.foe.org.au/node/332 http://www.eco-action.org/nanotech/ 'Synthetic life' is the use of laboratories to make genetic material which can be inserted into microbes which then reproduce with the new genetic material. Investors hope to build bugs that will produce oil and other valuable chemicals. For more information on 'synthetic life' see
http://www.etcgroup.org/en/node/5142 http://www.icta.org/template/page.cfm?id=218 The biotechnology research for these so-called advances is publicly funded despite poor returns on the investment. Universities and the public purse often cooperate with private corporations who take all the rewards in the end. For more information on the biotechnology research economy see "Biosciences for Life"
http://www.genewatch.org/pub.shtml?als%5Bcid%5D=492774 Monday June 14th, 7 - 9pm
at Brixton Community Base, Talma Road, Brixton, SW2 1AS
see
http://www.bsvcc.org/contact.html for directions
Stop Unsafe Nanosilver Campaign
Homepage:
http://www.eco-action.org/nanotech
Comments
Hide the following 5 comments
Let's not get prematurely hysterical...
10.06.2010 21:06
I trust you will also have actual scientists who are involved and thoroughly understand nanotechnology to explain what these new technologies are and whether they are safe?
Or has it already been decided that they are not and are people now going to throw a massive luddite-esque "oh my god! it's not natural!" fit?
I hope not, it would be a shame to work the public up into hysterics about a piece of science they don't understand, so that they end up trying to get it banned now, wouldn't it?
Ae
errr.
10.06.2010 22:35
I think you have some very serious issues there if you think this is premature hysteria, it seems to me like very good planning for the near future and that's all. I trust that the people organizing this will have made some "research" on the subject, albeit probably from Wikipedia and such more then from the laboratories and experiment rooms although if you know someone who can shed some more light on the matter, the more the merrier i guess.
I think that if we'd been informed about genetically engineered food before it became commercially produced we'd probably have been better off, and the same with just about any technology, i don't really see why you throw such a fit over this, maybe you just can't wait to get the newest nano-tech gadget in your pocket i don't know...
Primitivist cyberpunk
Re: Let's not get prematurely hysterical...
11.06.2010 09:54
Kia
I didn't say it was hysterical...
11.06.2010 11:55
No, I don't think that "researching" on wikipedia is good enough to base a critical talk on. Which is why I was asking if there will be someone there who thoroughly understands the new technology rather than just people who heard from someone who read somewhere that someone said it might be bad.
Obviously, I'm fully aware that the companies encouraging the use of these technologies are doing so for the money, but that doesn't mean that they had *no* positive use, otherwise you might as well write off all technology. The reason I asked is because none of the presentations say they are from people who work and are knowledgeable in that field; perhaps they are, that's why I was asking.
I think getting together some people who understand the subject so that the general public can question them on the risks and benefits of this technology is a good thing, but not if, as you suggest, they have got their information "from Wikipedia and such more then from the laboratories and experiment rooms".
Ae
content of the talks
11.06.2010 12:42
i don't think it would be worth organising such an event if the people were just going to talk about what they've read on wikipedia. i think you should assume that there is more to it than that without having to ask people what their 'qualifications' are. it is not necessary to have a degree in nanoscience or climate science or whatever to be able to be knowledgeable enough to talk about the politics of science and technology. what is important is both the actual physical science, but also everything else that goes with it, from which projects get funded from who and why (and therefore what does not get researched, such as issues to do with the safety of nanotechnology, for example) to who controls different technologies and what their likely applications are.
the main issue is that there is not enough critical awareness of technologies and not enough action around them at the moment. this event is trying to address those issues.
all the best and see you there on monday.
Corporate Watch