Wait - so their entire explanation to question re: world-destruction is "we're being REALLY careful"?!
Here's the thing - some bacteria WILL escape eventually if these are used industrially. It's gonna happen. Rather than take this stand, they should really be exploring the question "What WOULD happen if we released this bacterium into a nutrient-rich environment"?
Recently a 16 year old Canadian student found a bacteria that could eat plastic ( http://www.science.uwaterloo.ca/WWSEF/08Awards/08BurdReport.pdf ). Just imagine if they could be modified to produce usable petroleum like these bacteria, you might be able to cheaply recycle the plastic back into petroleum. Cool possibilities I think.
As long as they are produced in the EU, US, Canada, or Australia I am all for it. I'm tired of giving all my gas money to dictatorships and theocracies.
This seems like a major step backward in energy efficiency. First of all, this wouldn't work in the United States, since we don't produce our own sugar, and the protective tariff on sugar is ridiculously high. If we do end up using woodchips, then we have the problem of tree chopping all over again.
To all of you that panned Flashpoint for his views, I think the problem lies beyond the fact that this "solution" continues our oil usage. The problem is really that internal combustion engines are only 20% efficient. That's horribly low, considering electric cars generally get around 80%-90% efficiency. The basic combustion model has not changed drastically since the car's inception, yet car models and extras have evolved enormously.
I agree with Flashpoint in that this is the perfect time for the automobile industry to change. Most people are aware of global warming (whether human-caused or natural is irrelevant), people are generally becoming more aware of the environment by the day (example being the "go green" phenomenon), and, most importantly, fuel prices are at an all-time high. There is now a race to the top for automobile companies to be the first to change the industry with an alternative to fuel for the sake of minimizing the cost of gas to consumers, as they don't want to be the ones stuck behind the times and lose sales (much like what happened with Ford and GM in the '80s).
My fear is that all of this R&D and innovation right now will come to a screeching halt with a development that produces more crude oil. No, maybe we won't have fusion and hydrogen fuel power in our lifetime, but without any pressure to develop these technologies, progress will not continue. I have faith in the fact that ANY technology can continue to be developed further, and that includes hydrogen fuel. Sure, it's inefficient now, but money needs to be available for companies to continue to develop and refine the technology.
The US isn't a dictatorship and theocracy? You haven't been paying attention the last 20 years or so.
Clinton and Bush have set the record for using presidential signing statements and executive orders to do whatever the heck they want regardless of what the public want or the Constitution mandates.
Johnzilla, you can argue that all you want, but I love living in America, and would not (as a whole nation) feel safer anywhere else in the world. I'd much rather see US and NATO countries get money. Also, last time I checked the US is still the only place that truly allows free speech (at least in the purest form to any Eastern Countries).
@Dave Go shoot yourself in the face, the US is the worlds biggest propoganda machine, and the western media has been surpressing free speech for 20 years. The fact that think otherwise is proof that the US government and media have succeeded in their quest
“An engineer explained to us that hundreds of ear impressions were gathered in the name of research, and while each one obviously boasted its own unique shape and size, one single characteristic remained uniform across the board: the entrance into the ear canal is not a perfect circle, it's an oval.”
Now that we've thrown 'em off the trail, use the form below to get in touch with the people at Engadget. Please fill in all of the required fields because they're required.
I, for one, welcome our crude-producing bug overlords.
/obligatory
What, oh what, will become of our precious woodchips and sugar cane!
Wait - so their entire explanation to question re: world-destruction is "we're being REALLY careful"?!
Here's the thing - some bacteria WILL escape eventually if these are used industrially. It's gonna happen. Rather than take this stand, they should really be exploring the question "What WOULD happen if we released this bacterium into a nutrient-rich environment"?
Seriously though, there is some potential here.
Recently a 16 year old Canadian student found a bacteria that could eat plastic ( http://www.science.uwaterloo.ca/WWSEF/08Awards/08BurdReport.pdf ). Just imagine if they could be modified to produce usable petroleum like these bacteria, you might be able to cheaply recycle the plastic back into petroleum. Cool possibilities I think.
As long as they are produced in the EU, US, Canada, or Australia I am all for it. I'm tired of giving all my gas money to dictatorships and theocracies.
Andrew Jones: I wish your entire universe was inside a tank.
This seems like a major step backward in energy efficiency. First of all, this wouldn't work in the United States, since we don't produce our own sugar, and the protective tariff on sugar is ridiculously high. If we do end up using woodchips, then we have the problem of tree chopping all over again.
To all of you that panned Flashpoint for his views, I think the problem lies beyond the fact that this "solution" continues our oil usage. The problem is really that internal combustion engines are only 20% efficient. That's horribly low, considering electric cars generally get around 80%-90% efficiency. The basic combustion model has not changed drastically since the car's inception, yet car models and extras have evolved enormously.
I agree with Flashpoint in that this is the perfect time for the automobile industry to change. Most people are aware of global warming (whether human-caused or natural is irrelevant), people are generally becoming more aware of the environment by the day (example being the "go green" phenomenon), and, most importantly, fuel prices are at an all-time high. There is now a race to the top for automobile companies to be the first to change the industry with an alternative to fuel for the sake of minimizing the cost of gas to consumers, as they don't want to be the ones stuck behind the times and lose sales (much like what happened with Ford and GM in the '80s).
My fear is that all of this R&D and innovation right now will come to a screeching halt with a development that produces more crude oil. No, maybe we won't have fusion and hydrogen fuel power in our lifetime, but without any pressure to develop these technologies, progress will not continue. I have faith in the fact that ANY technology can continue to be developed further, and that includes hydrogen fuel. Sure, it's inefficient now, but money needs to be available for companies to continue to develop and refine the technology.
@Dave
I see what you did there.
@Dave:
The US isn't a dictatorship and theocracy? You haven't been paying attention the last 20 years or so.
Clinton and Bush have set the record for using presidential signing statements and executive orders to do whatever the heck they want regardless of what the public want or the Constitution mandates.
Johnzilla, you can argue that all you want, but I love living in America, and would not (as a whole nation) feel safer anywhere else in the world. I'd much rather see US and NATO countries get money. Also, last time I checked the US is still the only place that truly allows free speech (at least in the purest form to any Eastern Countries).
@John: We don't produce our own sugar in the United States? Have Hawaii, Florida, Texas and Louisiana seceded from the union?
@Dave
Go shoot yourself in the face, the US is the worlds biggest propoganda machine, and the western media has been surpressing free speech for 20 years.
The fact that think otherwise is proof that the US government and media have succeeded in their quest