Warrigal comments on Open Thread: February 2010, part 2 - Less Wrong

10 Post author: CronoDAS 16 February 2010 08:29AM

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Comment author: [deleted] 16 February 2010 02:29:58PM 3 points [-]

It seems like in gene networks, every logic gate has to evolve separately, and those restriction enzymes you mention barely do anything but destroy foreign DNA. That's less self-modification potential than the human brain.

Comment author: whpearson 16 February 2010 03:18:51PM 2 points [-]

The inability to create new logic gates is what I meant by the systems having low memory. In this case low memory to store programs.

Restriction enzymes also have a role in the insertion of plasmids into genes.

An interesting question is: If I told you about computer model of evolution with things like plasmids, controlled mutation; would you expect it to be potentially dangerous?

I'm asking this to try to improve our thinking about what is and isn't dangerous. To try and improve upon the kneejerk "everything we don't understand is dangerous" opinion that you have seen.

Comment author: [deleted] 16 February 2010 05:59:22PM 0 points [-]

Well, I'm not familiar enough with controlled mutation to be able to say anything useful about it.