Designer babies: Chinese company working on technology to allow parents to pick ‘smartest’ embryos
by Jonathan Benson, staff writer
Natural News
Jan 25, 2014
(NaturalNews) Eugenics is quickly becoming big business in China, where at least one genomics company is attempting to pave the way for parents to literally pick and choose the “best” embryos to obtain the smartest possible children. Quartz reports that the cognitive genomics (CG) division at the Shenzhen-based genomics company BGI is currently working on the controversial project, which could one day allow for pregnancies with “designer” babies.
Like the plot of a bizarre sci-fi flick, the goal is to create detailed maps of the genes of smart individuals (e.g., math geniuses, thinkers and the like) for the purpose of identifying and selecting those genes in the embryos used for in vitro fertilization. Since as much as 80 percent of what determines IQ level is believed to be inherited, researchers believe that it may be possible to identify certain “smart” genes in human embryos that could be used to predict intelligence later in life.
In this case, the BGI team is looking for genes directly associated with intelligence. Once identified, these genes could potentially be used as markers for choosing only those embryos that possess them in the proper sequence. Embryos that do not meet the intelligence threshold, on the other hand, could simply be discarded as “defective,” a controversial proposition that stands to open up a Pandora’s box of both ethical and moral dilemmas.
“Imagine what a couple might pay to ensure that they get the best out of 10 or 50 possible offspring, optimizing over their choice of heritable attributes,” writes Stephen Hsu, a CG lab member currently working on the project, on his blog.
VIDEO — Never Before Seen Conjoined Gray Whale Calves Discovered Off West Coast
Infowars
Jan 8, 2014
Following continued news of disturbing sea life occurrences off the West Coast, scientists in Northern Mexico’s Laguna Ojo de Liebre, formerly known as Scammon’s Lagoon, have discovered what appears to be the first ever documented case of conjoined gray whale calves.http://www.infowars.com/scientists-di…
[h/t: Aircrap]
Monsanto Marijuana Initiative Grows in Uruguay?
The Daily Bell
Dec. 13, 2013
Uruguay becomes first nation to legalise marijuana trade … The Uruguayan government hopes legalising the sale of marijuana will tackle drug cartels … Uruguay’s cannabis bill reflects liberal past … Uruguay has become the first country in the world to make it legal to grow, sell and consume marijuana. After nearly 12 hours of debate, senators gave the government-sponsored bill their historic final approval. The law allowing registered Uruguayans over 18 to buy up to 40g (1,4oz) of the drug a month is not expected to come into force before April. The government hopes it will help tackle drug cartels, but critics say it will expose more people to drugs. – BBC
Dominant Social Theme: This is great. Uruguay strikes a blow against prohibition.
Free-Market Analysis: Are considerations regarding Monsanto’s business progress in South America behind the legalization of marijuana in Uruguay?
George Soros was a significant supporter of marijuana legalization in Uruguay, and Soros is reportedly also a big Monsanto shareholder. Here, from a recent Guardian article, published just before the bill passed:
Rich countries debating legalisation of cannabis are also watching the bill, which philanthropist George Soros has supported as an “experiment” that could provide an alternative to the failed US-led policies of the long “war on drugs”.
[h/t: Jan Irvin]
Uruguay becomes first nation to legalise marijuana trade … The Uruguayan government hopes legalising the sale of marijuana will tackle drug cartels … Uruguay’s cannabis bill reflects liberal past … Uruguay has become the first country in the world to make it legal to grow, sell and consume marijuana. After nearly 12 hours of debate, senators gave the government-sponsored bill their historic final approval. The law allowing registered Uruguayans over 18 to buy up to 40g (1,4oz) of the drug a month is not expected to come into force before April. The government hopes it will help tackle drug cartels, but critics say it will expose more people to drugs. – BBC
Dominant Social Theme: This is great. Uruguay strikes a blow against prohibition.
Free-Market Analysis: Are considerations regarding Monsanto’s business progress in South America behind the legalization of marijuana in Uruguay?
George Soros was a significant supporter of marijuana legalization in Uruguay, and Soros is reportedly also a big Monsanto shareholder. Here, from a recent Guardian article, published just before the bill passed:
Rich countries debating legalisation of cannabis are also watching the bill, which philanthropist George Soros has supported as an “experiment” that could provide an alternative to the failed US-led policies of the long “war on drugs”.
– See more at: http://www.thedailybell.com/news-analysis/34833/Monsanto-Marijuana-Initiative-Grows-in-Uruguay/#sthash.BV01moST.dpuf
Uruguay becomes first nation to legalise marijuana trade … The Uruguayan government hopes legalising the sale of marijuana will tackle drug cartels … Uruguay’s cannabis bill reflects liberal past … Uruguay has become the first country in the world to make it legal to grow, sell and consume marijuana. After nearly 12 hours of debate, senators gave the government-sponsored bill their historic final approval. The law allowing registered Uruguayans over 18 to buy up to 40g (1,4oz) of the drug a month is not expected to come into force before April. The government hopes it will help tackle drug cartels, but critics say it will expose more people to drugs. – BBC
Dominant Social Theme: This is great. Uruguay strikes a blow against prohibition.
Free-Market Analysis: Are considerations regarding Monsanto’s business progress in South America behind the legalization of marijuana in Uruguay?
George Soros was a significant supporter of marijuana legalization in Uruguay, and Soros is reportedly also a big Monsanto shareholder. Here, from a recent Guardian article, published just before the bill passed:
Rich countries debating legalisation of cannabis are also watching the bill, which philanthropist George Soros has supported as an “experiment” that could provide an alternative to the failed US-led policies of the long “war on drugs”.
– See more at: http://www.thedailybell.com/news-analysis/34833/Monsanto-Marijuana-Initiative-Grows-in-Uruguay/#sthash.BV01moST.dpuf
COMEDY VIDEO — Conspiracy Guy Ep 3 – Beer
Joy Camp
October 30, 2013
The Conspiracy Guy takes on beer loving patriots.
Gone to Pot! Giant Marijuana Plants All Over California!
Before It’s News
October 27, 2013
By Dan Rather
The old expression about everything being bigger in Texas just got trumped by what’s happening in California. In my career as a reporter, I’ve been on more than a few drug raids and seen my fair share of marijuana plants. But nothing prepared me for what’s growing in northern California. As Mendocino Sheriff Tom Allman describes them, they’re “super-mega-steroid marijuana plants. We followed Sheriff Allman along on a raid near Ukiah where deputies had just discovered more than a hundred plants the size of giant Christmas trees, some reaching 15 feet high. It’s the latest trend in pot farms, or what are increasingly looking like pot plantations! So how’d they get so big? Sheriff Allman says it’s a combination of genetic modification, fertilizers, pesticides, California’s ideal growing climate and water, lots of water.
While the super plants we found in an illegal growing operation were in Mendocino County, they’re popping up all over the state, and much of the time on public land where illegal large-scale cultivation of marijuana is destroying local ecosystems. And, increasingly, it’s not locals who are farming the pot plants. Allman told me that Latin American, even European syndicates, have moved in to the back woods where they are growing far from prying eyes. This is a multi-billion dollar business and those who I spoke to used words like “crisis” and “out of control” to describe what’s going on here. Think about this — illegal marijuana farms in northern California are actually sucking the mighty Eel River dry, and that’s threatening the native salmon population.
While the diversion of water from rivers is a big concern, the use of toxic pesticides — some banned long ago in the U.S. — to keep anything and everything away from crops is also troubling. These pesticides are poisoning wildlife and contaminating the water supply. We also discovered that these chemicals show up in marijuana that’s not only headed for the black market, but in supplies due to be sold in California’s medical dispensaries.
COMEDY VIDEO — Monsanto’s High Fructose Corn Patch
Joy Camp
October 17, 2013
At Monsanto’s High Fructose Corn patch you don’t just pick corn, you corn corn.
VIDEO — Pop-Corn Revolution: World takes to streets to protest Monsanto & GMO
RT
October 12, 2013
A worldwide rally against genetically modified food giant Monsanto is being held across the globe. Activists are protesting the use of potentially harmful chemicals in food production, something Monsanto says is the only way to feed the globe’s growing population. Hundreds of cities are set to take part in the march across more than 60 countries. RT’s Marina Portnaya reports from New York. LIVE UPDATES http://on.rt.com/4x3bwp
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