Biotechnology | Weapons and Hope

International Trade Flows: Understanding the Details

Monday, October 19, 2009

Regulation and monitoring of transnational commerce is a tough business, particularly as the global market becomes ever more interconnected. The nonproliferation regime depends on strict regulations, while economic growth (and competitiveness) requires relative lenience. Two recent studies are described below as examples of the attention currently being given to transnational commerce. Each presents a unique [...]

biotechnology, international trade, nonproliferation

Transparency Challenges in the Biological Weapons Convention and Biotechnology

Friday, August 21, 2009

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International Competition Another troublesome element of the biological dual-use dilemma, which I did not develop in my earlier post here, is the possibility of dangerous international competition. National research agendas, aimed at maintaining technological parity or advantages, could push the pace of advancements in the biological sciences at an incredible speed, perhaps thrusting research programs into [...]

Biodefense, biological weapons, Biological Weapons Convention, Biosafety Level 4, biotech, biotechnology, NEIDL

A New Scientific Ethos: Atomic Bomb Guilt and the End of Reductionist Self-Identity

Wednesday, August 19, 2009

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In the wake of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August, 1945, the popular ethos practiced by the U.S. science community confronted an overwhelming impetus for self-evaluation. The sheer magnitude of physical power generated by the atomic bomb, particularly in the context of its use against a segment of humanity, prompted scientists across [...]

biological weapons, biotechnology, nuclear weapons, Oppenheimer, science ethics

The Promise of Host-Targeted Antiviral Therapy

Sunday, August 16, 2009

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In a recent article entitled “How to cure diseases before they have even evolved,” New Scientist reports on the promising results of several research teams to develop a new class of antiviral drugs that would each target a whole range of viruses, including strains of viruses that have not even emerged yet. The new approach: [...]

biotechnology, breakthroughs

Responsibility in Biotechnological Advances

Sunday, August 16, 2009

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Biotechnology and the Dual-Use Dilemma The word dilemma may be too docile to describe the biological and life sciences. Nuclear physics feature a dual-use dilemma: the fundamental processes required to create nuclear energy are also involved in the production of nuclear weapon fissile material. However, the dual-use dilemma involved in the biological and life sciences makes [...]

biological weapons, biotechnology, dual-use dilemma