The Speculist

Is it Just Me

...or is this a little scary?

The parts for a DNA synthesizer can now be purchased for approximately $10,000. By 2010 a single person will be able to sequence or synthesize 10^10 bases a day. Within a decade a single person could sequence or synthesize all the DNA describing all the people on the planet many times over in an eight-hour day or sequence his or her own DNA within seconds. Given the power and threat of biological technologies, the only way to ensure safety in the long run is to push research and development as fast as possible. Open and distributed networks of researchers would provide an intelligence gathering capability and a flexible and robust workforce for developing technology.

I don't think it's possible to read that without all kinds of alarm bells going off, and well they should. But the potential upside of this capability is staggering. Even if none of the expected developments in nanomedecine pan out (which is unlikely), medicine is going to unrecognizable in 10-15 years.

via Ray Kurzweil