Combine Honnete Ober Advancer Mercantiles

In the recent frenzy of news reports about "Things That Begin With The Letter 'Terrorist'", "Why We'll Be Reporting About the iPhone For Two More Months", and "Please, God, Stop With the Paris Hilton Already", the story placers just couldn't find any room to put this:

J. Craig Venter Institute Publishes First Bacterial Genome Transplantation Changing One Species to Another

Yes - you read it right. Read it again.

Changing One Species to Another

Admittedly small, Mycoplasma capricolum is nonetheless a known - if somewhat despised - bacteria, known for producing arthritic symptoms in sheep and other livestock.

By a process that the JCVI hasn't entirely explained, they were able to transfer into this Mycoplasma capricolum, the DNA of another bacteria: Mycoplasma mycoides Large Colony (LC). Within several rounds of cell division, the capricolum's original DNA blueprint had disappeared, and the newly-divided cells contained the phenotypical characteristics of mycoides LC.

A series of tests, including an antibody test, indicated that the transfer had taken place, and held. Mycoplasma capricolum had turned into Mycoplasma mycoides LC.

One species, to another. The JCVI team indicated several reasons for working with the Mycoplasma strains: small genomes, lack of a cell wall, among other reasons.

Interestingly enough, though, Mycoplasma mycoides is the etiological agent of contagious bovine pleuropneumonia (CBPP), a highly destructive disease in cattle.

From painful joints in goats, to a destructive pneumonia in cattle. Still, it's not as if the path of progress has ever not been just a bit crooked around.

I believe there is no philosophical high-road in science, with epistemological signposts. No, we are in a jungle and find our way by trial and error, building our road behind us as we proceed.
Max Born (1882-1970) German Physicist. Nobel Prize, 1954.

A teacher of mine once listed the three most important fields of study and progress that will grow beyond the "computer age" (Given the kind of people you run across on MySpace, the "computer age" is well behind us now):

• Biotech
• Materials Science
• Space Travel/Tech

Venter's latest development indicates that the pace of progress is moving swiftly on within the biotech sector. The relative quietness of the media about the discovery indicates to me that we are not yet in "the biotech age".

But consider that we could be. Consider that as early as 2004 the Biotechnology Industry Organization proposed using genetically engineered organisms (GEOs) to clean up pollution.

Consider that 70-75% of all processed foods - stuff you'd pick up at the supermarket - contains at least some genetically modified ingredients.

Consider that companies such as Midland have been providing synthetic DNA for over twenty years.

And consider that today, someone has just succeeded in implanting an entire genome into another organism. And, implanted, that organism changed. Combined with synthetic DNA, we may well be on our way to the beginnings of true genetically engineered organisms, that may hold vital answers to questions of increasing pollution, waning energy reserves, food shortages, and more.

But I guess the major news outlets don't think you'll be excited. They don't think you'll be interested in that.

You'll be more interested in Paula Abdul's reality show.

Mercenaries - Everything Old is New Again

If you don't scour Joystiq continually - or happen to bump into knowledgable managers at GameStop, which I do sometimes - you might have missed what I consider one of the best pieces of game-related news this year.

No, not the Manhunt 2 thing.


The original Mercenaries, one of the best - if not the best game for the original Xbox (there, I've said it), has just been added to the Xbox 360's famed Backward Compatibility list.

Break out your copy - or do what I did and go buy a pre-owned copy for ten bucks at the local GameStop - and get ready to fall in love with North Korea all over again.

Mercenaries is Back!

Use the Airbrush to Draw Such as a Hat

You know, it even bothers me when I post this infrequently, which is why I'm standing here in front of you (metaphorically) right now.

Honestly, I haven't even surfaced to see the light of day in a month, and it's looking tragically similar for the next month or two as I get a few things at work wrapped up for the benefit of you XNA fans.

The only notes from the field that have really struck me (I have nothing to say about Cucumber Pepsi) have been two particulars in that big lethal cross-marketing net we call the local Safeway:

I'm sure you've already seen the "new" Betty and Veronica; this lays to rest my theory that the Archie series has long been ghostwritten by the same machines that send you conversational spam. It's amazing to me to think that anyone still identifies with a highschool that doesn't have drugs, Glock 19s, or metal detectors prominently displayed in the hallways. Are we that nostalgic?

Second item up for bid - the Shrek The Third cross-marketing machine injected barely-relevant green ogre merchandise into brand-name cereals across multiple companies (man, that must have cost a bundle), but it's not the fact that Mike Myers was able to scratch up this role from the dirt for a third time, but that the items in the boxes are lights shaped - get this - like bluetooth headsets. They're lights, but instead of conjuring nostalgic images of ghost stories and reading comic books under the covers, they scream "overpaid consultant".

I'll stand by and watch adult America turned on its ass any day of the week - notice I haven't said a word about Paris Hilton, Iraq, or that douchebag Duke DA - but it's when they aim the cannon at the kids, using those familiar tools - comics and cereal - that I know someone's got their finger on the carotid, and going hard until there's no pulse left.

At least Veronica still looks hotter than Betty. Someone at Archie HQ still has their head on straight.

I just invented Photoshop,
-Charles N. Cox