h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I'd prefare if the big gients didn't get all the money and I can see, very easly how to get around that. but without GM food, people will just have to continue using a rather unpredictable and unstable form of genetic engeneering, that we have been doing to every living thing scine humans settled down. (Also known as unnatural selection) and if you want somthing thats not been modifed in this way, then you better start getting used to the tast of birch.

-- DoctorMO --

Yes, you are right that we have been genetically modifying our food stocks, in particular, through selective breeding since hunter gathers settled into an agrarian lifestyle.

However, unlike the current and proposed genetic modification techniques, these tried and trusted methods have not crossed species boundaries.

For me this is the key reservation regarding current GMO's.

There is no natural way that will create viable organisms from cross species breeding (e.g mules are always sterile), however the use of what we call genetic modification allows genes to cross species boundaries, yet we are totally unaware of the long term consequences of this approach.

That is an argument, I will add to my own debate, Nature does not have such controls and you just have to have a look at the poor bunneys and the little natural disaster in ausy.

-- DoctorMO --

what about rabbits (other than that they are not indigenous to that part of the world) and what little disaster in Oz?

You had to ask, I can't quite remeber... put it this way, they brought it to this country to kill all our rabbits.

-- DoctorMO --

just bookmarking

My mother works in 'Nelson Pharmacy', in Londons Mayfair area, it is Britains oldest Homeopathic pharmacy ... I'll be back later when I got time to read the backlog.

oops typo...

that should be Nelsons

Scine it opened?

-- DoctorMO --

not quite

Hang on, hang on...are you talking about introducint myxamatosis into Australia to control the rabbits?

If so, it was introduced because the rabbits which had been introduced had destroyed so much greenery that more than 12 species of plant were made extinct, not to mention destroying the natural habitat of indiginous animals and threatening them.

However, apparently the rabbits became immune to the myxamatosis strain and are multiplying again.

Now, what was the point of the discussion again?!

'Cos I got confused!

Er, if I can get this strait, the Mixamtoisis (of which I couldn't remember the name) naturaly occured in Austrailia and because it was so efective they brought it to the UK, so (almost) all the bunnys in the UK got killed. but it was natural.

-- DoctorMO --

I know this is off topic but hopefully helps answer the last few posts.

Mixymotosis is a viral infection discovered in the 1890's in South America, where it has been shown to be pandemic. However, the native rabbits have built up a reasonable level of resistance to the disease, but of course act as a reservoir for it. It is particularly bad for european rabbits (as introduced into South America and Australia) as they have no natural resistance to it and has a mortality rate of approx 50%.

For thos of you who own rabbits a vaccine is available that reduces mortality rates to approx 10%.

As a previous poster said mixymatosis was introduced in Australia to control the european rabbits, that had themselves been introduced by settlers, as they were destroying the local habitat and by extension driving indigenous specious to extinction.

I wish people would link there findings when they do stuf like that...

-- DoctorMO --

Did Virology as part of my Biochemistry course at uni - most of what I put was dredged up from my, fairly befuddled, memory.

That help, but I hope you got the facts right...

-- DoctorMO --

Tried a google search for Mxyomatosis:

This link is to an essay that covers the subject
http://www.burrill.demon.co.uk/meddoc/myxo.html

This link is to a page about caring for rabbits infected with it
http://www.rguppy.freeserve.co.uk/

This ones to a short essay about its use in Australia
http://rubens.anu.edu.au/student.projects/rabbits/myxo.html

hope this helps

Back on topic, if a latecomer may.

Here is the only anecdotal example of the effectiveness of homeopathy I have seen:

About 18 of us travelled through east Africa for a few weeks (Overland Truck, for those in the know). 17 of us were on the usual anti-malarials. One of us was on homeopathic anti-malarials.

Can you see where this is going yet?

The only guy who caught malaria was the one on homeopathic anti-malarials. So homeopathy is not without its dangers. Of course, you should never base a medical opinion on anecdotal evidence ...

Gif

I think the Mxyomatosis argument is a red herring! It does nothing to answer the concerns about crossing species boundaries (post 102).

Have you ever had Mxyomatosis? All I'd say against GMOs is that EVERY single 'product' has to pass though an inderpendent Scientific bodie to test the GMOs efects on other creatures. although think about a mule, your talking about thousands of genes that have crossed speices in one generation, it's not suprising nature would protect it's self in such a way.

-- DoctorMO --