Biotech Revolution - Revision history

Ecb at 14:59, 8 September 2011

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Ecb at 14:44, 8 September 2011

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Ecb: Created page with 'Category:Future History The technology which epitomized the early 20th century was the nuclear weapon, the highest achievement and most fearsome weapon of industrial civiliza…'

Ecb — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 14:30:18 GMT

Created page with 'Category:Future History The technology which epitomized the early 20th century was the nuclear weapon, the highest achievement and most fearsome weapon of industrial civiliza…'

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[[Category:Future History]]
The technology which epitomized the early 20th century
was the nuclear weapon, the highest achievement and
most fearsome weapon of industrial civilization. The technology
most characteristic of the late 20th century was the
digital computer, foundation of the networked societies of
the future and source of unparalleled prosperity. As
the new century began, some believed its primary
technology would be genetic – the manipulation of
DNA. They were right, but the new revolution was stubbornly
slow to appear. By 2010, most of the industrialized
world (particularly the United States) was in a technological
slump. Innovation continued, but at a slower pace, and
the unprecedented economic growth of the 1990s was
gone.
==Biotech Sanctuaries==
Genetic engineering was rapidly becoming a mature
technology in 2000. However, even as the new technology’s
potential for human advancement was
becoming obvious, its tremendous potential for
abuse also became clear. Some feared cloning
would rob humans of their individuality, and
even the notion of cloning human tissues for
transplants was violently rejected in many
nations. Genetic testing and therapies promised
to end the suffering caused by many diseases,
but they also opened the door for discrimination
on the basis of one’s genetic inheritance. Engineered
food crops and “pharm animals” promised
to vastly increase agricultural productivity
worldwide, but they met resistance from environmentalists,
traditional farming interests, and
populations who feared eating altered foods.
It was the misfortune of genetic engineering
that it matured at a time when much of
Western civilization had soured on the notion
of “progress” and technological innovation.
Space development had stalled.
Nuclear power was regarded with
deep distrust. The Internet, once
regarded as a source of endless miracles,
had proven to be vulnerable to
both deliberate attack and sheer accident.
Genetic technology was particularly
mistrusted, being associated with
genetic discrimination, biowarfare, and
“Frankenfood.”
The new genetic technologies were severely
restricted in the most developed nations. The
United States, the European Union, and Japan
all agreed to strictly limit and monitor the use of
genetically altered organisms. Foods and drugs
originating from transgenic organisms were
subjected to the strictest regulatory regimen of
any industrial product. Scientists were strictly
prohibited from using transgenic organisms in
any situation which might allow them to escape
into the “wild” ecosystem. All experiments
with human genetic transformation were strictly
monitored.
Still, no new technology can be suppressed for
long. One of the great advantages of early 21stcentury
genetic engineering was that it could be practiced
without much of the infrastructure of a high-industrial
society. The startup costs for a genetic lab were low, and
almost all of the needed equipment could be purchased on
the open market. As a result, geneering was an ideal area
of research for emerging economies in Latin America,
Africa, or South Asia. Through the 2010s and early
2020s, many developing nations and individual entrepreneurs
quietly invested in geneering facilities, hoping to
steal a march on the wealthy nations who were moving
cautiously with the new technology.
At first, these “biotech sanctuaries” floundered.
Even with the strict limits placed on their activities,
First World genetic engineers simply had more resources
to apply to their task. Eventually, the sanctuaries hit on
their main advantage: the ability to take risks, free of the
shackles of regulation. Sometimes the results were grim, as
in 2021 when a modified strain of hantavirus escaped from
a bioweapons lab to devastate the population of Dar-es-
Salaam. Sometimes, however, the sanctuary engineers hit
gold. The most prominent example of this was a working
cure for AIDS, developed in 2016 by the South African
firm Ithemba Biotechnologies.
==Doing Well By Doing Good==
By 2016, Africa had suffered the ravages of
AIDS and other immune-deficiency diseases for
almost two generations. Many areas of the continent had
been devastated, with whole villages wiped out and
a complete breakdown of organized society. The
owners of Ithemba Biotechnologies were painfully
aware of Africa’s needs. Unfortunately, they were
also aware that much of Africa’s population would
be utterly unable to pay for the AIDS cure.
Ithemba’s strategy was characteristic of the
time. Backed by the South African diplomatic
apparatus, the corporation struck bargains with a
number of African and South Asian governments.
In exchange for distributing the AIDS cure free of
charge to anyone who needed it, Ithemba would
receive controlling interests in various state-held
enterprises. As a result, by 2027 the biotech firm
was diversifying into mineral extraction, petroleum
refining, rare woods, computer manufacturing,
and a variety of other industries. From these, and
from the extremely favorable regulatory terms
offered by the host governments, Ithemba made
the profit that it could not make directly by selling
its geneered wares to the desperately poor people
who needed them.
From about 2025 to 2040, many other
firms followed the Ithemba example.
Biotech Euphrates made its first fortune
with a series of robust food crops, which
could be used to transform marginal terrain
into productive farmland. Even the
high-industrial firm Columbia Aerospace
invested heavily in the developing world,
building its largest launch facility near
Quito in partnership with the government
of Ecuador. It was a time when many
entrepreneurs ventured outside the “completed”
markets of the developed nations,
risking everything to become merchant
princes in the world’s poorest countries.
Many of them failed, but others succeeded
brilliantly. In so doing, they did much to
solve problems in the poorer nations that
had long seemed intractable.
==The Booming Forties==
As biotech sanctuaries worked out the
problems with cutting-edge biotechnology,
the developed nations began to accept its
miracles. The process was slow, but once
regulatory restrictions were relaxed the
developed nations began to foster their
own gene-tech entrepreneurs.
The 2040s were a time of new hope for
many people. The suffering of populations
in Africa, South Asia, and other poor regions was rapidly
being reduced. Even the most developed nations
experienced a resurgence in economic growth, along with a
new belief in “progress” as a force in human affairs. Digital
and genetic technologies resumed the rapid
advances which they had enjoyed before the turn of
the century. The arrival of energy and mineral
resources from space began to fuel an industrial
renaissance.
The period was not without its discontents.
Some of the era’s great projects,
such as the construction of deep-space
habitats and the terraforming of Mars,
attracted sharp criticism. On Earth, the most
controversial innovations involved the design of new forms
of sentient life: increasingly sentient AI, “uplifted” animals,
and even genetically transformed human beings. As
progress seemed to march on, unstoppable, there were
growing questions about the moral value of the new technologies.

← Older revision		Revision as of 14:59, 8 September 2011
Line 87:		Line 87:
	gold. The most prominent example of this was a working		gold. The most prominent example of this was a working
	cure for AIDS, developed in 2016 by the South African		cure for AIDS, developed in 2016 by the South African
-	firm Ithemba Biotechnologies.	+	firm [[Ithemba Biotechnologies]].
	==Doing Well By Doing Good==		==Doing Well By Doing Good==
	By 2016, Africa had suffered the ravages of		By 2016, Africa had suffered the ravages of
Line 118:		Line 118:
	From about 2025 to 2040, many other		From about 2025 to 2040, many other
	firms followed the Ithemba example.		firms followed the Ithemba example.
-	Biotech Euphrates made its first fortune	+	[[Biotech Euphrates]] made its first fortune
	with a series of robust food crops, which		with a series of robust food crops, which
	could be used to transform marginal terrain		could be used to transform marginal terrain
	into productive farmland. Even the		into productive farmland. Even the
-	high-industrial firm Columbia Aerospace	+	high-industrial firm [[Columbia Aerospace]]
	invested heavily in the developing world,		invested heavily in the developing world,
	building its largest launch facility near		building its largest launch facility near
	Quito in partnership with the government		Quito in partnership with the government
-	of Ecuador. It was a time when many	+	of [[Ecuador]]. It was a time when many
	entrepreneurs ventured outside the “completed”		entrepreneurs ventured outside the “completed”
	markets of the developed nations,		markets of the developed nations,

← Older revision		Revision as of 14:44, 8 September 2011
Line 32:		Line 32:
	traditional farming interests, and		traditional farming interests, and
	populations who feared eating altered foods.		populations who feared eating altered foods.
		+
	It was the misfortune of genetic engineering		It was the misfortune of genetic engineering
	that it matured at a time when much of		that it matured at a time when much of
Line 46:		Line 47:
	genetic discrimination, biowarfare, and		genetic discrimination, biowarfare, and
	“Frankenfood.”		“Frankenfood.”
		+
	The new genetic technologies were severely		The new genetic technologies were severely
	restricted in the most developed nations. The		restricted in the most developed nations. The
Line 59:		Line 61:
	with human genetic transformation were strictly		with human genetic transformation were strictly
	monitored.		monitored.
		+
	Still, no new technology can be suppressed for		Still, no new technology can be suppressed for
	long. One of the great advantages of early 21stcentury		long. One of the great advantages of early 21stcentury
Line 72:		Line 75:
	steal a march on the wealthy nations who were moving		steal a march on the wealthy nations who were moving
	cautiously with the new technology.		cautiously with the new technology.
		+
	At first, these “biotech sanctuaries” floundered.		At first, these “biotech sanctuaries” floundered.
	Even with the strict limits placed on their activities,		Even with the strict limits placed on their activities,
Line 94:		Line 98:
	also aware that much of Africa’s population would		also aware that much of Africa’s population would
	be utterly unable to pay for the AIDS cure.		be utterly unable to pay for the AIDS cure.
		+
	Ithemba’s strategy was characteristic of the		Ithemba’s strategy was characteristic of the
	time. Backed by the South African diplomatic		time. Backed by the South African diplomatic
Line 110:		Line 115:
	its geneered wares to the desperately poor people		its geneered wares to the desperately poor people
	who needed them.		who needed them.
		+
	From about 2025 to 2040, many other		From about 2025 to 2040, many other
	firms followed the Ithemba example.		firms followed the Ithemba example.
Line 137:		Line 143:
	developed nations began to foster their		developed nations began to foster their
	own gene-tech entrepreneurs.		own gene-tech entrepreneurs.
		+
	The 2040s were a time of new hope for		The 2040s were a time of new hope for
	many people. The suffering of populations		many people. The suffering of populations
Line 148:		Line 155:
	resources from space began to fuel an industrial		resources from space began to fuel an industrial
	renaissance.		renaissance.
		+
	The period was not without its discontents.		The period was not without its discontents.
	Some of the era’s great projects,		Some of the era’s great projects,