News Stories

[MitsubishiZero]

Originally Posted by Azuma Denton

Just read local newspaper today.

Pakistan has blocked all access to Youtube, Wikipedia, and 450 other sites regarding Facebook incident about Nabi Muhammad.

O.o


US vows punishment for North Korea over ship sinking

Why US vows?? This is problem between two Koreans...

You have to know the US's stance on these kind of things. The enemy does something the US doesn't like, the US then screams for punishment and controls his MUPPETS to do that while enjoying more armaments sales and not dying a single US soldier. What a nice deal, you earn the money, you could even get the enemy's land if your muppet wins.

[TinyRedLeaf]

US team creates first 'synthetic life'

Washington (May 21): American researchers have developed the first self-replicating bacteria cell controlled by a synthetic genome, but denied they were playing God or seeking to recreate life in a test-tube.

"This is the first synthetic cell that's been made," said lead researcher Craig Venter, unveiling the culmination of 15 years of research.

"We call it synthetic because the cell is totally derived from a synthetic chromosome, made with four bottles of chemicals on a chemical synthesiser, starting with information in a computer."

The method may be used to design bacteria specifically to help produce biofuels or to clean up environmental hazards, said the study carried out by the J. Craig Venter Institute, and published in the journal Science.

Potential applications include producing algae to clean up carbon dioxide, one of the main greenhouse gases blamed for global warming, or making new clean energy hydrocarbons for refineries.

Researchers also hope to work on techniques to speed up the production of vaccines and to make new food ingredients and chemical substances.

"This becomes a very powerful tool for trying to design what we want biology to do," said Dr Venter, co-author of the first sequencing of the human genome in 2000.

But critics warned that he and his team were opening up a Pandora's Box by paving the way towards building artificial organisms that are still not properly understood.

- AFP

[Azuma Denton]

N. Korea warns of war if punished for ship sinking

Let's see who strike first...

[Arbitres]

But critics warned that he and his team were opening up a Pandora's Box by paving the way towards building artificial organisms that are still not properly understood.

They will have more then a Pandora's Box if they do decide to 'play god'. Because God is the only one that gets to do that, a lot of media shows what happens when a mortal tries to do that. I just hope it will be used for good and not for simple-minded warfare.

But in progression, war. As well as war, progression.... Unfortunately.

Let's see who strike first...

Let's see them put that cybah fuision thingy-kabob they said they made to use... Uh-huh. I can see this being a skirmish, hell it might erupt into an actual conflict/war.

The economy of the world doesn't need that baggage. Plus when there is a war in a different country, America feel the need to stick their noses and justify it with the words 'help', 'protect', and 'right'.

Oh this is going to be a headache.

[SaintessHeart]

Originally Posted by TinyRedLeaf

US team creates first 'synthetic life'

Finally! Medigel from Mass Effect comes to life!

P.S Why can't we have more news like this rather than those "U.S hates China, China doesn't give a damn about South Korea, South Korea pissed at North Korea, North Korea buys missiles from Iran" stuff?

Originally Posted by Arbitres

They will have more then a Pandora's Box if they do decide to 'play god'. Because God is the only one that gets to do that, a lot of media shows what happens when a mortal tries to do that. I just hope it will be used for good and not for simple-minded warfare.

But in progression, war. As well as war, progression.... Unfortunately.

That's an example of panic-mongering. In the first place, we do not know if the entity is deistic or takes an active part human affairs, so what is exactly "playing God"? Consequently, since only "God" can deliver judgement, aren't these people "playing God" by judging the researchers before the eyes of their entity?

Originally Posted by Azuma Denton

N. Korea warns of war if punished for ship sinking

Let's see who strike first...

Wait.....they START a war and wants to get away with it?

[Ascaloth]

Originally Posted by SaintessHeart

Finally! Medigel from Mass Effect comes to life!

The first thing that came to mind for me was 'bacta' from Star Wars, myself. Am I the only one?

[Tsuyoshi]

Originally Posted by Ascaloth

The first thing that came to mind for me was 'bacta' from Star Wars, myself. Am I the only one?

No you're not. As a matter of fact, I always thought "bacta" was derived from the word bacteria. And this synthetic tissue is made from bacteria. Coincidence?

[Joojoobees]

Originally Posted by SaintessHeart

since only "God" can deliver judgement, aren't these people "playing God" by judging the researchers before the eyes of their entity?

Nice one!

I am worried, though, that people do things for supposedly benign reasons and then the Law of Unintended Effects kicks in. First we make a deep sea oil rig that will do wonderful things like heat our homes and power our vehicles. Then Global Warming happens and the rig blows up, spilling hundreds of gallons of oil per day, with no way to stop it. Then we invent artificial life forms that will do wonderful things like eat the CO2 causing Global Warming, and eat the spilled oil in the ocean. Then ... ?

There was a song written about this:

I knew an old lady who swallowed a goat;
she opened her throat and swallowed the goat.
She swallowed the goat to catch the dog,
She swallowed the dog to catch the cat,
She swallowed the cat to catch the bird,
She swallowed the bird to catch the spider,
She swallowed the spider to catch the fly.
I don't know why she swallowed the fly; perhaps she'll die.

[SaintessHeart]

Originally Posted by Ascaloth

The first thing that came to mind for me was 'bacta' from Star Wars, myself. Am I the only one?

Bacta is a manufactured solution that works like "fake blood", more of a liquid nutrient. Medigel, on the other hand, is an ectoplasm which has a layer of hemostat, anti-infection and coagulant under it, and the living thing sticks to your body and can only be removed by ultrasound.

[Roger Rambo]

Originally Posted by MitsubishiZero

You have to know the US's stance on these kind of things. The enemy does something the US doesn't like, the US then screams for punishment and controls his MUPPETS to do that while enjoying more armaments sales and not dying a single US soldier.

Yeah. Cause it's not like the North Koreans didn't just torpedo a ship of one of our allies.

Originally Posted by MitsubishiZero

What a nice deal, you earn the money, you could even get the enemy's land if your muppet wins.

I think you just confirmed yourself to have no idea about what you're talking about. Noth Korea is one of the most broken states in the world. There's literally nothing of value there. The process of actually managing and rebuilding that country into anything productive would be an undertaking of gargantuan proportions.

Originally Posted by SaintessHeart

Wait.....they START a war and wants to get away with it?

This is North Korea. It's one of the fundamentally most fucked up nations on earth. They actually felt pissed off when Japan refused to return the kids of all those Japanese citizens the Koreans had kidnapped in the 70's and 80's.



Also, it seems that the US military is perfecting virtual reality combat simulators without any virtual reality... all thanks to Hollywood special effects.

[SaintessHeart]

Originally Posted by Roger Rambo

Also, it seems that the US military is perfecting virtual reality combat simulators without any virtual reality... all thanks to Hollywood special effects.

One thing : how can it be realistic when VBSS teams use long-barrelled M16s when boarding? A guy can grab your rifle muzzle from round the corner and put a punch in your face!

But I must admit, the ship interiors are rather real. I would certainly want to train in the IED scenario!

[MitsubishiZero]

Originally Posted by Roger Rambo

Yeah. Cause it's not like the North Koreans didn't just torpedo a ship of one of our allies.

I think you just confirmed yourself to have no idea about what you're talking about. Noth Korea is one of the most broken states in the world. There's literally nothing of value there. The process of actually managing and rebuilding that country into anything productive would be an undertaking of gargantuan proportions.

This is North Korea. It's one of the fundamentally most fucked up nations on earth. They actually felt pissed off when Japan refused to return the kids of all those Japanese citizens the Koreans had kidnapped in the 70's and 80's.

Also, it seems that the US military is perfecting virtual reality combat simulators without any virtual reality... all thanks to Hollywood special effects.

Yeah. Cause it's not like the North Koreans didn't just torpedo a ship of one of our allies.

You have to know it isn't the North Koreans who started it on a large scale. It was some conflict at sea and the South Koreans' gunships fired and sank a North Korean ship. This is what they call "retalliation"

I think you just confirmed yourself to have no idea about what you're talking about. Noth Korea is one of the most broken states in the world. There's literally nothing of value there. The process of actually managing and rebuilding that country into anything productive would be an undertaking of gargantuan proportions.

I think you have just confirmed yourself to have no idea about what YOU are talking about. Everybody knows how F_cked up North Korea is and there isn't much resources you can steal from there, unlike from Iraq where you have loads of oil. However, North Korea is the barrier that seperated the US from China and even Russia. The Chinese is particularly concerned about this as they really don't want the US anymore closer to their back doorstep. North Korea is STRATEGICALLY IMPORTANT to the US in terms of getting more MUPPETS in Asia. And let me ask you where the hell do you get the idea that the US will help rebuild North Korea? Look at Iraq. It's more broken than before and it's just that the oil is now elsewhere it is OK to hand the land back to the MUPPET government. The US is never the Knight in Shining Armour. Never is. Japan, South Korea etc are just rebuilt TO SET UP A BARRIER AGAINST CHINA AND RUSSIA.

[SaintessHeart]

Originally Posted by MitsubishiZero

I think you have just confirmed yourself to have no idea about what YOU are talking about. Everybody knows how F_cked up North Korea is and there isn't much resources you can steal from there, unlike from Iraq where you have loads of oil. However, North Korea is the barrier that seperated the US from China and even Russia. The Chinese is particularly concerned about this as they really don't want the US anymore closer to their back doorstep. And let me ask you where the hell do you get the idea that the US will help rebuild North Korea? Look at Iraq. It's more broken than before and it's just that the oil is now elsewhere it is OK to hand the land back to the MUPPET government. The US is never the Knight in Shining Armour. Never is. Japan, South Korea etc are just rebuilt TO SET UP A BARRIER AGAINST CHINA AND RUSSIA.

North Korea has plenty of arable land for farming, snow slopes and mountains for tourism and hunting, and plenty of water around it for fishing, though it isn't as much of a port of call as South Korea.

What politicians see are buffer zones where they can use to leverage on each other in the world. The resources available are just undermined from a political perspective.

Also, as long as there are people living on a piece of land, there's the resource : people. Study the history of Singapore, and tell me, what kind of f*cing resource do the people have after their 1965 separation from Malaysia? It's almost the same as NK, and the only difference is governance.

The reason why it's screwed up is because they are just parasites clinging onto the old communist idea of collectivism and anti-Americanism, and the leaders simply appropriated whatever little usable and refined resources they have to themselves.

[Azuma Denton]

Well we don't know what North Korea is holding.
They haven't open their information to outsiders...
If they have plenty resource there, we don't know.
Only Kim and his man know.


To me, communist is good. As long as you can manage it. But on North Korea, hmm, i dunno. Kim is too long holding power. I mean, after he retired, who'll gonna succeed him? His son? Well expect a civil war there if they don't find a successor soon.

[SaintessHeart]

Originally Posted by Azuma Denton

Well we don't know what North Korea is holding.
They haven't open their information to outsiders...
If they have plenty resource there, we don't know.
Only Kim and his man know.


To me, communist is good. As long as you can manage it. But on North Korea, hmm, i dunno. Kim is too long holding power. I mean, after he retired, who'll gonna succeed him? His son? Well expect a civil war there if they don't find a successor soon.

Well, geographically speaking, as long as :

1. They have got forests and greenery.
2. It is not desertified like the Mideast.
3. Is close to a source of water

There's still a chance to build something there. Besides it has been confirmed that they have an established agricultural and farming community.

[Jan-Poo]

The news tend to exaggerate stuff as usual. It's not like a whole cell was artificially created. What they did was assembling parts of existing DNA outside of a cell and then they put the created genome into an existing bacteria cell.

Now the synthetic assembling of DNA parts was done in 2007, it's not even that great because it's not like they can assemble single nucleotides, not yet.

As for the substitution of the whole genome from cell to cell it has been done hundreds of times already.

It is still a step forward in a sense, but in practice modifying a genome outside its nucleus or inside (like how it's been done so far) doesn't make a whole difference in terms of what you can create.

What they did basically was to unite two already existent technologies and they made that work. A good news, but nothing as revolutionary as they make it sound.

[Kamui4356]

Originally Posted by MitsubishiZero

You have to know it isn't the North Koreans who started it on a large scale. It was some conflict at sea and the South Koreans' gunships fired and sank a North Korean ship. This is what they call "retalliation"

Yeah, a north Korean ship that was violating south Korean waters. Though I'm sure they were only there for peaceful reasons.

I think you have just confirmed yourself to have no idea about what YOU are talking about. Everybody knows how F_cked up North Korea is and there isn't much resources you can steal from there, unlike from Iraq where you have loads of oil. However, North Korea is the barrier that seperated the US from China and even Russia. The Chinese is particularly concerned about this as they really don't want the US anymore closer to their back doorstep. North Korea is STRATEGICALLY IMPORTANT to the US in terms of getting more MUPPETS in Asia. And let me ask you where the hell do you get the idea that the US will help rebuild North Korea? Look at Iraq. It's more broken than before and it's just that the oil is now elsewhere it is OK to hand the land back to the MUPPET government. The US is never the Knight in Shining Armour. Never is. Japan, South Korea etc are just rebuilt TO SET UP A BARRIER AGAINST CHINA AND RUSSIA.

Yes, because the US is so going to invade China, which just happens to be one of our largest trading partners. It's also not pouring billions into rebuilding Iraq.

Granted the US could be doing a better job, but there is that whole insurgency thing going on too.

[Arbitres]

Why are we even in Iraq for anyways? Trying to rebuild?

Subjugate > Rebuild > Puppet government established > Leave.

I think that is a more accurate interpretation of things.

[Vexx]

Originally Posted by Arbitres

Why are we even in Iraq for anyways? Trying to rebuild?

Subjugate > Rebuild > Puppet government established > Leave.

I think that is a more accurate interpretation of things.

There's also inertia... the US has a long history of making quick decisions that make the plutocrats lots of money, ruin many lives, and then being stuck in "disaster recovery mode" for decades trying to extricate itself.

[SaintessHeart]

Originally Posted by Arbitres

Why are we even in Iraq for anyways? Trying to rebuild?

Subjugate > Rebuild > Puppet government established > Leave.

I think that is a more accurate interpretation of things.

Remember it's a dominantly MUSLIM country, and thus a good avenue for hosting Islamic radicalism. Plus it's right beside Iran, unless you lock yourself away like a hikkikomori, you should know what's happening there.

Originally Posted by Vexx

There's also inertia... the US has a long history of making quick decisions that make the plutocrats lots of money, ruin many lives, and then being stuck in "disaster recovery mode" for decades trying to extricate itself.

Well for the US there's Vietnam, South Korea (who have their own CIA trying to bribe US politicians to keep the troops at the 38th), and maybe now, Japan (their very first clean-up after WWII).

Regarding Iraq, there's a future for it. As long as Kuwait doesn't host their enemies, and their oil doesn't run out in like 10 years time, it should keep the pressure on Iran's nuke-building dreams (and a nightmare for the rest of Asia if they succeed).

As for Japan, Singapore's ex-prime minister Lee Kuan Yew commented that the Futemma Airbase should just stay because it is a power-balancer in the Asia region, and a buffer between US and China so the other smaller Asian countries can choose which "tree to stand under" and thus force the two powers to compete with each other in terms of incentives, therefore benefiting the entire Asia as a whole (smart thinking).

South Korea probably has another war brewing after the torpedo incident, but if US invades N.K, it's going to lose its superpower status because its national resources are already overextended at the moment (no thanks to Bush Jr.).