Genetic Engineering, Don't Try This At Home

Of all the interesting things you can do in the comfort of your own, a new activity does more than take the cake: genetic engineering.

There are a lot of things that “amateurs” try to do in their own homes. Unfortunately, a good number of them could be bad things such as: making crystal method, making acid, making designer drugs, etc. There are a lot of other things that people can do in the comfort of their own homes. The new activity one can do in the comfort of home would be this: genetic engineering. As the Internet has become an incredibly powerful presence and influence, it holds a plethora of information. If you want to have access to the almighty Internet, you can grab all that information. You can do your own “genetic engineering” in your own kitchen, garage, or dining room. It is the newest hobby. 31-year-old Meredith L. Patterson, a computer programmer by trade, is one of those hobbyists. Yes, she likes to do genetic engineering in her spare time. Maybe it could pay off in the near future. “People can really work on projects for the good of humanity while learning about something they want to learn about in the process,” she explains. Her current experiment is working with yogurt bacteria. She is trying to get the bacteria to glow when there are traces of melamine present. So far, it looks to be a worthy venture to look into. The case of melamine tainted products has been a bane for business in China as of late. So far, it looks like a hobby. However, this hobby is not without criticism. There is a saying called: “Don’t try this at home.” It is said for good reason. World Wrestling Entertainment broadcasts public service announcements with that saying. Why? There is the risk that something could go wrong and the consequences are devastating. However, there is both support and criticism in this aspect. Critics have already said the obvious. There are no safety measures in place either. There is the realistic aspect that a “harmless” science experiment could be very harmful. Other critics fear that it will incite terrorists and militants to do their own experimentation. That is a possibility that should not be overlooked. The information is easy to get off the Internet and the materials that are needed can be bought for “dirt cheap.” Supporters of the measure said that important breakthroughs in science can be made. On one end of the spectrum, there is the fear of something going wrong. On the other end of the spectrum, there is the possibility of making new breakthroughs in the field of sciences and technology. In that respect, there are a lot of risks to take. The gains are considered to be unknown. Then again, science is about discovering the mysteries of the world. However, this could possibly cause a clash with the established science community and the underground science community. On one hand, someone could create the cure for cancer in his/her garage. On the other hand, someone could accidentally create the T-Virus which causes humans to turn into monsters or flesh-hungry zombies, animals into monsters, plants into other horrid monstrosities, and everything else. T-Virus is a reference to the “Resident Evil” series. In a sense, one could jokingly say that unprotected sex could be “less harmful” than “harmless genetic engineering.”