The Pentagon wants to make an army of insects that spread genetically-modified viruses to America's farms.
Their goal?
Food security.
Scientists believe the program is a biological weapon waiting to happen. https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=insect+allies+darpa&&view=detail&mid=DB1BE86D44CD6CC38B80DB1BE86D44CD6CC38B80&&FORM=VDRVRV
According to LIVESCIENCE:
"This is the debate swirling around a controversial new Pentagon research project called "Insect Allies". Funded by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), the project involves using gene-editing techniques like CRISPR to infect insects with modified viruses that could help make America's crops more resilient. https://www.livescience.com/58790-crispr-explained.html
"If a cornfield were hit by an unexpected drought or suddenly exposed to a pathogen, for example, Insect Allies might deploy an army of aphids carrying a genetically-modified virus to slow the corn plants growth rate."
But scientists are skeptical and fear the project could easily be turned into a biological weapon. The international community of scientists are especially concerned.
For instance, Silja Voeneky, a professor at the University of Feiburg in Germany, doesn't like where this project is going.
"In our opinion the justifications are not clear enough. For example, why do they use insects? They could use spraying systems," he said. "To use insects as a vector to spread diseases is a classical bio-weapon."
Insect Allies program manager, Blake Bextine disagrees.
"Any time you're developing a new and revolutionary technology, there is that potential for both offensive and defensive capability. But that is not what we're doing. We are delivering positive traits to plants. We want to make sure we ensure food security, because food security is national security in our eyes."
Still in its early stages of development, Insect Allies recently achieved its first milestone: using an aphid to infect a stalk of corn with a designer virus that causes fluorescence.
They succeeded. "The corn glowed," Bextine said.
Sounds yummy, doesn't it?
A wise man once said: "Ever since Mary Shelley's baron rolled his improved human out of the lab, scientists have been bringing just such good things to life. If they want to sell us Frankenfood, perhaps it's time to gather the villagers, light some torches and head to the castle." -- Paul Lewis, Professor of English, Boston College
"Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect" Romans 12:2.
How To Go To Heaven http://heaven-gettingthere.blogspot.com/
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