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A recent interview from Wired Magazine with molecular-biology pioneer J. Craig Venter sheds light on where biology is currently heading. His ambition is to be able to biologically design and alter DNA. By using genetic engineering DNA can be altered just like software on a computer and using biological transporters proteins viruses, and even living cells can be recreated at other locations. A very simplistic way of viewing it, would be to compare it with a 3D printer. Cell can be designed virtually which get stored as template and can be ‘downloaded’ at different locations. According to J. Craig Venter DNA is the software of life, while proteins can be collectively seen as the hardware of a human body.

This new development, however, comes with a lot of ethical concerns and has its own share of resistance in the science world. The technology is deemed to be dangerous because it can be abused. Like most important technology it can be either used for good or bad. Due to this resistance J.Craig Venter is afraid that this resistance might hinder an amazing opportunity to improve life. One of the most obvious benefits is that it can be used to quickly fabricate vaccines all over the world in the case a pandemic. Another example named in the article is that this technology can also help our understanding about life on other planets.

The question remains if this type of technology will become a blessing or a burden to society, and my guess would be that it becomes both. On the one hand the implications on the medical field of such technology is huge. It can be used to altering genes which causes certain defects such as being colour blind or even save lives by preventing cancer (if it is scientifically proven that genesis the most important source of cancer). However, at the same time this type of technology can easily be used for bio terrorism or privacy concerns, such as people being identified using DNA. My prediction is that this technology will have a hard time being developed or standardized due to the resistance but that it will eventually become a common thing in the future. Society is changing rapidly and information defines this era. Digitalizing DNA therefore seems to be a logical step the development of information technology .

Source: Wired (UK) November 2013 edition

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Google has launched the initiative to teach people about quantum computing by making a modification to the popular game Minecraft, called Qcraft. Minecraft became an indie-smash-hit and is still is being played by millions of gamers. This game is often compared to Lego because the game allows the players to build things with building blocks. A lot of creativity goes in this game where some players have actually build representations for famous buildings to space shuttles. Because of this creative potential Google decided that by making Qcraft a lot of smart creative kids could learn and experiment with quantum physics.
This example of Google displays an interesting movement in learning and experimenting with knowledge, namely gamification. A lot of people from the video game industry believe that gamiying education is going to be one of the important developments in the education system. I believe that gamfiying education has to potential to make education really engaging for the following generations of students and will make learning something which also is more of a creative process rather than just absorbing information. However, the education system is firmly rooted in the old styles of teaches dating from years back, so it will take a lot of time before gamification of education will become a more common thing. Hopefully, companies like google will keep thinking of ways to gamify education and thus ultimately contribute to making learning more fun and engaging.

Source: https://plus.google.com/+QuantumAILab/posts/grMbaaDGChH

For more information on gamication and gamifying enductions please view the amazing videos made by ExtraCredits:

Turning DNA into Digital Data

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