Friday, November 22, 2002

US Funds Artificial Life Project Genetic scientist Craig Venter has conceived of the idea of an artificial life-form synthesized in a lab, and has just been inseminated with $3 million in funding from the US Department of Energy, according to a story in today's Independent. What the gestation period for this "man-made microorganism" will be is unclear, but ethicists are already concerned about the implications of creating life and the potential use of synthesized cells in horrifying new biological weapons. Isn't it great to know that while the Bush administration has grave concerns over the ethics of stem-cell research, which holds promise in treating a number of medical conditions from paralysis to Parkinson's Disease, it nevertheless has no problem dumping taxpayer money on Dr. Frankenstein? 8:53:22 AM    Emphasize This! []

R.I.P. B.O.P. Birds of Prey, the wonky WB series about a trio of super-heroines working in Batman's Gotham City, has apparently been cancelled after 13 episodes. While the series had action, good looking young women in tight outfits, moody set design and an authentic comic book feel, it was burdened by just-plain-awful scripts and utterly predictable plots. It's too bad they couldn't find a way to do it right, because B.O.P. represented a sincere attempt to bring the aesthetic of superhero comics to a wider audience. 8:35:13 AM    Emphasize This! []