Sorcerer II expedition

July 27, 2004 3:54 PM

Craig Venter is on an expedition to collect the DNA of everything on the planet and sequence the genome of Mother Earth.
posted by homunculus (13 comments total)

I hope he's learned to not use Microsoft Excel for his database!
posted by five fresh fish at 4:11 PM on July 27, 2004

Then he can build a huge, spherical spaceship that can cause a nebula to collapse upon itself, creating the raw material and power to instantly create a planet with all stored genotypes faithfully reproduced and populated on its surface, air, and waters.
posted by linux at 4:13 PM on July 27, 2004

Typical WIRED article written with a grandiose tone. They used to talk about Stallman and free software just like that.

(Nothing against the project, just a small dab a wired.)
posted by NewBornHippy at 4:20 PM on July 27, 2004

Meanwhile, A tissue bank that will store genetic material from thousands of endangered animals has been set up in the UK.
posted by homunculus at 5:07 PM on July 27, 2004

homunculus: via goodshit?
posted by NortonDC at 6:31 PM on July 27, 2004

Sounds like the plot to Final Fantasy...
posted by falconred at 6:39 PM on July 27, 2004

NortonDC, no, just saw them on BBC and Wired, which I check most days.
posted by homunculus at 6:58 PM on July 27, 2004

But it would be funnier to say you read goodshit for the articles...
posted by NortonDC at 7:05 PM on July 27, 2004

I cannot tell a lie: I read goodshit for the boobies.
posted by homunculus at 7:11 PM on July 27, 2004

Where does one sign up? (for the expedition, not the boobies...)
posted by rushmc at 10:18 PM on July 27, 2004

Craig Venter is a shameless self-publicist, science is the medium he uses to promote himself. If he does attempt this impossible task it probably represents the ultimate in metagenomics I suppose.
posted by johnnyboy at 1:57 AM on July 28, 2004

See also the All Species Foundation.
posted by euphorb at 3:15 AM on July 28, 2004

Isn't this the guy who's business plan was to crack the human genome and sell it though his company Celera Genomics? Perhaps attempt at getting patents/copyrights for it?

Good thing the Human Genome Project beat him to the punch. After the loss he suddenly embraced "open source" ideals. To say I don't trust him is an understatement.
posted by skallas at 3:43 AM on July 28, 2004