summary of lunch today

[Ed L.]

On Thursday 05 September 2002 02:25 pm, Tim Chambers wrote:
> ...Genetic research (Ed warned us about Monsanto -- I'll let him
> fill in the details 'cause I'd get it wrong and couldn't find Web pages
> to back up what I thought I heard)...

Well, now that our lunchtime conversation has become fodder for google 
archives and future world generations, I should clarify that the 
conversation was regarding what is known as Genetic Use Restriction 
Technology (GURT).  GURT is *existing* technology that enables 
genetic alteration of crop seeds to, among other things, cause them to 
become sterile or produce sterile seeds, thereby forcing a purchase of new 
seeds (or an activating agent) from a fortunate supplier.  [The 
millenia-old practice is to save seeds from this year's crop for future 
years planting.]  A google search for "pharmacia monsanto starlink 
terminator" or "astrazeneca gurt" will yield more than you probably ever 
wanted to know.  Here's a clip from Cornell for the curious:

	http://www.comm.cornell.edu/gmo/issues/terminator.html

And what does this have to do with perl?  Well, nothing, really.

Cheers,
Ed