From Michael Hill
I can see that a lot of the technology for “redesigning life”, or building biological devices, will benefit mankind greatly, but we are afraid of it getting into the wrong hands or getting out of hand (20 May, p 43). What is needed is some sort of “dead man’s switch” where the device will only operate, say, under the influence of a magnetic field, or in the presence of a certain chemical. We need to build this into the biobricks at a basic level so that it is omnipresent.
Healesville, Victoria, Australia
