The promise and perils of regulating ipso facto clauses

The promise and perils of synthetic biology.

Copyright 2006. All rights reserved. See www.TheNewAtlantis.com for more information. Over the past fifty years, several pivotal advances have transformed the life sciences, including the discovery of the structure of DNA, the deciphering of the genetic code, the development of recombinant DNA technology, and the mapping of the human genome. Synthetic biology is another transformative innovatio...

The Promise and Perils of Computerization

The promise and perils of digital currencies

Interest in digital currencies, especially Bitcoin, has exploded over the past year. The cryptocurrency Bitcoin was created in 2009 by an anonymous entity operating under the pseudonym Satoshi Nakamoto. Using cryptographic primitives to create a digital currency is not particularly new – David Chaum proposed electronic cash nearly thirty years ago. What is different about Bitcoin is its success...

Gene therapy of restenosis: promise and perils.

The advent of technology for vascular gene transfer some 8 years ago led to an explosion of interest in the notion that local gene therapy could modify the natural history of arterial hyperplastic diseases. What better testing ground for this concept than restenosis following percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) or other arterial interventions? In this situation, the precise mo...

Agent - Based Computing : Promise and Perils Nicholas

Agent-based computing represents an exciting new synthesis both for Artificial Intelligence (AI) and, more generally, Computer Science. It has the potential to significantly improve the theory and the practice of modelling , designing, and implementing complex systems. Yet, to date, there has been little systematic analysis of what makes an agent such an appealing and powerful conceptual model....