Although in 1939, Einstein and other scientists urged President Roosevelt to have the United States develop a nuclear weapon before Germany, the famous scientist changed his mind once the Manhattan Project succeeded and Japan was targeted. He regretted his original championing of the devastating weapon of mass destruction that had the power to drive life on Earth to extinction. Today a similar scenario could play out. Scientists now warn that mirror life could be an existential risk.
On December 12, 2024, a group of 38 Nobel laureates and other experts, called for pausing all new research on creating mirror life. Wikipedia defines mirror life as “a hypothetical form of life with mirror-reflected molecular building blocks.1” If created, mirror life would be a chimera. When using the term chimera in this situation, it describes an organism composed of two different sources that combine to create something unique. Does that sound familiar when you reflect on the sci-fi political thriller Black Swan Impact? It should because a novel organism named after the mythical Greek monster could become a parasite easily spreading among humans, plants, and animals without natural immunity.
Those alarmed by the potential inherent threat warned, “Although we were initially skeptical that mirror bacteria could pose major risks, we have become deeply concerned. … [A] close examination of existing studies led us to conclude that infections could be severe. … [G]eneralist heterotroph mirror bacteria might find a range of nutrients in animal hosts and the environment and thus would not be intrinsically biocontained.2” They emphasized, “… that mirror bacteria could broadly evade many immune defenses of humans, animals, and plants … [and] that mirror bacteria might act as serious pathogens with an unusually broad host range.3” In short, the experts wish to stave off the development of something that could be as dangerous as nuclear annihilation.
If this post does not convince you to urge leaders to arrest experiments aimed at creating mirror life, read Black Swan Impact. It can give you a glimpse into the potential demise of humanity or even all life on Earth. Then, you may agree that we must petition those with the power to stop a potentially devastating genie from being released from a bottle.
You can buy Black Swan Impact at any book outlet worldwide. Here is a link to buy any format on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Black-Impact-Helen-Hynson-Vettori/dp/B0CVLHYHBV/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&dib_tag=se&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.LX1GF-3hmbZ8x2xhg7jDQKv_N5gH9J5H0ZAkKHHmJObOhn71Vdom4_Fl8qBDdL__50kycNFXHczQk7voufLqDNRXsPrPBODXsb5x4Y4iCfl88f2a-gOlfIUvDX48FC3C9feTHYgDweqUfUDqKpsRWykyqIQ5V0VTrcyPeFHFUkHgHHANdTlADAYIdhwDG5_ooUSd2t8T0YcRYksr7QrjN9W3DPhuLVMsO-9H4bwm-80SuQHFL3oe_JzQ-8Cscx98KxiJVQo_9QebN6ikSQenxVc4L_ACUSuymcNM3Y8GsyijIijDw6gJ05mS8D77RtGViy8JRF2rvItjPegH_JoeByO1kFHzi5hActYqnT5-ostwKPkJvyclqborHc2BhXHPbzrs9CkjHp-3gK1kyabONFgrGI1MQMMFYX-56hM2xjo1hWdBhxDElBPy4GpGNd6j.OyLRo4n_t0unckZv1A4yBsx7GhyDNlZ9ChVyAm4XCl4&qid=1734347593&sr=8-1
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