Put “biohacking definition” into google search and what
comes up?
bi·o·hack·ing
ˈbīōhakiNG/
noun
- the
activity of exploiting genetic material experimentally without regard to
accepted ethical standards, or for criminal purposes.
To be clear, I’m a biohacker.
To some scientists, biohacker is a bad word.
Shoddy, dangerous experiments in makeshift labs by relatively untrained people
with more enthusiasm than academic training producing unverified results, and
more like accusations assail us. According
to the definition above, biohackers are suspicious characters, perhaps some shadowy
gang of unethical thugs. Is this
definition actually supported by facts? Is the world really in danger of bizarre
bio-organisms being created in biohacker labs and getting loose in the world to
raise havoc?
Or - is biohacking rather an entry point to science, open to
anyone who has the will to learn the theory and practice of biology and to put
it into practice by developing practical applications? What role if any does biohacking play in the advancement and evolution
of science and technology? Are
biohackers any more or less ethical than scientists working in corporate
environments? If you are a scientist,
researcher, biohacker, or just watching from the sidelines, what is your
opinion of the biohacking movement? Are you a biohacker?
actual photos taken in a biohacking lab
