We need politicians who understand science.

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/01/12/national...ogin&oref=login

Researchers have made an unexpectedly sudden advance in synthesizing long molecules of DNA, creating concern the technique might be used to create the smallpox virus.

"This has the potential for a revolutionary impact in the ease of synthesis of large DNA molecules," said Dr. Richard Ebright, a molecular biologist at Rutgers University.

"This will permit efficient and rapid synthesis of any select agent virus genome in very short order."

This is a great advance and will put a lot of power into the hands of those who understand what it means. We may extend human life and cure genetic diseases we've never been able to before -- but it's also a potential weapon we have to be on guard against.

I wish we had tests for our politicians to make sure they understood modern science and had reasonable IQs -- the public shouldn't have every choice in this day and age.

Here's something that will augment the advance in the first post:

http://www.nanotechweb.org/articles/news/4/1/6/1

Japanese scientists have used nanoneedles attached to an atomic force microscope to penetrate the nucleus of living cells.

The needles could be used to deliver molecules such as nucleic acids, proteins or other chemicals to the nucleus, or maybe even to carry out cell surgery.