“Terrorism is a technique, not an enemy state that can be defeated” — Jonathan Steele, Guardian.UK. This neatly complements the discussion below about ‘al-Qaeda-as-brand-name.’

“Adolf Hitler could not find much to like about the U.S.– except for the country’s admirable eugenics policies…” David Plotz reviews War Against the Weak: Eugenics and America’s Campaign to Create a Master Race

by Edwin Black. —MotherJones

“…(A) growing band of intellectuals, calling themselves immortalist, see physical immortality as no laughing matter. To them, the possibility of living forever — without relying on supernatural beliefs or interventions — is as real as the nose on your face.

This begs the question: Why physical immortality? Ask immortalists and you’ll likely hear something like this: Nature need not be the final arbiter of life and death.

That’s the short answer. The longer one’s more nuanced.” —betterhumans

“RNA interference allows silencing of a single gene. It has many research and therapeutic possibilities, says biologist Joshua Kunken, but we must act now to prevent its abuse.” —betterhumans

“…(A) growing band of intellectuals, calling themselves immortalist, see physical immortality as no laughing matter. To them, the possibility of living forever — without relying on supernatural beliefs or interventions — is as real as the nose on your face.

This begs the question: Why physical immortality? Ask immortalists and you’ll likely hear something like this: Nature need not be the final arbiter of life and death.

That’s the short answer. The longer one’s more nuanced.” —betterhumans