improving the speed, efficiency and productivity of . . . biological systems.” In other words, to do with the stuff of life that which the alchemists strove to do with the earth’s minerals: bring it to perfection. • New microorganisms are being developed which eat certain metals allowing them to be extracted from ores economically, eliminating the need for miners. • Biomass, a renewable resource made up of plant and animal material is being talked about as a replacement for petroleum. • The genetic trait which allows buffalo to thrive on grass or hay could be engineered into beef cattle which feed on more expensive grains. In fact, any trait that can be “mapped” can be programmed directly into the fetus. This leads, of course, to the question of human genetic engineering. Rifkin tells us; “Scientists are already looking to the day when ‘harmful’ genetic traits can be eliminated from the ' fetus at conception. Eliminating the specific genes that are the cause of many dreaded diseases only scratches the surface of the possibilities that lie ahead. Researchers believe that when today’s babies are old enough to have children of their own, they may be able to select from a wide range of beneficial gene traits they would like to have programmed directly into their offspring at the fetal stage, from manual dexterity skills to improved memory retention capability.” The computer, claims Rifkin, will be both the language and the organizing mechanism for this age of biotechnology. The first “gene machine” has already been developed — “One need only type out the genetic code for a particular gene on the computer’s keyboard and within a matter of a few hours ‘the machine delivers a quantity of synthetic gene fragments that can be spliced together and put into the DNA of living organisms.’” “In the future, biocomputers will be engineered directly into living systems, just as microcomputers are engineered into mechanical systems today. They will monitor activity, adjust performance, speed up and slow down metabolic activity, transform living material into products, and perform a host of other supervisory functions. Scientists even envision the day when computers made out of living material will automatically reproduce themselves, finally blurring the last remaining distinction between living and mechanical processes.” Whether the Power of the Universe will punish humankind for this arrogance is a question time will answer. The past leaves a discouraging record of industrial technology backfiring: acid rain, DDT poisoning, Love Canal, smog, London fog, radioactive wastes, Agent Orange, asbestos- caused diseases, urban slums, modern alienation, stress syndrome .... Space considerations prevent a complete list here. Whatever the results, Rifkin’s book, due to be published April 1 by Viking Press, is a stimulating and thoughtful analysis of the future we are creating and “an account of the process by which the new concept of nature has been arrived at.” Much-acclaimed Portland artist Henk Pander has explored some of the possible results of this new concept: algeny. B Hide and chic Why settle for just another piece of mass-production when you can get the best and save money too? At The Leatherworks, pants start at $149, jackets at $165, skirts and vests at $49. If these prices seem unbelieveably low, it’s simply because we make what we sell and pass the savings on to you. 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