sewilco@mecc.UUCP (Scot E. Wilcoxon) (11/18/86)
In article <3425@sdcrdcf.UUCP> berco@sdcrdcf.UUCP (Julie Bercovici) writes: [Article stating his knowledge about testing products on animals mostly comes from a PETA newsletter and information from acquaintances...] >Q.What other ways could they test their products? >A. 1. Enough is known about toxicity in humans to put the information into > computers and let the computers tell us if a substance or mixture > would be toxic. ... >These are the three mentioned in the PETA newsletter, more may exist. ... Sci.med: Is knowledge of toxins and biochemistry really that advanced? Is this just another expression of the myth "Computers can do Anything when given a lot of Data"? I thought there were still gaps in brain chemistry, cell structure and growth knowledge, at least. Those are things one wouldn't want to get altered accidentally. Follow-ups go back to the groups which got the original message. -- Scot E. Wilcoxon Minn Ed Comp Corp {quest,dayton,meccts}!mecc!sewilco (612)481-3507 sewilco@mecc.MECC.COM ihnp4!meccts!mecc!sewilco "A real man doesn't need women!" - Sledge Hammer
werner@aecom.UUCP (Craig Werner) (11/19/86)
> >Q.What other ways could they test their products? > >A. 1. Enough is known about toxicity in humans to put the information into > > computers and let the computers tell us if a substance or mixture > > would be toxic. > Sci.med: Is knowledge of toxins and biochemistry really that advanced? > Is this just another expression of the myth "Computers can do Anything > when given a lot of Data"? The truth is that if anyone ever tells you that they can absolutely predict the function of its molecule from its structure, laugh in his face. Take the following two examples. By a structure-function relationship, Thalidomide should be perfectly safe. As a matter of fact, it is perfectly safe - in rabbits, and in humans beyond 20 weeks gestation. No one ever suspected that it would be such a potent teratogen for a short period in embryogenesis. The FDA never approved it for use in the US, but the tragedy in Europe was of immense proportions. It inhibited the growth of the proximal limb bud, but who could have ever predicted? Or take Dioxin, this should also be a fairly innocuous compound. It does not induce mutagenesis in bacteria and is fairly stable. Rats and certain strains of mice can literally eat it by the pound, but just a few millionths of a gram will kill a guinea pig (or is it a gerbil). This is not to say that certain animal testing isn't excessive, but the shear fact that biology is stranger than nature will ensure that it will never be possible to eliminate it completely. -- Craig Werner (MD/PhD '91) !philabs!aecom!werner (1935-14E Eastchester Rd., Bronx NY 10461, 212-931-2517) "Well that's my story, not that it matters..."