The heuristic applies whenever you have good reason to think science does not understand a natural system (not human, as you said) well enough to control it safely (and thereby make it artificial, human.) We know how to make everything you mentioned, safely.
I am not at all skeptical of technology; I’m only pointing out that there are many things that remain too complex for us to affect with certainty we won’t set off an unexpected cascade. The point would be to boost science so that we eventually do understand those things well enough to make (better) artificial versions of them. In the meantime, don’t be surprised when nature backfires on you.
Okay, I think I see your point. Could I summarise your heuristic as “Don’t tear down Chesterton’s fence until you are absolutely sure you know why it was there”?
The heuristic applies whenever you have good reason to think science does not understand a natural system (not human, as you said) well enough to control it safely (and thereby make it artificial, human.) We know how to make everything you mentioned, safely.
I am not at all skeptical of technology; I’m only pointing out that there are many things that remain too complex for us to affect with certainty we won’t set off an unexpected cascade. The point would be to boost science so that we eventually do understand those things well enough to make (better) artificial versions of them. In the meantime, don’t be surprised when nature backfires on you.
Do you see what I mean?
Okay, I think I see your point. Could I summarise your heuristic as “Don’t tear down Chesterton’s fence until you are absolutely sure you know why it was there”?
A defence of “tradition” rather than of “nature”?