Jeremy Rifkin
author of "The Biotech Century"
Life Science Symposium
Ars Electronica, Austria 9.5.99

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Pan Optic Radio #32

In 1999, I went to the Ars Electronica in Linz, Austria to archive the LifeScience Symposium for the Pan Optic Radio* project and to research perspectives from the international community on the all-too-rapidly advancing Biotech industry.
Primarily sponsored by the corporate giant, Novartis, the Ars Electronica festival was nevertheless able to facilitate a forum for the scientists, artists, journalists, ecologists and the general public, whom all appear to have deep and growing concerns about science in the hands of profiteers.

These richly informed presentations illuminated a multiplicity of moral and ethical dilemmas rising with the tide of market investments … yet, in the end, critical analysis seemed merely an appendage to the arts festival and entirely secondary to the SPECTACLE of new technologies.

The experience of this conference left me with a great sense of urgency to distribute this information and continue a deeper investigation of corporate sponsored arts and sciences which have begun to merge most eerily in the ability of these non-human entities (businesses and institutions) to engineer NEW LIFEFORMS!
Many thanks to the San Francisco Mime Troupe* (now performing "Eating It") for collaborating in this endeavour!

deep respect,
pod(s)

*For more information AND to find out how to support your independent information channels:
Contact PAN OPTIC RADIO: podp@cellspace.org
or SF MIME TROUPE: 415-285-1717: www.sfmt.org

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