STUFF: News, Technology, the cool and the plain weird

[MIKA27]

The Death Of Alan Rickman May Have Halted The Galaxy Quest TV Show

We were already mourning the death of beloved actor Alan Rickman before we heard this news, which just makes us miss him even more: the Galaxy Quest sequel that was in the works at Amazon may have been scrapped, now that one of the most important cast members is gone.

This news came during an interview on the Nerdist podcast with Sam “Guy Fleegman” Rockwell. Rockwell, who starred in the 1999 cult science fiction comedy with Rickman, Sigourney Weaver, Tim Allen and Tony Shalhoub, says the most of the original cast was close to signing on for part two before Rickman’s death from cancer in January.

As the Guardian quotes Rockwell:

We were ready to sign up, and [then] Alan Rickman passed away and Tim Allen wasn’t available — he has a show — and everybody’s schedule was all weird. It was going to shoot, like, right now. And how do you fill that void of Alan Rickman? That’s a hard void to fill.

A hard void indeed. Rickman’s final film credit is upcoming fantasy sequel Alice Through the Looking Glass, in which he (and his distinctive voice) reprises his role as the animated Blue Caterpillar.

[MIKA27]

The First Footage From Rogue One: A Star Wars Story Is Here

The first trailer for Rogue One: A Star Wars Story will premiere on Good Morning America on Thursday (Friday in Australia) but, ahead of that, the official Star Wars Twitter has offered up a super brief tease.

Is that a Shadow Trooper? What are they burning? Why isn’t it Friday yet?

Rogue One, starring Felicity Jones and directed by Gareth Edwards, will hit theatres December 16.

[MIKA27]

LA Will Face Blackouts In Summer Due To Its Gigantic Natural Gas Leak

Though the catastrophic natural gas leak outside of Los Angeles has been contained, the repercussions are still far from over, according to a new report. For weeks leaders of the region’s utility companies have been warning customers about potential disruptions to their energy service. Today, they’re telling Los Angeles to brace for blackouts this summer (winter in the southern hemisphere).

A coalition of agencies including the California Energy Commission, California Public Utilities Commission, California Independent System Operator and the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power justreleased a report on how the Aliso Canyon leak is going to impact the energy demands of the region. The outlook is not good:

This technical assessment finds that if no gas can be withdrawn from Aliso Canyon during the coming summer months, a significant risk exists of natural gas curtailments during up to 16 days this summer. These curtailments could interrupt service and affect millions of electric customers during as many as 14 summer days.

How could the closing of one natural gas facility so severely impact the entire region? There are 17 natural gas facilities serving the area, which aren’t all used at the same time. On the hottest summer days, the city needs to quickly fire up some of these auxiliary plants to help keep up with the increased energy demand stemming from millions of air conditioners running full throttle. Aliso Canyon was one of those facilities that could quickly be brought online during peak hours. In previous summers, Aliso Canyon was used anywhere from 12 to 18 days each summer month (including October, because LA’s “summer” lasts well into November), making it pretty much a necessity. So without the facility as backup, blackouts on those highest-demand days are almost inevitable.

The impacted delivery area from the Aliso Canyon facility. Image: Energy Commission Staff

A handful of rolling blackouts are already reality for America’s severely overtaxed power grid, especially in warm months. But 14 days of unreliable energy could be potentially economically devastating. The only way to avoid this happening would be to reduce overall energy demand. Which is definitely possible, but is the city really going to be able to get its residents to save energy?

The report goes on to list 18 recommendations for ways that Los Angeles can potentially avert the impending energy crisis. This prompted a statement from LA Mayor Eric Garcetti, who said the city is already planning a long-term move away from a reliance on natural gas, but will make a series of short-term energy-saving adjustments. “We will announce rebates and other programs in the coming weeks to help residents and businesses save energy and money — while improving air quality, creating green jobs and reducing greenhouse gas emissions,” he said. “I will direct all City facilities to improve energy efficiency and decrease power use, especially at times of high demand.”

Another major concern on the horizon is that as more natural gas storage facilities are inspected in the wake of this disaster, more plants will be forced to be taken offline. This is, of course, the way that Southern California should be headed in the future — replacing fossil fuels and natural gas with renewable energy sources — but without those new energy sources in place, taking any facilities away will continue to strain the grid.

It might be a good time for residents of LA to get those solar panels installed on their homes.

[MIKA27]

Baboon Survives Nearly Three Years With A Pig's Heart And Humans Might Be Next

Using genetic techniques and a chemical cocktail, scientists managed to sustain a pig’s heart inside a baboon for 945 days, establishing a new benchmark for cross-species transplantation. If extended to humans, the technique could be used to ease the ongoing organ shortage.

Cross-species transplantation, or xenotransplantation, is proving to be a tough challenge. The primary obstacle for researchers has been the strong immune reaction of recipients, resulting in organ rejection. To date, typical survival times for species-to-species transplants — such as pig hearts being transplanted to baboons — have been limited to the 180 to 500 day range, which is frustratingly brief.

Now, as a new Nature Communications study reports, an international team of researchers has finally extended organ survival time to beyond the two-year mark, and they did so using a hybrid technique involving both genetics and powerful new immune-suppressing drugs. In future, a similar technique could be applied to humans, easing the demand for organs for transplants. In the US, there are about 122,000 people on the transplant waiting list at any given time, of which thousands die each year. In Australia, there are 1600 people on the list at any given time. Pig hearts are ideal candidates for transplantation owing to our similar biologies, and our extensive knowledge of porcine DNA.

For the experiment, cardiologist Muhammad Mohiuddin from the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland, and his colleagues implanted a pig heart into a baboon. The pig organ did not replace the baboon’s heart, but was instead connected to the baboon’s circulatory system where it was monitored for more than two years. Baboons are typically used in studies like this because they’re closely related to humans; if it works in a baboon, it will likely work in a human.

To help the baboon avoid organ rejection, the researchers used a previously established line of donor pigs with three key genetic modifications. These genetic tweaks were baboon-friendly, allowing a significant degree of immune tolerance among the primates. To supplement this, the researchers improved a treatment based on antibodies and drugs to control the baboon’s immune system.

In the study, five baboons received pig’s hearts. The implanted organs were maintained as long as the recipients were administered the immune-suppressing drugs. Of the five baboons, one managed to keep its implanted heart for a whopping 945 days. The median across the study was 298 days, so clearly more work needs to be done. Looking ahead, the researchers would like to use the same technique to replace a baboon’s heart outright.

As promising as this result appears to be, it may not represent the future of organ transplants. Aside from the ethical issues of growing organs in nonhuman animals, the rejection issue continues to be a problem. Even if this technique is eventually applied to humans, it would require human patients to stay on immune-suppressing drugs for the rest of their lives.

At the same time, there are several other methods currently under development that could solve the organ donation shortage, including regenerative medicine (for example, growing your own organs from your own stem cells), bioprinting and advances in cold storage (which would prolong the shelf life of donated organs).

[MIKA27]

The Rebellion Rises In The First Trailer For Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

This will be a day long remembered. Here it is, after months and months of staring at the same picture of Felicity Jones and her band of troops, it’s finally here: the blistering first footage from a whole new chapter in the Star Wars saga. Take a look!

With The Force Awakens bringing a renewed sense of excitement about the Star Wars galaxy again, Rogue One has a hell of a task ahead of it to continue that excitement. Let’s hope it can live up to the hype.

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story hits theatres December 18th.

[MIKA27]

Venezuela Switches To Three-Day Weekend To Conserve Electricity

Venezuela relies heavily on hydroelectric power generation but has been suffering from a long and heavy drought. Now it’s taking desperate action, introducing a three-day weekend to help reduce demand for electricity.

Water levels in the country’s major hydro plants are reported by Bloomberg to be reaching a ‘critical’ state. The water level behind the Guri Dam, for instance, currently rests at 243m above sea level — but if it falls to 240, its turbines will have to be shut down until the levels rise, to avoid causing damage.

So the country’s president, Nicolas Maduro, has instigated a 60-day plan that will run through April and May to help ease the situation. Every Friday will now be a public holiday, while factories are being asked to cut energy consumption by a fifth. Hotels and malls are even being asked to run generators instead of using mains electricity.

On state TV, Maduro explained:

This plan for 60 days, for two months, will allow the country to get through the most difficult period with the most risk. I call on families, on the youth, to join this plan with discipline, with conscience and extreme collaboration to confront this extreme situation.

The drought is being blamed on the El Niño weather system.

[MIKA27]

Paddleboarding Among Icebergs

When it’s cold outside, I don’t even want to go out. But there is beauty in the winter stillness and there are people who can brave the cold and enjoy it. Here is a portrait of Karol Garrison paddleboarding Lake Michigan while ice surrounds him. It’s so peaceful out there.

But so damn cold.

[MIKA27]

American Hero Hacks Game Boy To Run Almost Any Retro Game

Meet the Gameboy Zero. It’s a classic Gameboy shell with a Raspberry Pi’s heart. But the mod isn’t purely cosmetic.

Using Emulation Station, this Pi board is able to play games from NES, SNES, and the Gameboy’s many iterations all up to and including Advanced. That’s where things start getting tricky, since the Gameboy had only two buttons, while later systems used many more. Two of the screws in the back are tossed out to make room for makeshift shoulder triggers, while additional holes are drilled in the front for X and Y buttons which were salvaged from an SNES controller.

The coolest part by far is the custom cartridge. Some resoldering and a little work with a Dremel put a fully functioning SD to Micro SD adaptor inside one of Nintendo’s square grey shells, allowing the Pi board to read it.

Additionally, the mod adds USB charging, a significantly better screen with full colour, a much improved rechargeable battery, and a mini HDMI output in case you want to play these games on a larger screen.

How does all that stuff fit inside an old Gameboy shell? Those first gen Gameboys were almost criminally underpowered, not to mention that most of the space inside the shell was taken up by four AA batteries. The smaller lithium cell helps a lot but it’s still a tight fit.

Check out more photos of the mod here. Or go on eBay and start sobbing hysterically because the childhood games you sold to your neighbour are now worth thousands of dollars.

[MIKA27]

49ER SUNGLASSES BY RETROSUPERFUTURE

The 49er Sunglasses by RETROSUPERFUTURE are made using premium Italian acetate construction in a style that’ll appeal to many due to its minimalist form that evokes the look of designs that were popular in the 1950s.

Each pair of sunglasses is made from hand-laid acetate with wire core temples for added strength and flexibility, they have gold-plated stainless steel metal accents, adjustable nose pads, and each pair ships with a cleaning cloth and carry case.

[MIKA27]

HELLY HANSEN ASK BUSINESS COAT

Running a business can get stressful. So why would you let a little rain get you down? This stylish coat from our friends at Helly Hansen is built in congruence with the current influences of contemporary men’s suits. The coast tails hang down to mid thigh, and it features a slim fit with a bit more shoulder line to give it a more ‘filled out’ appearance.

Each coat is tailored to fit perfectly over any suit and contains a removable down vest for added insulation on those chilly winter mornings. Its fabric is a classic oxford built with HellyTech technology in a three-ply construction. Since the 1980s, HellyTech has kept outdoor enthusiasts dry and comfortable. And here the technology provides wearers with a waterproof, windproof, and breathable option. Additional features include inner zipped pockets, flap entry hand pockets, and a YKK Metalluxe technical metal design zipper. Don’t let the weather prevent you from looking the part in the office. Conquer the elements with this $800 business coat. [Purchase]

[MIKA27]

Callaway AeroWagen Corvette

No this is not a late April Fool’s joke, people. Legendary Corvette tuner Callaway Cars is finally taking orders for its Shooting Brake conversion for C7 Corvettes. For the uninitiated, the shooting brake concept started in 19th century Britain as a style of vehicle well-suited for English gentry to store their shotguns for hunting trips. While we aren’t entirely certain that a late model Corvette will ever be used to transport a hunting party, it definitely adds a unique look to the already awesome looking ‘Vette. Officially called the AeroWagen package, the carbon fiber modification will fit existing hinges and can be removed at will if hunting isn’t on your agenda. Available late 2016. Pricing for the unfinished carbon fiber top is $15,000 and expect an additional $1,500 for Callaway to paint the sucker.

[MIKA27]

Pavilion Speaker

When you mix up design and top sound quality you´ll get something like the Pavilion Speaker, an item that blends architectural elements and design features with top-notch tech specs. The Pavilion Speaker features a high-density concrete base to get a proper look and weight stability, and we dare say it helps keeping it away from the mainstreamed plastic speakers. The special metal spiral gives it a crazy coil look made from high grade copper, that´s not just there for the visual side of things, it boosts powerful yet smooth low frequencies to your ears; the high end audio drivers built by Tymphany are there to provide the crisp sharp sound 20W will allow. It features a capacitive touch surface to control them and Bluetooth connectivity to a streaming device. An exquisite blend of materials such as wood, metal and concrete enriched by sound you wouldn’t think possible in speakers of this size

[MIKA27]

The Kingsman Sequel Is Bringing Back One of Its Dispatched Stars

Director Matthew Vaughn is currently in production on the sequel to Kingsman: The Secret Service entitled Kingsman: The Golden Circle. Taron Egerton is back as newly minted super spy Eggsy—but many of the first film’s other stars were killed off. Now, it turns out one of them is coming back.

Minor spoilers below.

Egerton took to Twitter to reveal what looks like a teaser poster for the movie, scheduled for release June 2017.

Yup, it seems Colin Firth’s thought to be dead Kingsman, Galahad, will somehow be back. That makes no sense ... but, how many times have suave superheroes, spies, and detectives come back from the dead in literature, movies, and TV? A lot.

Joining Firth and Egerton will be Mark Strong, as well as new additions like Halle Berry and Julianne Moore.

[MIKA27]

New Captain America: Civil War trailer shows how it all began

Captain America: Civil War is only a few weeks away from release, and you can expect the Marvel marketing machine to be going full throttle for the rest of the month. Although there's no new footage to speak of in the latest trailer, it does a solid job of illustrating how big moments in Iron Man and Cap's relationship has helped to set the stage for their coming conflict. Check it out below...

What's interesting about Captain America and Iron Man's individual arcs in the MCU is that each hero is now where the other began. Steve Rogers had been loyal to the US but the revelations in Captain America: The Winter Soldier have made him distrustful, while Tony Stark - who has flippantly refused to co-operate with the government in the past - will be fully behind them in Civil War.

There's a lot of layered storytelling you can weave from that, and everything we've seen and heard from Civil War thus far indicates that that's exactly what we're going to get. Thankfully, the wait is almost over...

Directed by Joe Russo and Anthony Russo, and starring Chris Evans, Robert Downey, Jr., Scarlett Johansson, Chadwick Boseman, Tom Holland, Anthony Mackie, and Sebastian Stan, Captain America: Civil War opens in UK cinemas on April 29, 2016 and May 6, 2016 in the US.

[JohnS]

Is Captain America: Civil War like a Marvel version of Batman vs. Superman?

[Fuzz]

Is Captain America: Civil War like a Marvel version of Batman vs. Superman?

A pox on you! How dare you suggest that!

Civil War is about the events surrounding the Superhuman Registration Act,where all super powered beings are required to be registered with the government (ie no more secret identities) and subject to regulations.

[JohnS]

A pox on you! How dare you suggest that!

Civil War is about the events surrounding the Superhuman Registration Act,where all super powered beings are required to be registered with the government (ie no more secret identities) and subject to regulations.

So we won't see Captain America take on Iron Man then? I ask because the movie industry is well-known for releasing similarly-themed films in the same calendar year in competition. Of the top of my head I can think of Antz/A Bug's Life, Dark City/Matrix...but there are many other examples.

[MIKA27]

So we won't see Captain America take on Iron Man then?

Oh yes we will John - The Cap and Stark duke it out. I won't give more information on that as they will be spoilers.

There's a 7 book comic story arc thats been around since 2006. Here you go more info bud

[Fuzz]

So we won't see Captain America take on Iron Man then? I ask because the movie industry is well-known for releasing similarly-themed films in the same calendar year in conpetition. Of the top of my head I can think of Antz/A Bug's Life, Dark City/Matrix...but there are many other examples.

Oh yes we will John - The Cap and Stark duke it out. I won't give more information on that as they will be spoilers.

There's a 7 book comic story arc thats been around since 2006. Here you go more info bud

As Mika said, they do duke it out, and so do a lot of the Earth's other superheroes. Unlike Civil War, Batman vs Superman is loosely based on the comics, as it takes inspiration from Frank Miller's "The Dark Knight Returns" and also from "Death of Superman". It is more a vehicle to introduce other characters in the DC Universe.

Marvel's Civil War had far reaching impact across multiple titles when it occurred, and they will most likely continue with the after effects in other films and TV series. The film differs slightly from the comics, as certain elements do not exist in the Marvel film/TV universe.

[MIKA27]

For The First Time In A Century, Wild Tiger Populations Are Beginning To Rebound

Here’s some excellent news from conservationists: after decades of decline, wild tiger populations are beginning to rebound. That’s the consensus that will be unveiled this week at the Third Asia Ministerial Conference on Tiger Conservation, held in New Dehli.

Among the findings that have been released is the total population for wild tigers has risen from 3,200 in 2012 to an estimated 3,890 now. The increase is attributed to recent conservation efforts, particularly in Russia and India, which have seen greater population growth in recent years.

According to Scientific American, this is the first increase in population in a century.

[Ginette Hemley, senior vice president of wildlife conservation for the World Wildlife Fund (WWF)] credits the rising populations to intense efforts put forth by governments following the Global Tiger Summit in 2010, in which the 13 tiger range countries pledged to double the number of wild tigers by the year 2022. “The countries where we’re seeing high-level commitment — Russia, India, Nepal and Bhutan — are the ones where we’ve seen the biggest progress,” she says.

In 2010, the region announced plans to double their tiger populations by 2022, although there are doubts that this is an achievable goal.

To be sure, tiger populations are still critically endangered, and face continued threats from deforestation, habitat loss and poachers. Several countries also reported extremely low numbers, while Cambodia announced last week that they were declaring the animal extinct in their borders.

At the low end of the spectrum, the new report estimates only seven wild tigers in China, five in Vietnam, two in Laos, and none in Cambodia.

[Luke Dollar, who manages the Big Cats Initiative for the National Geographic Society] says that in these countries “tigers are essentially done,” adding that “we still can’t afford to write them off.”

Still, while there are challenges for the animals, it does appear that conservation efforts are beginning to pay off.

[MIKA27]

Fukushima Is Now Home To Radioactive Wild Boars

After a nuclear disaster, wildlife tends to flourish in contaminated areas, unchecked by humans that might otherwise hunt them. In the forests around Fukushima, the population of radioactive wild boars are exploding.

According to The Independent, the boars have been eating contaminated food, which renders them unsafe for human consumption, all the while they have been breeding out of control. According to the Sunday Times, the population has gone from 3,000 to 13,000 since 2014 – three years after the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant melted down.

That population boom has become a major problem for local agriculture, causing $US900,000 ($1,191,641) in damages to farms beyond the quarantine zone.

Hunters are able to hunt the animals, but disposal of the carcasses is presenting logistical headaches. Mass graves have quickly filled, and officials have turned to incinerating the animals in special facilities designed to prevent radioactive material from spreading. Unfortunately, those facilities can only handle three boars a day, and have quickly become overrun.

[MIKA27]

Climbing The Ice Structures In Iceland Looks Like One Of The Most Bad Arse Things You Can Do

Man, this is just so fun to watch. The beautiful alien world that is Iceland is always so picturesque but it’s even better when seen from up close, like from the perspective of Klemen Premrl and his crew of climbers ice picking their way up to the top of an ice structure. The crystal glow of the ice cave, the shocking crevasses, the wildling-like climb of an ice wall — it’s just awesome everywhere.

[MIKA27]

A New Florida Pier Is Designed To Face The Reality Of Rising Seas

There’s no polite way to put this: Florida is screwed. And we’re starting to see the state’s infrastructure adapt to the reality of climate change.

A new pier for St Petersburg that takes changing ocean conditions into consideration has just been approved by the city. This includes a lightweight structure that can float on rising seas and smart engineering that’s resilient in the face of potentially more powerful storms.

Several St Petersburg piers have graced Tampa Bay, with the most recent “Inverted Pyramid” design opening in 1973. It was a typical pier, with a boardwalk and tourist-friendly diversions. But maintenance on the pier was proving to be too expensive, and in the early 2000s, the city began exploring new alternatives. After a long and controversial process, including several rejected designs, construction on the new pier will begin next year.

In many ways the design by Rogers Partners Architects+Urban Designers, Ken Smith Landscape Architectand ASD takes the original pyramid form and adapts it for Florida’s reality: The new angular pier tower shields visitors from the hot sun and bears the brunt of any offshore weather.

But if you look closely, the pier is built more like a house on stilts. Most of the pier is made up of a large lawn for programming that doesn’t require much maintenance and can be battered by high tides. Any amenities like restaurants, for example, are placed higher in the tower. And most of the pier itself, including a “wet” classroom for students and a fishing deck, will float. The estimate from the US Army Corps of Engineers says that sea levels in St Petersburg will rise 1m by 2100.

St Petersburg is going through an exercise that many other oceanfront cities will be facing soon. Miami Beach, for example, is looking at long-term solutions that incorporate the already-rising ocean into the city, more like the canals of Venice, Italy. It’s not just about the construction of defensive infrastructure like seawalls and barrier islands. It’s about designing structures which are beautiful today, yet can be flexible in the face of an uncertain future.

[MIKA27]

Rio's Slums Might Be Left In Even Worse Shape After The Olympics

Rio’s Summer Olympics are just a few months away, and it’s not looking good for the city. The water is still polluted, stadium budgets have been slashed and a scary virus is frightening athletes and spectators. Now, there’s also growing concern that the Games will be a financial disaster — and the poorest areas of Rio will bear the brunt of this failure.

In many ways, the looming Olympic Games have already transformed Rio’s favelas, the city’s informal settlements that serve as home to a quarter of the city’s residents. Even though these neighbourhoods face extreme poverty and often lack basic city services, over the last few years the favelas have almost been fetishised in pop culture — there’s a big installation in the Providência favela by the famous street artist JR, for example. (There’s also that movie, City of God.) Guides now regularly lead groups of tourists through the favelas, and that burst of foreign tourism, buoyed by the global attention around the Games, has created some economic stability. This has largely been enabled by a new network of cable cars that serve as a kind of Disneyland-like ride, delivering tourists directly to the heart of these communities.

That’s a bizarre narrative to unpack as it is, but it has been made even more complicated by the two major sporting events which have happened in close — some say too close — succession, the 2014 World Cup and the 2016 Olympics. In a frighteningly mismanaged attempt to get Rio ready for these global spectacles, the favelas have also suffered, resulting in dystopian visions of people being driven from their homes, vicious protests, bulldozed neighbourhoods and cranes hovering over half-finished venues.

Although only one neighbourhood has been “officially” relocated for the Olympics — Vila Autódromo, which sat on the edge of the city’s Olympic Park — there have been plenty of unofficial slum-clearance programs. In addition, the city has reportedly moved 22,059 more families since 2009 to build other projects which are just as essential to hosting the games, like new rail connections, airport improvements, bridges and even sewers. You could argue that big infrastructural improvements will benefit the city after the Games leave, but it’s clear that these benefits are not equally distributed. Some neighbourhoods might have gotten a shiny new transit line, but a place like Providência still doesn’t have running water.

What might happen after the Olympic spotlight shifts elsewhere is also very disturbing. One of the biggest rumours is that with the crush of tourists gone, the city will stop operating those free cable cars that now serve many of the lowest-income communities. This would be a double-whammy: The reliable transportation that connects these residents to jobs and schools will disappear, and so will the easy access for tourists.

Even more worrisome is that due to Zika, concerns about crime, calls for countries to boycott and all the bad press, tickets to the Games just aren’t selling. Of course, you might say, the Olympics are rarely profitable. But the difference here is that Rio’s economic situation was very bad before the Games came to town. The city is relying on all these foreign dollars to help cover its billions of dollars in investments. Rio’s future — and the livelihood of its poorest residents — is dependent on all these tourists showing up and shelling out.

It’s the most evil part of the Olympics, and we’ve seen it all before. The city is being ruined by the Games. But at this point, not having a successful, well-attended Games would actually be the worst-possible scenario for Rio.

[MIKA27]

Chinese Scientists Genetically Modify Human Embryos Again

Just one year after scientists in China made history by modifying the DNA of human embryos, a second team of Chinese researchers has done it again. Using CRISPR/Cas9, the researchers introduced HIV-resistance into the embryos, showcasing the tremendous potential for gene-editing.

In that earlier work, the Chinese scientists modified a gene responsible for a fatal blood disorder, but the embryos were quickly destroyed after the experiment. It was a watershed moment in biotechnology, showcasing the tremendous potential of CRISPR — a powerful gene editing tool — to alter our offspring at the genetic level. Should this technology ever reach the clinical stage, it could be used to eliminate all sorts of genetic diseases, but it could also be used to introduce entirely new capacities.

Now, as reported in Nature News, a research team led by Yong Fan at Guangzhou Medical University has used CRISPR to introduce a beneficial mutation that cripples an immune-cell gene called CCR5. Some humans naturally have this built-in immunity to HIV, making it impossible for the virus to infiltrate human immune cells.

For the study, the researchers collected 213 fertilised human eggs, donated by 87 patients. All of the embryos were unsuitable for in vitro fertilisation because they contained an extra set of chromosomes. The researchers destroyed the embryos after three days.

Of the 26 human embryos targeted, only four were successfully modified; a significant number of embryos experienced unintended mutations. Like the previous Chinese study, this research shows how far we still are from being able to use CRISPR in a precise way, without triggering these “off target” mutations.

Experiments like this are not without controversy. There’s still some unease about modifying human embryos in the lab, even if they’re not used to facilitate a pregnancy. Some critics of the new study say scientists shouldn’t be “playing” with human embryos like this, arguing that embryos derived from primates would serve just as well. Also, there’s significant concern that, in future, these germline modifications might be passed down to the next generation, which would could result in unforeseen consequences. And of course, there’s the inhibition about “designer babies” and the prospect of human enhancement.

A strong case can be made that this latest research, in which an immunity to HIV was conferred to the embryos, resulted in an enhancement. Technically speaking, the researchers weren’t trying to treat a genetic disease. Rather, they added an immunity to a virus. So in a sense it’s like a vaccination, but one done at the genetic level — and one that could, in theory, be passed down to the next generation. Regardless, this study shows how difficult it’s going to be to discern therapy from enhancement.

Late last year, the International Summit on Human Gene Editing decided that it was OK for US researchers to edit human embryos, so long as it doesn’t result in a pregnancy. Exact guidelines on how American scientists are to proceed are expected later this year. Similarly, a British team was recently given the greenlight to modify human embryos for research into foetal development. Progress in this area is thus set to advance in the US and the UK, but clearly the Chinese are ahead of the game — whether you agree with their methods or not.

This study also comes on the heels of new research showing that CRISPR can be used to edit HIV out of immune cells (though not without some difficulty). This suggests that CRISPR could still be used to combat HIV in the absence of germline modifications.