Genetic tinkering

Considering how skilled Beowulf's geneticists are, I wonder if they could - create a celery variety that tree cats can digest easily, or recombinate DNA of tree cats and hexapumas to create telepathic marines with the physique of hexapumas and the intelligence of tree cats. I'm sure that others have more imagination than I do, so would appreciate suggestions.

Daryl wrote:Considering how skilled Beowulf's geneticists are, I wonder if they could - create a celery variety that tree cats can digest easily, or recombinate DNA of tree cats and hexapumas to create telepathic marines with the physique of hexapumas and the intelligence of tree cats. I'm sure that others have more imagination than I do, so would appreciate suggestions.

I think the active ingredient in celery can be isolated, if it hasn't already. It's present in purple thorn, a native Sphinxian plant that the treecats use for telepathic health maintenance but isn't as effective as celery, much less tasty, and not yet domesticated. A danger of synthesizing it may be addictive potential.

The hexacat notion is absolutely terrifying. I don't think it's within the Beowulf Code.

JeffEngel wrote:The hexacat notion is absolutely terrifying. I don't think it's within the Beowulf Code.

Quite so - I'd expect it from the Mesans rather than the Beowulfans. But textev is that their work with treecat genetical material is only continuing in a "desultory" manner, although that was in reference to the telempathy abilities.

Daryl wrote:...or recombinate DNA of tree cats and hexapumas to create telepathic marines with the physique of hexapumas and the intelligence of tree cats.

They could do that, but they won't. Little thing called the Beowulf Code kinda prohibits it. The Honorverse (or at least the parts of it that aren't mesan alignment) view all but the most subtle tweaks with suspicion and distrust; given how unsuccessful attempts to create supersoldiers have been in the past, this is probably understandable.

The E wrote:

Daryl wrote:...or recombinate DNA of tree cats and hexapumas to create telepathic marines with the physique of hexapumas and the intelligence of tree cats.

They could do that, but they won't. Little thing called the Beowulf Code kinda prohibits it. The Honorverse (or at least the parts of it that aren't mesan alignment) view all but the most subtle tweaks with suspicion and distrust; given how unsuccessful attempts to create supersoldiers have been in the past, this is probably understandable.

I wish we knew more about the Beowulf Code. I think the Beowulf Code is a code of medical ethics, which might mean it only applies to human genetic material. It might possibly include other intelligent species, which would include treecats, but we don't have any textev for that. Or there might be other Codes we haven't heard about that apply to non-human genetic material.

Still, I agree that Beowulf probably would not perform experiments to produce a hexapuma (or any other animal) with intelligence (whether using treecat DNA or not).

SWM wrote:

The E wrote:They could do that, but they won't. Little thing called the Beowulf Code kinda prohibits it. The Honorverse (or at least the parts of it that aren't mesan alignment) view all but the most subtle tweaks with suspicion and distrust; given how unsuccessful attempts to create supersoldiers have been in the past, this is probably understandable.

I wish we knew more about the Beowulf Code. I think the Beowulf Code is a code of medical ethics, which might mean it only applies to human genetic material. It might possibly include other intelligent species, which would include treecats, but we don't have any textev for that. Or there might be other Codes we haven't heard about that apply to non-human genetic material.

Still, I agree that Beowulf probably would not perform experiments to produce a hexapuma (or any other animal) with intelligence (whether using treecat DNA or not).

I would guess that the Beowulf Life Sciences Code (which covers their bio-sciences) - even the parts about Human experimentation / modification - was probably written to at minimum cover non-human sentients as well.

But even if treecats somehow fall outside the Code, I imagine any facility on Beowulf doing genetic manipulation (or experimentation) on anything would have their own review board to give a go/no go decision on any proposed modifications. They'd probably apply similar logic to the Code even in situations where the Code itself didn't directly apply.

SWM wrote:I wish we knew more about the Beowulf Code. I think the Beowulf Code is a code of medical ethics, which might mean it only applies to human genetic material. It might possibly include other intelligent species, which would include treecats, but we don't have any textev for that. Or there might be other Codes we haven't heard about that apply to non-human genetic material.

Still, I agree that Beowulf probably would not perform experiments to produce a hexapuma (or any other animal) with intelligence (whether using treecat DNA or not).

I do suspect the Beowulf Code, as it stands, refers to humans only. Playing around with animal and plant genetics is too fundamental to terraforming and agricultural efforts to be that restrained, and the same reasons would not always apply.

But whether or not it's strictly for humans, the ethos of it would surely make a strong difference when it comes to altering intelligent non-humans - whether naturally occurring ones like treecats or Medusans or hypothetical uplifted terrestrial stock. Earth's Final War didn't have hexacats rampaging around (eek!), but no one is going to forget that when it comes to thinking about tinkering with non-human intelligent species either. Informed consent is tricky with treecats, when they haven't got the background understanding humans do. And the prospect of natural treecats being supplanted by their hulking altered descendants is no more palatable to Beowulfers and their ideological fellow-travellers than being relegated to servant castes and forced sterilization by Mesan ubermenschen.

The Hexapuma-Treecat mix would scare the hell out of me. Your talking of making a being that will potentially weigh upwards of 8-900kg (17-1900lbs) with razor sharp claws that are 10-15cm (4-6in) in length.

saber964 wrote:The Hexapuma-Treecat mix would scare the hell out of me. Your talking of making a being that will potentially weigh upwards of 8-900kg (17-1900lbs) with razor sharp claws that are 10-15cm (4-6in) in length.

It would remove the cuteness factor but no one who was not packing a plasma cannon and powered armor would mess with anyone who was linked to one of those, I am now envisioning the assassination in HOTQ with Nimitz the size of a horse

Was not there something in one of the story lines that said that for the celery to be really good and yummy it had to be grown locally? Something in the native soil that was concentrated in the celery? Yumm yumm. HB of CJ (old coot) Cats are cool. Treecats would be extra cool.