BBC and Rice DNA

During lunch, I sometimes listen to "BBC News" on NPR. I enjoy it for a couple of reasons: one, I like the way the female announcer says "It's 18:42 GMT." And it's not like I'm fascinated by a 24-hour clock, I actually like her breathy voice and the way she elongates the "T." I also like the way they read stock quotes. In stead of saying stock ABC is "up point four percent," it's "stock ABC is up naught point four percent." It's a little annoying if all 10-15 stocks about which they're reporting have a preceding zero; however, an occasional 'naught' makes me giggle.

Today's show featured a segment about how scientists have "finally" unscrambled the genetic code for rice. Yes, that all-too-tricky carbohydrate well all know and love, stripped of it's genetic mystique. Apparently it took them seven years to do this, and it's considered "the most important breakthrough genetic science has achieved." Now at first, I have to admit, I chuckled at this. I fantasized about how we'll be able to genetically alter rice so that when refrigerated, Chinese food could be enjoyed a second time, or how perhaps we could go from "Minute Rice" to "Second Rice." But then I drifted back to seriousness... Did you know:

• Rice is a type of grass that grows 2-6 feet tall
• Its edible grain is the primary food for over half the world's population
• Rice was first cultivated in Thailand at least 6,000 years ago
• Each rice cell contains somewhere in the region of 40,000 to 60,000 genes
• Each human cell has only about 30,000 to 40,000 genes

So how's THAT for a blow to the ego? Technically, we're less complex than rice. And apparently, at 16 billion genomes (humans have 3 billion), we're also getting our arses kicked by wheat. Who knew grass could be so complicated.

Anywho, I genuinely hope these scientists don't waste too much time trying to use this code to improve the health/diets of starving third-world children, or do something ridiculous like make it resistant to disease or spoilage (those farmers need SOMETHING to do). The real opportunity here is to pander directly to the American consumer by developing a lush green lawn grass that would never change color, never grow and never need watering/fertilizing. This way, I'd never, ever, have to mow the lawn again. Now THAT'S science!