Scientists create "artificial life"

In one of the biggest breakthroughs in recent history, scientists have created a synthetic genome that can self-replicate. So what does this mean? Are we about to become gray goo?

Led by Craig Venter of the J. Craig Venter Institute (JCVI), the team of scientists combined two existing techniques to transplant synthetic DNA into a bacteria. First they chemically synthesized a bacterial genome, then they used well-known nuclear transfer techniques (used in IVF) to transplant the genome into a bacteria. And apparently the bacteria replicated itself, too, thus creating a second generation of the synthetic DNA. The process is being hailed as revolutionary.

Gojiratoho wrote:This is no more terrifying than any other scientific breakthrough done because "we could". I see limitless possibilities for this field of science, one example that springs to mind is the curing of incurable diseases. Immortality here we come.

Dr. Wade Fucking McNasty wrote:Very interesting. I can get what K-Whack is saying though: The applications for these discoveries is so far removed from relatively more urgent concerns and the amount of time and effort it will take to simply apply these discoveries to something practical. Like the project I worked on 2 years ago--essentially making a heat detector similar to how pit vipers heat sensors work, thus allowing one to track something that has already passed. It has applications in war (the military funded the project) but from a practical standpoint, one would have to be extremely creative, especially considering how such technology is not readily available. In any case, personally, I'm excited by this. Seems cool, but I get what Kwhack is talking about (at least that's how I interpreted it. Sorry if I'm off base). They're very valid concerns.

Joshua wrote:Major scientific breakthroughs usually lead me to have the following train of thought:
1.) Does this get me any closer to owning a flying car?
2.) If yes, awesome. If no, meh.

Joshua wrote:Major scientific breakthroughs usually lead me to have the following train of thought:
1.) Does this get me any closer to owning a flying car?
2.) If yes, awesome. If no, meh.

melvinlikechris wrote:A friend told me about this today, he said that this allows for the creation of any life form. I asked if this means that they could make me a hot alien wife. He said that was a possibility and then I got a massive boner..... and that was the story of my day.

azrael07 wrote:can a mod delete this post please?

Gojiratoho wrote:Because we can.

Rath99 wrote:

Gojiratoho wrote:Because we can.

It doesn't mean we should.


I see the clone wars coming!!

azrael07 wrote:but the clone is real, and Arnold is the real clone, and the clone doesn't know he's a clone thanks to the memory implants!


besides, Scientists should know better, i mean surely they've had to have seen sci-fi movies where cloning and splicing goes terribly wrong.