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Scientists create artificial life form

Kandahar

Kandahar

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Scientists working with J. Craig Venter have successfully created a completely artificial life form for the first time in human history. Today is truly a milestone in biotechnology, unrivaled since the Human Genome Project was completed in 2003.

BBC News - 'Artificial life' breakthrough announced by scientists

Scientists in the US have succeeded in developing the first synthetic living cell.

The researchers constructed a bacterium's "genetic software" and transplanted it into a host cell.

The resulting microbe then looked and behaved like the species "dictated" by the synthetic DNA.

The advance, published in Science, has been hailed as a scientific landmark, but critics say there are dangers posed by synthetic organisms.

Dr Craig Venter says yeast, chemicals, and computers were used by scientists

The researchers hope eventually to design bacterial cells that will produce medicines and fuels and even absorb greenhouse gases.
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I literally just saw this. Very cool stuff.
 
[cheer][/cheer]

With all the computer-centric language tehy're using to describe Synthia, they should have named it "Hello, world!"
 
Wow, this is exciting and scary, like all scientific landmarks, I guess.
 
Jesus Christ.

Coincidentally i was thinking yesterday that it would take hundreds of years before we reach the scientific know-how to create a life form. How can such a sacred thing as life be made in a lab? Surely there's more to it than just this? I suppose i overestimated how easily life could be replicated....so i change my mind. It would take hundreds of years to reach the scientific know-how to create an intelligent life form - assuming we ever do. But will i be disproved again a decade down the line?

BBC News - 'Artificial life' breakthrough announced by scientists
 
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EDIT: What do you think would happen if we stuck the thing in Mars or something? Force an ecosystem kind of thing? Make it so it could take the freezing martian winters and the general lack of certain gasses in the atmosphere?
 
Wow, this runs the gamut of very good to exceedingly bad. Whatever it is, make sure it is killed with penicillin. Didn't that guy watch "I Am Legend"?
 
Guy Incognito said:
Wow, this is exciting and scary, like all scientific landmarks, I guess.
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how soon until this technology will be used as a weapon?

or that something will be developed which results in horrendous unintended consequences

i fear our world's technology may have outstripped our ethics
 
MetalGear said:
EDIT: What do you think would happen if we stuck the thing in Mars or something? Force an ecosystem kind of thing? Make it so it could take the freezing martian winters and the general lack of certain gasses in the atmosphere?
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Probably not for this particular organism. But eventually, I think using synthetic life forms (or even natural life forms) to help terraform Mars will be possible.
 
justabubba said:
how soon until this technology will be used as a weapon?

or that something will be developed which results in horrendous unintended consequences
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Probably a couple decades. It's not really a question of if, but when IMO.

justabubba said:
i fear our world's technology may have outstripped our ethics
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Biotechnology has enormous potential to improve the world too. It holds the ability to cure all diseases and reverse the aging process so that people can stay young indefinitely.
 
In our lifetimes, well those of us in our 20s or 30s will probably see a varient of these lifeforms put on Mars with the purpose of helping create an atmosphere and terraforming the planet.

The benefits from something like this are endless. Combined with nanotechnology, technological breakthroughs like this will change the world.
 
justabubba said:
how soon until this technology will be used as a weapon?

or that something will be developed which results in horrendous unintended consequences

i fear our world's technology may have outstripped our ethics
Click to expand...

Yeah, no kidding. I'm wondering when will the war between organic and synthetic lifeforms finally come? And whose side will pervail?

But on the other hand this could lead to mankinds complete mastery over life itself, and some sort of biotech utopia, whatever that might mean. Or maybe someplace in between.:confused:

Maybe I'm making too much out of it.
 
RyrineaHaruno said:
BSG Battlestar galactic Cyclones xd
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I saw a couple of those shows but they should have called it Battlestar Sextacular. From what I saw, I wouldn't recommend that show for children or young adults.
 
bicycleman said:
I saw a couple of those shows but they should have called it Battlestar Sextacular. From what I saw, I wouldn't recommend that show for children or young adults.
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Yeap the older version was better I think.
 
This is cool stuff, however I think it may be a little over hyped. From what it looks like, they copied a living bacterium's DNA and transplanted it into another cell. We can already do this using plasmids. However, this is a great achievement in science.
 
digsbe said:
This is cool stuff, however I think it may be a little over hyped. From what it looks like, they copied a living bacterium's DNA and transplanted it into another cell. We can already do this using plasmids. However, this is a great achievement in science.
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Create an artificial Hillary Duff I can take home, and it will be an achievement oh I'll tell yah ;)
 
Kandahar said:
Scientists working with J. Craig Venter have successfully created a completely artificial life form for the first time in human history. Today is truly a milestone in biotechnology, unrivaled since the Human Genome Project was completed in 2003.

BBC News - 'Artificial life' breakthrough announced by scientists
Click to expand...


Dr Craig Venter says yeast, chemicals, and computers were used by scientists
Click to expand...


Whew!! For a moment, I got this scientist confused with Dr. Venture


VBJQComparison.png
 
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