We are now Gods

[Barklessdog]

Seems we have created synthetic organic cell = life

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703559004575256470152341984.html?mod=djemalertNEWS

Code Select Expand

Heralding a new era in biology, scientists for the first time have created a synthetic cell, completely controlled by man-made genetic instructions, which can survive and reproduce itself, researchers at the private J. Craig Venter Institute announced Thursday.

[Barklessdog]

"I don't think it represents the creation of an artificial life form," said biomedical engineer James Collins at Boston University. "I view this as an organism with a synthetic genome, not as a synthetic organism. It is tough to draw where the line is."

Although the new cell, a form of bacteria, was conceived solely as a demonstration project, several biologists were certain that the laboratory technique used to birth it would soon be applied to other strains of bacteria with commercial potential.

As long as there is commercial potential..

[Highlander]

Pandora's Box is something that once opened cannot be closed again...

I am still kinda freaked by GM - do I want to eat a tomatoe that is part fish...?

[Basshappi]

God help us.

[uwe]

I'm not blindly in favor of this stuff, but it will develop and proceed no matter what we do - science, even when going in a wrong direction, can never be halted no matter what men, churches and politicians do to stop it. All Godzillas come out of the ocean eventually. "History shows again and again ... Go-Go-Godzilla!"

Let's face it: We'll have artificial life long before Gibson reintroduces chrome hardware ... (Exit with mad Vincent Price laugh!)

[Highlander]

... how nature points out the follies of man... (BOC)

[Dave W]

When the Hadron Collider tears a hole in the space-time continuum, maybe this project will get sucked into the void.

[Barklessdog]

Any one see the UK rat brain cell controlled robot?

rat brain controlled robot


The thing that scares me about all this is what countries without ethics do. I saw an article of  Chinese face transplants that they do that go horribly wrong. They supposedly do them routinely now.

I'm all for curing diseases, but not by creating monsters. No ones going to stop it either.

[Denis]

Seems we have created synthetic organic cell = life

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703559004575256470152341984.html?mod=djemalertNEWS

Code Select Expand

Heralding a new era in biology, scientists for the first time have created a synthetic cell, completely controlled by man-made genetic instructions, which can survive and reproduce itself, researchers at the private J. Craig Venter Institute announced Thursday.

Does this make up for all the marine life we are killing in the Gulf due to the oil spew?

[Dave W]

Does this make up for all the marine life we are killing in the Gulf due to the oil spew?

They don't seem to be able to control that, looks like it's going to get a lot worse before it gets better.

[Denis]

You said it, Dave. I figured BP was lying about how much was spewing out of those leaks. They keep saying, "We'll trying this new approach in a few days or next week, etc" and I'm thinking, "No, you are going to try something today and if that doesn't work you are trying this other thing tomorrow and if that doesn't work you are trying this other thing the day after that."

It disgusts me.

What this shows is that they really did not have a plan at all in case something went wrong. Sitting out in my backyard last night with a beer and enjoying the nice weather it felt slightly ominous, like some in Europe probably felt when Chernobyl melted down.

I've contacted someone about switching my truck over to biodiesel full time.

[Pilgrim]

I immediately copied that URL and dropped it into my online course which examines the impacts of technology on society.

GREAT article for a graduate-level discussion!

And yes, BP lies.  It's their job to put the best possible face on everything.  Problem is, when you spin too hard, you get caught.  They got caught.

[patman]

I can't believe they let these people drill at depths where they obviously can't control a "mishap".

It appears they have no idea how to stop the leak.

And I read that any criticism of them is "un-american"?

 

[Denis]

Boy, the idea that criticism of anything is "un-American" is simply ridiculous! America became a nation independent of England in large part because we were critical of the way King George treated us as a colony.

If anything, criticism is absolutely American!

[uwe]

BP's (mis)handling of the oil spill is indeed amateur hour. This has probably long been discussed and rejected, but why exactly don't they plant a bomb there, even a small nuclear one and blow up the hole? I can't believe we have all these nuclear subs in the world's oceans that can blow up half of Russia or half of the US, yet we are unable to fill the leak by blowing it up. My guess is that the oil field is still to interesting for future use to do something as radical as that.