Scientists create "artificial life"

[I want teh kotor 3]

Well, it looks like the holy grail of genetics has been achieved: we've produces artificial life. Holy ****, this is epic. While there's some debate as to wheter this is actually "aritifical", goddamn is this impressive. What do you guys think? Is this "artificial"? Is it "right" from a moral standpoint?

 

Edit: Sorry about the crappy second poll, I accidentally clicked "Enter."

Edited October 26, 2009 by I want teh kotor 3

[Rosbjerg]

He didn't create life though.. he "merely" transplanted it, which is interesting too, but not as grounbreaking.

 

Is it morally right? well that's not for me to decide, I see no problem with controlled experiments though, I would however have a problem with companies and private firms creating artificial life in the name of profit.

[jaguars4ever]

Who needs scientists when this guy can turn water into funk?

[Oner]

If the process doesn't involve "quills, parchments, ink and ...uh..rags?" then it's artificial imo.

[Purkake]

[Humodour]

Well, it looks like the holy grail of genetics has been achieved: we've produces artificial life. Holy ****, this is epic. While there's some debate as to wheter this is actually "aritifical", goddamn is this impressive. What do you guys think? Is this "artificial"? Is it "right" from a moral standpoint?

 

From a complex systems point of view, there's nothing espeically amazing about creating life (besides that it's... complex).

 

From the the perspective of a curious human however, it's pretty neat.

 

Why would it be immoral? It's a bacteria. It's no more immoral than coding a genetic algorithm.

[Gorth]

Edit: Sorry about the crappy second poll, I accidentally clicked "Enter."

I just thought your poll was biased

 

He didn't create life though.. he "merely" transplanted it, which is interesting too, but not as grounbreaking.

Indeed, doesn't look too different from the experiments with mammoth dna, trying to revive an extinct species. The moment he can inject completely artificially made dna on the other hand...

[Walsingham]

It's an interesting achievement but that article looks like it fails hard. Vitalism means only another living thing can produce life. But in this case he's cloning the DNA using a bacteria. If I may steal terminology from Oner if it's not done in a glass tube, or with hammers it's not artificial.

[Humodour]

that article looks like it fails hard.

 

Yes. The fact that it even mentions vitalism is hilarious. Vitalism was discredited centuries ago.

 

It's pretty easy to replicate (or even create) DNA artificially without bothering to clone it inside a bacteria or virus, but I'm not sure why that even classifies as creating life or playing god - it's just a polymer, like rubber, plastic, or wood.

Edited October 27, 2009 by Krezack