Synthetic Life

[BankItDrew]

Increasing our basic understanding of life, replacing the petrol-chemical industry, becoming a major source of energy, enhancing bioremediation, accelerating antibiotic and vaccine discovery and production. All of these things are now a possibility thanks to synthetic life now being created using computers. The following videos will help to explain exactly this is all about.


YouTube - Craig Venter unveils "synthetic life" (May 21st 2010)

YouTube - Craig Venter: On the verge of creating synthetic life (March 2008)

[mrhappy333]

I saw this in the news the other day. I'm still not sure about the whole idea.

[spoonitnow]

It's the work of the devil!

Just like trains, people with seizures, and calculus.

[bigred]

ya, fuck calculus...nothin but devil talk

[Hawk]

My issue with all this stuff isn't the "playing god" issue from a religious standpoint, it's the fact that people tend to get ourselves in trouble by not considering the consequences of what we do. I believe that good could come of all this. I'm also worried that we'll end up creating something that gets out and causes havoc.

While I'm obviously no geneticist, I wasn't aware that we understood DNA/life to the point that we'd be able to see that there are no "features" in whatever new type of life that we create that could present problems we've never had to deal with.

Besides, we've had enough problems about already existing species being moved to new areas and creating all sorts of unexpected problems in their new habitats. I'd imagine creating something that doesn't even exist yet could do similar things.

If I could trust everyone who is ever to be involved to behave wisely and ethically, then I'd not have such a problem with it all, but humans are imperfect, they make mistakes, and are power hungry (so one of the first things developed would probably be a new weapon of some sort).

[givememyleg]

The same technology that saves lives creates atomic bombs, but we can't just stop it all to avoid catastrophe.

It's weird, I started watching this video with high expectations but when it was done I didn't think it sounded like anything too amazing. Perhaps I just can't wrap my head around it yet. Can't wait til they take over the world though.

[oskar]

I read that in the sunday paper. This is amazing! I hope they make radioactive killer zombis. That would be so sweet.
and lol @ people and their moral issues.

[a500lbgorilla]

The playing God that happened was synthesizing the DNA from Bacteria A+ and bejiggering it into Bacteria A-, making it a synthetic Bacteria A+. After proof of concept, they froze the little buggers. Though they could build a totally new synthetic DNA with existing technology, they can't just stick any old sting of code in to any old cell and make a monster, yet.

[bigred]

The playing God that happened was synthesizing the DNA from Bacteria A+ and bejiggering it into Bacteria A-, making it a synthetic Bacteria A+. After proof of concept, they froze the little buggers. Though they could build a totally new synthetic DNA with existing technology, they can't just stick any old sting of code in to any old cell and make a monster, yet.

This wreaks of heresy! Kill the 500 lb gorilla!

[a500lbgorilla]

D:

[Hawk]

Just last night I saw a preview for the new movie, Splice. (SPLICE)

It almost made me LOL after having posted what I did because, based on the preview, it looks like a hollywood version of what I was talking about. It looks like a good movie!