Scientist accused of playing God after creating artificial life

• Kayate wrote on 2010-05-23 22:36

  Scientists today lined up to air their fears over a genome pioneer's claims that he has created artificial life in the laboratory.
  
  In a world first, which has alarmed many, maverick biologist and billionaire entrepreneur Craig Venter, built a synthetic cell from scratch.
  
  The creation of the new life form, which has been nicknamed 'Synthia', paves the way for customised bugs that could revolutionise healthcare and fuel production, according to its maker.
  
  But there are fears that the research, detailed in the journal Science, could be abused to create the ultimate biological weapon, or that one mistake in a lab could lead to millions being wiped out by a plague, in scenes reminiscent of the Will Smith film I Am Legend.
  

  
  
  Link-->Artificial life created by Craig Venter - but could it wipe out humanity? | Mail Online
  
  I lol'd at the part were they mention I am Legend I doubt that can happen.
• Phunkie wrote on 2010-05-23 22:54
  LOL at the people in the God vs. Religion thread who doubted that man was capable of doing this.
  
  Not just cloning per se, but a whole artificial life.
  
  Amazing.
  
  I think this further supports that idea that we were not created by a Supreme Being. Heck, he could be a scientist and the Universe could be his lab. We could all be his experiments. There are no rules we should follow.
  
  If Man can create Life, God is not special. That also means that there are certain conditions that must be present for Life to exist (or to be manufactured). Those conditions have been very well existed during the time of the early Earth.
• Kyouriharu wrote on 2010-05-23 23:04
  Ready your shotguns people. Zombie invasion, here we come.
• Iyasenu wrote on 2010-05-23 23:14
  i'm just a little disconcerted by this...
  if they end up making artificial people... it'd be a whole new kind of discrimination to worry about.
  
  not to mention people would be talking about how it's not helping earth's overcrowding problems.
  
  but i wonder how this can benefit people...
  -reads-
  
  ~after reading the chart~
  huh that sounds kinda useful, little bugs capable of being used to make clean fuels and sucking CO2 out of the atmosphere or microbes able to help clean up oil slicks...
  
  sounds futuristic :I
• Shirayuki wrote on 2010-05-23 23:16

  Quote from Kyouriharu;42414:

  Ready your shotguns people. Zombie invasion, here we come.

  
  
  I would probably enjoy fighting off zombies for the rest of my existence more than I would enjoy a job.
• Taycat wrote on 2010-05-23 23:17
  I'll lol once they create artificial beings that aren't affected by lack of oxygen or water pressure.
  
  But that's too much to ask.
• Sleeperdial wrote on 2010-05-23 23:23
  Scientist are gonna create a race of super humans and pretty soon the government will hunting normal people one by one.
• Rebel wrote on 2010-05-23 23:29
  I hope he bought himself a batcave/body guards, cause some radical/person/group will surely try and assassinate him.
  @_@
• Chillax wrote on 2010-05-23 23:37

  Quote from Iyasenu;42424:

  huh that sounds kinda useful, little bugs capable of being used to make clean fuels and sucking CO2 out of the atmosphere or microbes able to help clean up oil slicks...
  
  sounds futuristic :I

  
  
  But we already have most of this.
• Kayate wrote on 2010-05-23 23:49

  Quote from Shirayuki;42426:

  I would probably enjoy fighting off zombies for the rest of my existence more than I would enjoy a job.

  
  
  Hm it actually sound like fun
• Laconicus wrote on 2010-05-23 23:50
  Hasn't that scientist read Frankenstein? Now Sythia's gonna kill all his loved ones D:
  
  In all seriousness though man was NOT meant to do this. There are natural limits that are being broken here. Nature was put in place to prevent things from becoming too powerful. We're breaking this natural balance and creating something entirely new, most likely something very very bad.
• Mrlucky77 wrote on 2010-05-23 23:51

  Quote from Laconicus;42455:

  Hasn't that scientist read Frankenstein? Now Sythia's gonna kill all his loved ones D:
  
  In all seriousness though man was NOT meant to do this. There are natural limits that are being broken here. Nature was put in place to prevent things from becoming too powerful. We're breaking this natural balance and creating something entirely new, most likely something very very bad.

  
  
  Or something potentially good. Depends on if he can modify it to become an existing cell so that it doesn't do damage.
• Moppy wrote on 2010-05-24 00:17
  Meh, this is cool.
  
  Whatever comes from this(here's hoping for either zombies or a cure for cancer) we will hopefully see it be put to an interesting use within our lifetime.
• EndlessDreams wrote on 2010-05-24 00:55
  The truth is, that we will create the Protoss and the Zerg, and send them far far away. Then, we will send our prisoners there as well, and have real life Starcraft.
  
  Scientists accused of playing God isn't exactly a new accusation. It has been used both by the media and religious people over and over again. Although I don't see how a Scientist would be able to order a bunch of followers to kill millions of people over a belief like certain gods would do.
• MagitekKefka wrote on 2010-05-24 01:57
  Vwe he he he he... I like this.