Scientist accused of playing God after creating artificial life

• Phunkie wrote on 2010-05-24 03:17
  There are nanobots being implemented all over different fields of science right now.
  
  Some of them are designed to work inside your body.
  
  
  Artificial life, intelligent robotic life... it's all the same to me these days. As long as you design it to do what you want it to do, you'll be fine. I don't see an outbreak of rebel robots happening soon. Perhaps not ever.
  
  A revengeful robot seems unlikely to me.
• Cucurbita wrote on 2010-05-24 03:17

  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.

  
  
  Whether its funded or not, whether we advocate it or look down on it, advancements in technology and medical research WILL happen.
  
  And we won't be seeing I am Legend scenarios at all. Retarded reporter speculation, has no idea what he's even talking about.
  
  This field will prove very beneficial, even almost NECESSARY as we create additional supplies for the world. Health and fuel, yes.
  
  And we see risks of biological weapons yes, but its not like we don't already have it. Just some deadly virus, no more dangerous than a bomb threat.
  
  Once again, pic very related.
  
  

  [Image: http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v608/KitaeK27/1273885433320.gif]

  
  
  

  Quote from Shirayuki;42426:

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

  
  
  Silly, killing zombies doesn't put food on the table.
• BobYoMeowMeow wrote on 2010-05-24 03:21
  the cat doesnt get it
  how are scientists playing God if they're not actively trolling people's lives.
• woohoohelloppl wrote on 2010-05-24 03:25
  This is like FMA all over again. XD
• Osayidan wrote on 2010-05-24 03:25
  Plants clean CO2, particularly the large forests we love to chop down.
  
  We have the technology for much cleaner fuels, but no one invests in it because it would mean money loss (cheaper, cleaner energy = charge people less = less profit). If Nikola Tesla had not be ridiculed, his lab burnt down and most of his work confiscated, we would be able to get free electricity from the atmosphere, and transmit it wireless where needed. He had all this stuff documented and some of it even working, and tried to get it out there, but the big guys didn't like it.
  
  As for oil spills they wouldn't be happening if my previous paragraph had turned out differently.
  
  So I think some of the uses for this is pretty lame, but there's lots of other things that could be useful. Especially combined with nano machines which are starting to become a reality.
• Cucurbita wrote on 2010-05-24 03:38

  Quote from BobYoMeowMeow;42640:

  the cat doesnt get it
  how are scientists playing God if they're not actively trolling people's lives.

  
  
  Give 20 years and the scope of this "playing god" argument will be on another level.
  
  "Creating life? Common practice".
  
  "Modifying laws of physics? Warping new planets from scratch? STOP PLAYING GOD" - Us.
  
  "You old people don't understand" says the 2010+ generation.
• Rime wrote on 2010-05-24 04:00
  It's actually algae that produces most of our oxygen-about 330 billion tons of it a year if I recall correctly. Trees, especially the ones in the rain forest, are important since they're habitats for species that have yet to be discovered. If you don't know why that's significant, consider this: it was recently discovered that a protein produced by deep-sea sponges assists in the treatment of cancer.
  
  As science major, I find that ignorance and assumptions that entail ignorance to be both outrageous and stifling. Honestly, they should make science degrees a requirement for journalist who report on scientific news, because, the one who wrote this article is reeking of ignorance. What really gives it away is the fact that gene splicing, a closely related area in biotechnology, has been has been a tool in research for years and he didn't even comment on it. Why is he complaining about this now when something that should have generated post-apocalyptic scenarios in his mind has been around for ages? And the freaking scenario in I am Legend was caused by a virus treatment that wasn't even elaborated upon, not a bacterial infection. Gawd.
• Deitylight wrote on 2010-05-27 18:09

  Quote from Rime;42673:

  It's actually algae that produces most of our oxygen-about 330 billion tons of it a year if I recall correctly. Trees, especially the ones in the rain forest, are important since they're habitats for species that have yet to be discovered. If you don't know why that's significant, consider this: it was recently discovered that a protein produced by deep-sea sponges assists in the treatment of cancer.
  
  As science major, I find that ignorance and assumptions that entail ignorance to be both outrageous and stifling. Honestly, they should make science degrees a requirement for journalist who report on scientific news, because, the one who wrote this article is reeking of ignorance. What really gives it away is the fact that gene splicing, a closely related area in biotechnology, has been has been a tool in research for years and he didn't even comment on it. Why is he complaining about this now when something that should have generated post-apocalyptic scenarios in his mind has been around for ages? And the freaking scenario in I am Legend was caused by a virus treatment that wasn't even elaborated upon, not a bacterial infection. Gawd.

  
  
  I couldn't agree more with you with, I hope you become a scientist to benifit the human race one day.