Synthetic life!

Muzzoid

Amazing :O.

Its strange to think that we have actually done it now.

http://www.ted.com/talks/craig_venter_unveils_synthetic_life.html

Tumerboy

Frightening.

Neox

it has a website

Moosey_G

THE FUTURE IS AT HAND!

ZacD

I also heard scientists were working on recreating life from just primordial goo...

Moosey_G

That was a while ago. They succeeded I'm pretty sure. They weren't looking for "life" as we know it, mind you.

Joseph Silverman

Tumerboy wrote: »

Frightening.

Early scientific tests have already established that this synthetic dna contains 100% of the possible organic potential for evil

ChaosEidolon

...and I bet 100$ that more americans know about Lindsey Lohan's jailtime than this.

yeah, this is big stuff. Go future!

Tumerboy

How long before it becomes self aware?

Moosey_G

Depends, the very edge of the west and east coast has intelligence, but the area in between (colloquially know as "Jesus Land") says otherwise.

Saiainoshi

Radness with a side of rad. This is awesome.

Moosey_G

Bacteria is not seen as "life" by scientific community, it's not really self aware.

ZacD

I see bacteria as little programs that just perform a set of tasks, but you could say that about plants, and are plants considered life?

eld

well yes, by some definition, life is able to reproduce, evolve, and consumes some kind of stuff to live.

bacteria and plants does those things.

jrs100000

Bacteria, plants, fungus, etc are all alive. Self awareness and intelligence are not part of the definition for life.

Viruses, on the other hand, are not considered to be alive due to the fact that they can not reproduce without a host cell.

Edit: and on the subject of self awareness, there are only a handful of animals that are considered self aware: Great apes, elephants, dolphins, and maybe some of the smarter birds. They have also been looking into some species of octopus, but I dont think there has been anything official on that front.

Muzzoid

I'm really exited to see the medical benefits we get out of this, being able to create life is just the first step to truly custom organisms to aid medicine.

Self awarenesss has nothing to do with the classification of life. And this is a tiny organism guys, we are a hell of a long way off creating complex organisms.

teaandcigarettes

I for one welcome our new synthetic overlords. I'd like to remind them that organic meatbags can be useful for... ah, fuck it. It's only a matter of time before they take your jorbs.

jrs100000

The medical stuff will be cool, but just imagine the engineering possibilities. Metal plated bacteria arranging themselves into complex patterns based on commands from chemical and electrical signals...

Japhir

jrs100000 wrote: »

Bacteria, plants, fungus, etc are all alive. Self awareness and intelligence are not part of the definition for life.

Viruses, on the other hand, are not considered to be alive due to the fact that they can not reproduce without a host cell.

Edit: and on the subject of self awareness, there are only a handful of animals that are considered self aware: Great apes, elephants, dolphins, and maybe some of the smarter birds. They have also been looking into some species of octopus, but I dont think there has been anything official on that front.

Hah was about to post that first part .

Yeah this is great stuff! They might be able to create bacteria able to take CO2 and turn it into H as a powersupply . Pretty old already though .

jrs100000

Japhir wrote: »

Hah was about to post that first part .

Yeah this is great stuff! They might be able to create bacteria able to take CO2 and turn it into H2 as a powersupply . Pretty old already though .

But the planet is already covered in stuff that does that :shifty:

Muzzoid

Japhir wrote: »

Pretty old already though .

2 months isnt that old .... Sorry that I'm slow mr fast.

Japhir

didn't mean to sound all douchy and all .

jrs: haven't heard of an organism making hydrogen that can be used in our vehicles/powerplants yet...

jrs100000

Japhir wrote: »

didn't mean to sound all douchy and all .

jrs: haven't heard of an organism making hydrogen that can be used in our vehicles/powerplants yet...

Sure they do, they just bind it up with the carbon they pulled out of the CO2. Thats where we get all our wood/coal/oil/sugars/etc.

CO2 + H2O + Sunlight -> O2 + HxCx -> CO2 + H2O + Heat
Photosynthesis of carbon dioxide and water : creates oxygen and a hydrocarbon : which when burned or digested creates carbon dioxide, water, and energy.
The circle of life.

JacqueChoi

Isn't this how the zombie apocalypse starts?

Tumerboy

JacqueChoi wrote: »

Isn't this how the zombie apocalypse starts?

ezackly!

Thegodzero

No no that was caused by a meteor! Or a evil pharmaceutical corporation hell bent on world domination!

Muzzoid

I'm pretty sure if the movies were to believed we would already be dead a hundred times over...

D4V1DC

JacqueChoi wrote: »

Isn't this how the zombie apocalypse starts?

Prepare for head shots!:poly124:

What happens when an e.m.p. goes off near these things? Am I on the right track here... meh

Muzzoid

$!nz wrote: »

What happens when an e.m.p. goes off near these things? Am I on the right track here... meh

Nothing...

divi

more money for the large corporations from treatment for widespread diseases.
yay capitalism.

Muzzoid

divi wrote: »

more money for the large corporations from treatment for widespread diseases.
yay capitalism.

Yeah damn yuppies and their profiting off helping the human race :poly127:

Skamberin

So when can I design the my dream test-tube-girl?

Muzzoid

I suggest a love bot... those can be switched off.