Mon Aug 20, 1:49 AM ET
WASHINGTON - Around the world, a handful of scientists are trying to create life from scratch and they're getting closer
Experts expect an announcement within three to 10 years from someone in the now little-known field of "wet artificial life."
Bedau said there are legitimate worries about creating life that could "run amok," but there are ways of addressing it, and it will be a very long time before that is a problem.
"When these things are created, they're going to be so weak, it'll be a huge achievement if you can keep them alive for an hour in the lab," he said. "But them getting out and taking over, never in our imagination could this happen."
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070820/ap_on_sc/artificial_life;_ylt=Asv7gp5YYDJx_Vy54uCv6HX737YB
Hmm, somehow that last part about: "But them getting out and taking over, never in our imagination could this happen" is not very comforting. After all, didn't "they" say the Titanic was "unsinkable"?!
2007-08-20 19:05:14 · 18 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Is the life truly artificial? Life is life, right?
People got all worried about cloning. Yes, cloning is weird - especially when people initiate it. BUT - cloning happens naturally too. Identical twins ARE clones.
Is the life going to run amok? I doubt it. What they create will be significantly less "alive" than something as low as bacteria.
2007-08-20 19:48:21 · answer #1 · answered by Matt 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Actually scientists still have a long way to go when it comes to creating any life, although the media likes to portray it otherwise. All they are doing now is take what's there and experiment with it. The process is analogous to a child dismantling a sophisticated piece of machinery such as a computer and boasting to his father, "Hey, dad, I found a fan inside, it actually blows air!" But I have a feeling this is not the kind of answer some here would like to hear.
2007-08-21 02:14:29 · answer #2 · answered by Mutations Killed Darwin Fish 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
actually the statement about the Titanic was "even GOD cannot sink it". Pride always comes before a fall. Interesting connection though between the two stories. Yes it is very dangerous to play God and create artificial life. When I first read this article, actually from another question earlier, the one thing that stood out was the word artificial- so therefore even the scientists must think that humans created are the REAL thing. Let us leave the creating of life, to the CREATOR- He is the expert. When we start "playing God" then we can get ourselves in trouble, look what happened to Satan.
2007-08-21 02:14:05 · answer #3 · answered by AdoreHim 7 · 3⤊ 2⤋
Considering there is a difference between life and intelligent life, why would anyone worry? Mad scientists are a thing of fiction.
And if they should create intelligent life, that might be the secret to unlocking the mysteries of humanity. Think how many things can be learned, and lives saved. Things like this are groundbreaking and amazing.
Agnostic.
2007-08-21 03:07:46 · answer #4 · answered by mathaowny 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Saying the Titanic was unsinkable was about it would survive any weather. But crashing into a large iceberg was not addressed.
With the "new species of artificial life" they were probably joking.
2007-08-21 02:13:48 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
i think that it would take from decades to centuries to create creatures strong enough to do us any harm. using the process that they use, it makes small bacteria like creatures that like they said would be too weak to even live and would need tons of help to live for a little while. and im pretty sure they can contain whatever they create.
2007-08-21 02:13:56 · answer #6 · answered by queenofthepenguinz 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Creation of life from scratch or even cloning or creation of ful man has no comparison with God. God created all matter from nothing, created light and life ab initio.
2007-08-21 02:17:37 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 2⤋
Ever heard of a little thing called the Tower of Babel...they were trying to 'play' God and look at what happened to them. Will we EVER learn from our mistakes?
2007-08-21 02:11:53 · answer #8 · answered by cbmultiplechoice 5 · 4⤊ 1⤋
well you said it. titanic was not unsinkable, and artificial life which is not even being designed for robustness will certainly not be unkillable.
2007-08-21 02:16:43 · answer #9 · answered by vorenhutz 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Evedently they don't believe in God. If you think about there is not really proof. You have to believe in the Bible and Gods word.Since they don't believe in that they make up some mumbo jumbo about like gorillas started it all. But of corse they didn't God did. :)
2007-08-21 02:17:43 · answer #10 · answered by WILSON K 2 · 0⤊ 2⤋