Scientists Create Artificial Form of Life

[peptoabysmal]

Scientists Create Artificial Form of Life (http://www.voanews.com/article.cfm?objectID=7654E5C9-5F63-4E16-91C398D5F16AC0DE)

Does this story have philosophical / religious implications beyond just science and technophobia?

[c4ts]

A virus is not life.

[calladus]

Originally posted by c4ts
A virus is not life. Hmmm, I'm not sure what the official definition is, but to me, anything that can reproduce itself is pretty darn close to it.

More power to these guys, maybe we can just skip the whole stupid Stem Cell thing anyway?

Of course, now I'm worried about Gene hackers. What if manipulating DNA gets to be so easy that any Joe with a Pentium 12 and Windows 2050 can give his puppy dog custom wings?

[c4ts]

Originally posted by calladus
Hmmm, I'm not sure what the official definition is, but to me, anything that can reproduce itself is pretty darn close to it.

More power to these guys, maybe we can just skip the whole stupid Stem Cell thing anyway?

Of course, now I'm worried about Gene hackers. What if manipulating DNA gets to be so easy that any Joe with a Pentium 12 and Windows 2050 can give his puppy dog custom wings?

Viruses don't reproduce themselves. They don't even eat. They just move robotically along until they hit something with a strand of DNA. Then whatever it is they successfully hit reproduces the virus. In this case it just happens to be bacteria compatible.