[X] My Assistant

[Reyo]

http://getbetterhealth.com/synthetic-life-...atar/2010.06.03

As a biolologist, this is relevant to my interests, yet I'm just now posting it.
Anyway, this section needed a change of face.

So what does this mean? What conclusions do we draw? Are we stepping on "God's domain"? Does this confirm that some kind of intelligence is needed to form life? I'm not very religious, but I can't help but feel that it'll be brought up anyway.

Just to humor everyone, I won't do that "wait untill alot of people have posted before showing opinion lol" crap. Here's my take on it.

It makes perfect sense. We're not run by magic, we're run by DNA which has been proven to just be a clump of material that can be found in nature. All we are is the sum of our parts that came together, whether it was accidental or not doesn't matter. My religion isn't really stepped on since it makes more sense to me that God is the physical manefestation of the Universe more than anything else. We're apart of that physical manefestation, aren't we? Now if God doesn't exist, and the Universe isn't self aware, then what does it matter? We exsted well before synthetic life did.

Lastly, I have hope for this. It means that there's potential in creating lifeforms that can target, and kill the AIDS virus, or the Herpes...maybe even cancer.

Your turn.

EDIT: Now comes in new poll smell!!

[Embry]

I remember reading about this on a different forum, and I sort of have a mixed feeling about this. I just hope that the scientists takes their time carefully while they're doing this process, and hopefully they use this idea for greater good such as creating man-made creatures eating our rubbish and such. c:

[Song of Ice and ...]

I am definitely excited about this piece of news. I think it is a huge step forward for science and mankind in general. If it helps even just one person combat a disease that otherwise would've killed them or seriously damaged/hurt them, then it is worth the risk of that often some with discoveries of any sort.

They also talked about making fuel that could help drive down costs of fuel, let alone make it more environmentally friendly. Not that I'm a big global warming believer, but when you look at the oil spill in the Gulf and think about how it's going to effect our economy and all the marine life the, we have to realize that there have to be better alternatives than drilling for our fuel.

Now don't get me wrong, I am a God fearing woman, but I don't think that He would have made humans as smart and curious as we are, if He didn't want us to make these types of discoveries. Also I don't believe it is playing god, when the DNA isn't even "real" DNA, it's fake. So there's no killing of any kind going into making these cells, and it's not like a Frankenstein kind of thing.

The only thing I would be worried about is the harmful things that potentially could be made with the "synthetic life," but the fact that Dr Venter and the other scientists he works have been addressing the ethical and safety issues from the very start, leaves me feeling very optimistic about it.

I know that most of these things won't happen until far in the furute, probably when I'mdead, but it makes me happy knowing that it could potentially help my (future) family.

Also I voted yes for the poll. I think would be awesome if pokemon were real, and as I say that to myself I realize how big of a dork I actually am, but to have a little vulpix, eevee, or any other poke to follow me around and stuff would be ah-mazing. c:

[FancyGranola]

I really like the idea that this discovery has presented, but truly, I feel that we are stepping within God's domain. A synthetic life form is nothing more than a machine. Is it really within us to bypass these limits that make us "human?" I'm not being some weird strange philosopher, but this is really troubling. Do we limit these creatures and give these lifeforms meaning and a will? Sooner or later, we will create a conscience being! But nonetheless, if we give them a will, we risk the threat of them taking over and so thus, it would be logical to restrain their conscience. If we do, I am sure this creation will break free of their restraints because mother nature will ultimately punish us for our sins...

[Reyo]

I really like the idea that this discovery has presented, but truly, I feel that we are stepping within God's domain. A synthetic life form is nothing more than a machine. Is it really within us to bypass these limits that make us "human?" I'm not being some weird strange philosopher, but this is really troubling. Do we limit these creatures and give these lifeforms meaning and a will? Sooner or later, we will create a conscience being! But nonetheless, if we give them a will, we risk the threat of them taking over and so thus, it would be logical to restrain their conscience. If we do, I am sure this creation will break free of their restraints because mother nature will ultimately punish us for our sins...

The way I see it, if God didn't want us stepping "in his domain" then wouldn't he have made doing so impossible? He's omnipotent. If he didn't want us creating life, then why not make it physically impossible for us to complete the tast?

[FancyGranola]

It's the same thing as the garden of Eden the way I see it. The possibility is there, but it is up to us to resist the temptation. God's domain is not to be trespassed and violated. This is almost going no where because we are talking in a very abstract manner, but still. Ultimately, if we are to violate this rule, we might be bitten in the posterior for our mistakes and be punished with an explosion of disease or whatever.

[Reyo]

It's the same thing as the garden of Eden the way I see it. The possibility is there, but it is up to us to resist the temptation. God's domain is not to be trespassed and violated. This is almost going no where because we are talking in a very abstract manner, but still. Ultimately, if we are to violate this rule, we might be bitten in the posterior for our mistakes and be punished with an explosion of disease or whatever.

So if this IS all one big test to see if we do it or not, and there is a right and wrong way to do it, why isn't there some kind of "review"? Why aren't there little "quizzes" that we take where there's a buffer inbetween getting the information, and taking the full blown exam worth 60% of the grade? It just seems that the big man is setting us up to fail with the lack of credible warnings, and the extreme punishment that comes afterwards. I mean, why would a benevolent God allow that?

[Ice Charizard]

I agree completely with Reyo. If God didn't want us to create life, then he wouldn't have done it. And if for some strange reason he didn't want artificial life on Earth, then he is gonna send us some sort of warning sign. There is nothing in the Bible (I think) that says "Mankind shall not create life." A benevolent and all-loving God wouldn't do that to us.

[LiteSpeed]

FUCK YEAH MUDKIP!!!!

Serioustimenow.

Yea, if synthetic life is gonna save a person's life, who the heck cares if it's anti-religous. I'm willing to bet someone would say it's "anti God" and stuff, then turn around and support it when they get a huge disease.