Have Scientists Really Created a New Life Form?

Have Scientists Really Created a New Life Form?

The big news headline was that Scientists created a new life form from a test tube. It is a single-celled organism and Scientists claims that the implications are enormous. It has been called a landmark achievement.

Humans have never successfully created life on their own before.

Creating life from non-life has been credited only to Almighty God and humans have failed repeatedly to do so.

So is this really a new life form? Does this mean mankind can now create life forms from non-living, inorganic matter? Not so fast.

The short answer is no, and Craig Venter has not claimed otherwise. It is a landmark achievement but not a new type of life as such.

If robots are life forms, then we are already there.

Originally posted by jax:

The short answer is no, and Craig Venter has not claimed otherwise.

I think he may have implied that he has: "It's a living species now, part of our planet's inventory of life." (from Craig Venter creates synthetic life form.)

I he makes a working cell from scratch too then he's got a legitimate claim for totally new life.

Craig Venter's discoveries are business oriented. Therefore all the marketing, lobbying and media propaganda.
The human genome sequence "race" between his Celera Genomics and the public Human Genome Project was a good example of this.

(robots are neither living nor thinking, at least at this stage)

His claim is for a "synthetic cell", which is different from a new type of life. Essentially it is a showcase of genetic engineering, using engineering principles and applying them to a bacterial cell. The code is constructed in a computer, but using existing biological processes to implement the code. This is a milestone, adding a number of tools to our bioengineering toolbox. But it is still bog old life.

Originally posted by Belfrager:

Craig Venter's discoveries are business oriented. Therefore all the marketing, lobbying and media propaganda.

The human genome sequence "race" between his Celera Genomics and the public Human Genome Project was a good example of this.

Yup, and there are concerns.

How about viruses? They are man made, not sure about their thinking ability though.

Craig Venters wife was reluctant to help him with his research. Apparently.

Originally posted by mohasin523:

So is this really a new life form?

Yes, probably more deadly than cancer.

I can imagine a lot of useful directions to his research and this is not a critic to the research itself but just thinking about the uses for it.
Removing the original ADN from a lot of beings and substitute it for "decent" and profitable ones. Yep Dr Mengele your dreams are coming true. Patented.

Science has to submit to ethics. But science can't develop without money. Does ethics and money goes well along?
I think that maybe this is an interesting theme for reflexion.

My guess is that the use of science is hardly ever subjected to ethical considerations.

The question about ethics and money is far too broad.

Even though Craig Venters didn't created a new life form, his discovery will lead to a new form of life if we properly support his work.

It may not amount to much...but I wish I had done it.

Nonsense, science will never know how to create life from nothing. Some things science is not suppose to know, deal with it. Modern day science is very primitive if you think about it. That's why they will never be able to create life. Scientist have big egos, they think then can unlock the secrets of the universe but really they are clowns. Most scientists end up teaching the same dogmatic gunk they learned in college. They know a lot about nothing important.

Originally posted by beta33:

Nonsense, science will never know how to create life from nothing. Some things science is not suppose to know, deal with it. Modern day science is very primitive if you think about it. That's why they will never be able to create life. Scientist have big egos, they think then can unlock the secrets of the universe but really they are clowns. Most scientists end up teaching the same dogmatic gunk they learned in college. They know a lot about nothing important.

What you said is nonsense secrets of the univrse is almost revealed.

Originally posted by beta33:

Nonsense, science will never know how to create life from nothing. Some things science is not suppose to know, deal with it. Modern day science is very primitive if you think about it. That's why they will never be able to create life. Scientist have big egos, they think then can unlock the secrets of the universe but really they are clowns. Most scientists end up teaching the same dogmatic gunk they learned in college. They know a lot about nothing important.

Dogmatic! - please carry on - I like to hear from an expert. Sounds like creationist speak to me.

It's arguable that "Nothing" does not exist, being only a concept for something which is not observed.Ironically religions have been arguing that for years, claiming that God exists when there is clearly nothing there.

Originally posted by beta33:

Nonsense, science will never know how to create life from nothing. Some things science is not suppose to know, deal with it. Modern day science is very primitive if you think about it. That's why they will never be able to create life. Scientist have big egos, they think then can unlock the secrets of the universe but really they are clowns. Most scientists end up teaching the same dogmatic gunk they learned in college. They know a lot about nothing important.

Which is why I post here. Thanks.

Originally posted by Thabotizz:

How about viruses? They are man made, not sure about their thinking ability though.

What.. who told you that viruses were man made?

Is this part of the "the government made HIV" conspiracy?

May be,Perhaps it can possible because this is a scientific era.

Originally posted by parkerjm:

Originally posted by Thabotizz:

How about viruses? They are man made, not sure about their thinking ability though.

What.. who told you that viruses were man made?

Is this part of the "the government made HIV" conspiracy?

Could it be that he means computer viruses?

Good point. That would certainly make more sense.