Science on verge of new `Creation'

Chicago Tribune ^ | 3-38-04 | Ronald Kotulak

[dogbyte12]

More than 3.5 billion years after nature transformed non-living matter into living things, populating Earth with a cornucopia of animals and plants, scientists say they are finally ready to try their hand at creating life.

If they succeed, humanity will enter a new age of "living technology," where harnessing the power of life to spontaneously adapt to complex situations could solve problems that now defy modern engineering.

"There's nothing we could make that could compete with the predators that are out there and have had 3 billion years to evolve," he said. "Bacteria eat anything. They eat jet fuel, oil deposits, chlorinated hydrocarbons, anything. They will eat anything that we put out there to compete with them."

Another safeguard scientists are designing to provide total control over artificial cells is to make their lives dependent on chemicals that do not exist in the environment. Withdrawing the critical chemicals would result in the death of the cells, particularly if they should escape into the environment.

[skinkinthegrass]

Can we get them to eat Liberals?

Liberals are TOO TOXIC for the bacteria..."would a bacteria eat a (insert your favorite liberal)"?

...Shrillary/Bubba, Helen Thomas and/or Janet Rhino...as examples.

[Oberon]

I've long suspected that the closer we get to creating life in the lab, the wilder will be the shrieking from the creationist camp.

Nah. When life is created in the lab, it'll show that smart men with a plan and a purpose started with raw materials and ended up with life. Sounds like intelligent design to me.

[freedumb2003]

"Can we get them to eat Liberals?

Look...there are some things even bacteria won't do."

Like eat a lower life form

[djf]

This is like that rubbish a while back when some scientists said they think they can create a black hole.

NIMBY!!

Just cause you can do something, doesn't mean you should. For all their diplomas, etc, a few of these guys are first class idjuts.

[Buggman]

Oh, come on, PH! Your post plays out like a bad joke:

I've long suspected that the closer we get to creating life in the lab, the wilder will be the shrieking from the creationist camp.

I hope your rhetorical skills haven't declined that much since the days when we sparred on a regular basis. ;)

[PatrickHenry]

Buggsie! I'm delighted to see you here. Truly, I've missed you. You are one of the very best on your side of this endless debate.

[skinkinthegrass]

Can we get them to eat Liberals? Look...there are some things even bacteria won't do.

..Too cruel and unusual???..or are the liberals made-up of too many inert substances? :|

[Buggman]

Thanks. I've always enjoyed having you around too. Sorry I've been MIA--I just got burned out from revisiting the same issues month after month, and then my life got busy.

How's life been treating you?

[skinkinthegrass]

Can we get them to eat Liberals? Look...there are some things even bacteria won't do.

..Too cruel and unusual.

[PatrickHenry]

How's life been treating you?

Haven't yet been struck by lightning. Which disproves a whole lot of predictions around here.

[longshadow]

Lightning-like placemarker

[PatrickHenry]

Gone-for-the-evening placemarker.

[squidly]

Isn't that a little too Jurassic Park?

More Wrath of Khan, I think.

[The KG9 Kid]

"... Bacteria eat anything. They eat jet fuel, oil deposits, chlorinated hydrocarbons, anything. They will eat anything that we put out there to compete with them."

(SpyGuy)"... Can we get them to eat Liberals?

Some of them do eat Liberals: They're WMDs that the Liberals don't want us trying to protect the Free World against.

[Buggman]

Haven't yet been struck by lightning. Which disproves a whole lot of predictions around here.

Really? I may think you're wrong on this issue, but you've never been an intentional liar.

Good to chat with you. I'm getting back to IMing with my girlfriend, or I'd be tempted to post lengthy refutations just for old times sake. Have a great evening!

[RightWingAtheist]