Synthetic Life Form Grows in Fla. Lab

[Adsos Letter]

Source: Discovery News
Irene Klotz

When NASA began thinking about missions to look for life beyond Earth, it realized it had a problem: how to recognize life if it were found.

Scientists came up with a definition for life -- a self-sustaining chemical system capable of Darwinian evolution -- but remained understandably fuzzy on the details.

It is still not known how life on Earth took hold, what happened to a bunch of chemicals that made them capable of supporting a metabolism, replicating and evolution. But a new field of science, called synthetic biology, is aiming to find out.

One of the most promising developments lies in a beaker of water inside a Florida laboratory. It's an experiment called AEGIS -- an acronym for Artificially Expanded Genetic Information System. Its creator, Steve Benner, says it is the first synthetic genetic system capable of Darwinian evolution.

http://dsc.discovery.com/news/2009/02/27/synthetic-life.html

video at link

[Duer 157099]

1. Cue Homer Simpson picking up the glass and drinking it

dunno why but that's the first thing that popped in my head

[originalpckelly]

2. Why do I think Andromeda Strain (and not the recent one that was shitty)?

Just watched the movie a few weeks ago, and I'll tell you what, even though that shit came from space, this is just along the same lines. Who knows what will happen if we start fucking around with shit.

[Ichingcarpenter]

4. Who knows what will happen if we start fucking around with shit?

Republicans happen

[originalpckelly]

6. "My name Gleep W. Bleep, and I have nucular weapons."

"Eh, heh, heh."

[barb162]

3. I could swear I have seen these synthetic life forms in Clearwater

walking over to an orange juice shop.

[leftstreet]

5. Pfft. Been there, done that.

:hi:

Interesting article!
Thanks for posting.