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Scientist accused of playing God

By T.K. Randall
May 23, 2010 · Comment icon 31 comments

Image Credit: stockxpert
The scientist who recently announced the creation of the world's first synthetic life has been accused of playing God.
While the feat is being hailed by some scientists as having huge positive potential others are less enthusiastic, some believe that it could pave the way to the ultimate biological weapon and that it constitutes tampering with the essence of life.
While some hailed the research as 'a defining moment in the history of biology', others attacked it as 'a shot in the dark', with 'unparalleled risks'. The team involved have been accused of 'playing God' and tampering 'with the essence of life'. Dr Venter created the lifeform by synthesising a DNA code and injecting it into a single bacteria cell. The cell containing the man-made DNA then grew and divided, creating a hitherto unseen lifeform.


Source: Daily Mail | Comments (31)




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Comment icon #22 Posted by Siara 14 years ago
*Yawn* Now who would have predicted this? I bet that when the first agricultural cultures emerged (~10,000 years ago) a large contingent of people shook their heads and said, "Isn't that disgusting- they're playing God. If God wanted a plant growing there he would have put it there Himself". The first time some homo erectus rubbed two sticks together and made a fire half his tribe grunted, "How disgusting. Playing God. If God wanted us to have heat and light now He wouldn't have made the night". If these religious Conservatives are so worried about playing God they should turn themselves insid... [More]
Comment icon #23 Posted by Father Of Evolution 14 years ago
free will Doesn't make sense when you collide it with an omniscience and omnipotent god. Giving free will while knowing the outcome?
Comment icon #24 Posted by Paracelse 14 years ago
I've read the article and couldn't find Angelina Jolie (Claire) and Eugene Sand... :P :innocent:
Comment icon #25 Posted by sean6 14 years ago
The NFU President Terry Boehm called the world's first "100 per cent synthetic life form" a risk "for humankind and the environment. This new technology raises serious concerns about who controls it, what it will be used for, and its potential impact”. http://topnews.us/content/220445-discussion-ethics-initiated-craig-venters-artificial-life found this,Aired on PBS October 18, 2005 http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/sciencenow/3214/01.html
Comment icon #26 Posted by Torgo 14 years ago
It's a hell of a lot more dangerous and far far easier to manipulate existing bacteria and viruses than to worry about engineering new ones. Natural selection has done a fine job of making all kinds of lethal agents in the form of pandemic flus, HIV, ebola, smallpox... we stand a much larger threat from slightly tweaking an agent that is already adapted to live in us to make it pathogenic. All this worry is completely misplaced.
Comment icon #27 Posted by Mattshark 14 years ago
These people have NOT created anything..They created something from what GOD CREATED. God created from NOTHING. These took what GOD created..and "created" something else. You people better watch out! and it still took an Intelligent Designer Yes but unlike those who propose intelligent design, the scientist who did this is smarter than the average turnip and not wilfully ignorant.
Comment icon #28 Posted by Mistydawn 14 years ago
Well if god is all knowing than this is part of his plan right. Who are you to argue with gods will? He gave us this knowledge so he must have a plan for it right? See how the god theory fails everytime. It's god's will to kill an entire family in a car wreck but it's man playing with god that gets you up in arms. If you believe in god then no matter what we are doing what he knew we would do. Just as he knew Eve would eat the apple No she didn't! She gave it to Adam to eat... Knowledge is power thus saith the duck. Hey maybe eventually we'll manage to create the perfect being... we could alwa... [More]
Comment icon #29 Posted by HerNibs 14 years ago
No she didn't! She gave it to Adam to eat... Knowledge is power thus saith the duck. Hey maybe eventually we'll manage to create the perfect being... we could always call it god! Little OT - About Adam and Eve - I always thought Eve gets a bad rap from this, she listened to the serpent, wanted knowledge and ate the apple. Adam on the other hand, listened to second hand gossip and just ate whatever was handed to him. Duh. Nibs
Comment icon #30 Posted by nognome 14 years ago
Funny, we can look to history for some enlightenment on this matter. Hasn't religious belief in God slowed our advancement enough? The exact same argument was made to scientists when they first began experimenting on cadavers to better understand the human body. Many scientists were killed or jailed for this "blasphemy" and warned that this was "playing in the realm of God." Nothing good would come of this, and we'd all be punished for this affront. Despite the churches best efforts to destroy the lives of scientists and mislead the people, some scientists continued their experiments in secret... [More]
Comment icon #31 Posted by Mistydawn 14 years ago
Little OT - About Adam and Eve - I always thought Eve gets a bad rap from this, she listened to the serpent, wanted knowledge and ate the apple. Adam on the other hand, listened to second hand gossip and just ate whatever was handed to him. Duh. Nibs Auh crap Nibsy! For years I got it wrong! Just looked in Genesis and of course you're right... but whatever you do, don't tell Thongy... he might start playing god around the females in his life!!


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