Life As We Know It Nearly Created in Lab

Life As We Know It Nearly Created in Lab

news.yahoo.com]Sou rce

One of life's greatest mysteries is how it began. Scientists have pinned it down to roughly this:


Some chemical reactions occurred about 4 billion years ago - perhaps in a primordial tidal soup or maybe with help of volcanoes or possibly at the bottom of the sea or between the mica sheets - to create biology.


Now scientists have created something in the lab that is tantalizingly close to what might have happened. It's not life, they stress, but it certainly gives the science community a whole new data set to chew on.


The researchers, at the Scripps Research Institute, created molecules that self-replicate and even evolve and compete to win or lose. If that sounds exactly like life, read on to learn the controversial and thin distinction.

(visit the link for the full news article)



[edit on 12-1-2009 by alyosha1981]

[edit on 12-1-2009 by alyosha1981]

Then things went surprisingly further.'Immortalized'


Specifically, the researchers synthesized RNA enzymes that can replicate themselves without the help of any proteins or other cellular components, and the process proceeds indefinitely. "Immortalized" RNA, they call it, at least within the limited conditions of a laboratory.


More significantly, the scientists then mixed different RNA enzymes that had replicated, along with some of the raw material they were working with, and let them compete in what's sure to be the next big hit: "Survivor: Test Tube."


Remarkably, they bred.


And now and then, one of these survivors would screw up, binding with some other bit of raw material it hadn't been using. Hmm. That's exactly what life forms do ...

This is just plain cool, imagine if the scientists continued this in a large scale environment, would it be possible to create a "little Earth"? or something resembeling it? With all of the doom and gloom going around I hope some find this article entertaining at the least, and for me it was very imaginaton provoking, I hope you enjoy it. The point I hope to convey with this post is the possibilites they really are endless here if you think about it, whats next?

The religious rammifications here are in question as well, in respect to the creation of life, so how do these apply here? do they apply here? are these scientists playing a "god" role or are they simply creations, creating?

news.yahoo.com]Sou rce
(visit the link for the full news article)

[edit on 12-1-2009 by alyosha1981]

[edit on 12-1-2009 by alyosha1981]

[edit on 12-1-2009 by alyosha1981]

Interesting, It would be amazing to create a "little planet" an you say .. Would be like Sims but .. In real life !!

We would really be the gods =P

Do you know that a Atom look just like our galaxy!! Think about it pal

Sounds like someone bought them some sea monkeys...

Second line to appease the wrath of the mods.

Ya this is cool indeed, imagine how far they could take this! I wonder what the religious rammifications would be though?

Originally posted by alyosha1981
Ya this is cool indeed, imagine how far they could take this! I wonder what the religious rammifications would be though?

Something tells me we wouldn't be around to see the billion year experiment through.

Very interesting though.

Haha What would be their religions if were Gods ..? Imagine Humans, Gods ..? Poor them .. We should work more on our planet.. lol

But It is really amazing ! When I said atom look just like our galaxy .. maybe were in an atom in a toe of a giant, if he wants to kick the face of someone, we would die =P

Amazing =) Thanks for this thread bro =)

reply to post by Wormwood Squirm


Well imagine if they could "speed it up some" I wouldn't know how but i'm sure they do.

reply to post by 44drake44


Your welcome! my mind's all over this one now! I am picturing like a football field sized enclosure going through evolution and phases sort of like the simpsons episode where lisa grew a world on a tooth! but a litttle bigger and real.

If they could really create a "little Earth", And speed it up, they could take Dinosaurs DNA and create Real dinos, like in jurassic park =P

Ok, I'm far off subject, but its so amazing just to think about it !!

But how does it taste with ketchup? And grilled onions?

The self-replicating part caught my attention the most; could this be one of the keys to immortality? Or elimination of diseases & defects? Or some hideous creature like the 'Blob' , , or the 'Thing' , , with an infinite appetite for MORE living cells?

If Life were synthesized, and subsequently cloned, what would THAT be called? Then, if those beings created robots, with artificial intelligence, who went on to synthesize life, clone it, and create 'smart' robots, what would we have?

Sorry, not sure what the heck I'm getting at, maybe you could tell ME!

reply to post by FRIGHTENER


I know what you mean! and yes the self replicating part is cool too, my point is how far could this really go? maybe as far as your post mentioned? who knows, the important thing to remember he is on one hand we have something real and scientific and on the other we have the human imagination....posibilites endless

One thing is for sure, Human must not be Invincible .. Too much humans on earth would be a shame..

Maybe you will say : Just dont make babies !!

Always the same populations would be so boring .. after a billion of year alive, we would know everyone in the world .. I would be friend with Obama..

reply to post by 44drake44



Yes the concept just blows my mind off the hindges! I mean this is real! it's not like a speculation or anything I just hope they continue with it and don't cover up the results.

reply to post by alyosha1981

Human imagination .. Yes this is it .. what tells you that everything we're saying .. as stupid as is it, might come true a day, in a close future ?

This stuff is just amazing and mysterious.. Thanks a lot for this thread man !!

As simple as it sounds, this type of research is dangerously close to playing god, and as stem cell research is banned, I'm assuming this should be somewhat taboo in that same sense. Hate to be the pessimist here but I think this is a bad concept to be mastering or even studying with the intent to harness (or manipulate) the benefits in profitable ways...Theres a reason humans arent GOD as he/she is described by most religions and I think I'd rather like to keep it that way...

reply to post by Averysmallfoxx

Avery you're right in a way, but it's not to play god, It's to now be exactly sure how Earth have been created !! And playing god would be banned from our language, because scientist would now KNOW that Earth hasnt been made my God's Hand in 7 days, But with NATURAL concept !!

Its quite possible for us to create life. Even the religious would have to admit that if we were "created in the image of the Creator", we have creator-talents as well.

reply to post by Skyfloating


if we were "created in the image of the Creator", we have creator-talents as well.


I like this sentence. We for sure have creator talents .. look at what you're typing with .. Made my human, Human though of all details to make a computer run .. Internet is deep, and it has been created by humans !!

I feel so good thinking about all of those things.. =)))

reply to post by Skyfloating


I agree, it's not as if we were attempting to be "god" we would just assume a role as a "creator" of life whatever that "life" would be and this only furthers that quest IMO. With this the realm of possibilites is endless and the imagination works doubletime