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Scientists expect to create life in next 10 years

Discussion in 'BBS Hangout' started by Ottomaton, Aug 20, 2007.

  1. rhester

    rhester Member

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    If they would just walk out of the laboratory and let it alone it will happen all by itself in about 1 billion years. :D
     
  2. ham

    ham Member

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    I agree, it isn't even on the horizon. I think that in order for this to “remove one of the few fundamental mysteries about creation in the universe and our role” (my emphasis), as the guy in the article says, it would need to at least approach the topic. I suppose that, to me, exactly which assortment of organic chemicals came first is extremely interesting, but it isn't "a fundamental mystery". The one "fundamental mystery" that comes to mind for me when I read what Bedau says is the issue of consiousness. I wasn't saying that they won't learn a lot from this work.

    Again, I don't disagree that such discoveries would have huge implications. I'm just skeptical that those implications will reach into the kinds of issues that Bedau seemed to be suggesting they would.

    Will these discoveries answer scientific questions? Yes. Will they have philosophical (or, for some, theological) implications? I doubt it.
     
  3. rocksalt

    rocksalt Member

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    The fear of creating zombies or delight in creating Brittany Spears for sale is silly.

    Pushing the research envelope is generally a good thing. However, the fear is in creating a microbe that that escapes into the sea, earth or air and gets out of our control.
     
  4. NewYorker

    NewYorker Ghost of Clutch Fans

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    Perhaps consciousness is an illusion, and we are really just a very complicated robot - no more then a set of learned behaviors with a douse of randomness thrown in.
     
  5. ham

    ham Member

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    Of course, if consciousness is an illusion, you have to wonder- who is it that's being fooled?

    Or did I just blow your mind?

    [​IMG]
     
  6. MR. MEOWGI

    MR. MEOWGI Contributing Member

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    The illusion is that everything is an conceptual idea. Everything that has a name or term has it's root in conceptual thinking. Consciousness exists, but nothing exists apart from consciousness.

    More like a douse of free will.
     
  7. rimrocker

    rimrocker Member

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    I think, therefore I am. Or I could be in the Matrix.
     
  8. YallMean

    YallMean Member

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    It's going to be a war I am sure.
     
  9. StupidMoniker

    StupidMoniker I lost a bet

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    [​IMG]
    Yes, work on the anti-life equation is progressing nicely.
    [​IMG]
    Don't forget the staggering potential of artificial intelligence though.
     
    #29 StupidMoniker, Aug 21, 2007
    Last edited: Aug 21, 2007
  10. Achilleus

    Achilleus Member

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    Britney Spears and Kevin Federline can create life... It's not hard...

    I want a car that can fly, **** man!!!

    In the Back to the Future sequel they were flying cars in the year 2015.
     
  11. rocksalt

    rocksalt Member

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    What scientists may create has nothing to do with consciousness or thought. If a virus or slightly more complex microbe is created and escapes into the environment, it could conceivably do untold damage, directly or indirectly -- to any or all current flora and fauna -- which includes us.
     
  12. rocketsjudoka

    rocketsjudoka Member
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    The question of consciousness is interesting but I think we are mistaking the creation of an artificial biological cell with creating consciousness. Its possible if AI is perfected we could create a purely artificial consciousness.
     
  13. rocketsjudoka

    rocketsjudoka Member
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    Lousy no edit.. :mad:

    I should add we could create a purely inorganic consciousness.
     
  14. ham

    ham Member

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    Of course, there's no way of knowing if you've actually created something truly conscious.
     
  15. rocketsjudoka

    rocketsjudoka Member
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    That's true but how do we know anything or anyone is ever truly conscious.
     
  16. ham

    ham Member

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    I know that I'm conscious. As for any other person/thing, I can never be sure.
     
  17. KingCheetah

    KingCheetah Notable Member
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    [​IMG]

    CHUD.
     
  18. ima_drummer2k

    ima_drummer2k Member

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    I'd like to share a revelation that I've had during my time here. It came to me when I tried to classify your species and I realized that you're not actually mammals.

    Every mammal on this planet instinctively develops a natural equilibrium with the surrounding environment but you humans do not. You move to an area and you multiply and multiply until every natural resource is consumed and the only way you can survive is to spread to another area.

    There is another organism on this planet that follows the same pattern. Do you know what it is? A virus.

    Human beings are a disease, a cancer of this planet. You're a plague and we are the cure.
     
  19. Shroopy2

    Shroopy2 Member

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    Or have alien matter land on the planet, its organic matter enter into our environment where it can mutate rapidly, and see it evolve in front of our very eyes
    [​IMG]
     
  20. WildSweet&Cool

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    To contain the newly created life for observation, and to see how it evolves, scientists intend to inject the life forms into an isolated environment. This environment is distant planet called Earth.
     

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