Artificial life with synthetic cell

Hmmm, sounds too good to be true! I am just wondering what the scientists are up to! I also fail to understand how adding life means adding soul!

It is very significant achievement by Scientists. :)

Gulshan ! Don't draw conclusion so quickly. Since you don't believe in GOD so no wonder you immediately react in such a manner. :( :(

This makes us ponder over: When Man beomes Creator....[seems they transplanted synthetic DNA into a bacterium and watched it come to life.]

Anyway, it will be nice if this is used for beneficail purposes as "make bacteria to make biofuels and eat up toxic waste" as stated.

Professor BJ Rao, head of biology at the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research says

"This is not the equivalent of really creating an artificial cell in its entirety. Venter’s new cell simply carries an artificial genome, but all its other components are from the recipient cell and are natural. Artificially creating those other components is beyond our current means."

Rao said the experiment can be equated with organ transplantation, where the defective organ can be transplanted with a fresh one.

"In Venter’s experiment, an old genome has been replaced by a synthetic new one. But it doesn’t imply it can cure defective cells in human bodies,"

Kumaresh- A living insect, animal or man-or even a tree is said to possess physical body and soul. The scientists made living body artificially without adding soul. Thus the notion that body functions when soul is in and death takes place when soul is gone, seem fake.

This is quite an achievement and may help in repairing defective tissues in various diseases and also may of great help in building new limbs for those who have lost their arms or legs in accident!!

If it is used for good cause, then it is a good discovery. But however science can advance, definitely it cannot win nature.

I too seen the news. It is great to see that people started thinking rationally. The life given to a single celled being is made in the lab atmosphere and not suppose to exist in normal conditions. Anyway great achievement for humans. We are proud to say two of the scientists were from Indian origin

These are laudable scientific achievements but the central question is what is its precise implication on disproving the existence of the Supreme Power?Even a scientist as great as celebrated Albert Einstein once commented memorably:"Science without religion is lame,religion without science is blind."

I don't think experiments such as these will ever pose any threat to the belief of existence in the Supreme power....Einstein was right when he said that because if you look at the principles of ANY religion, it is nothing but a set of principles and general guidelines instructing the followers on how to live life in harmony with others and with nature!!

If these guidelines and discipline is not considered, everything will be in mayhem and however great the discoveries may claim themselves to be, anything without a direction or purpose is totally useless!

The core of any religion is the same.Only we tend to pass comments on the ill-weeds which are mistaken for religion.

If Scientific advancements are being used for welfare of living creature, then only objective of these advancements are fulfilled . Otherwise what is the use of spending so much time and money...

This news i have already read in Times of India. It is given more in details there.

There are so many areas which need the attention of our scientist like finding a cure for cancer,AIDs and others.We can not expect artificial human beings to find them!!!!

Kumaresh- You have rightly stated that very huge money is spent on scientific advancement. If this does not benefit people, it is useless. However, the research of this type is fundamental research in pursuit of knowledge. later, applied research follows by using the results for welfare of society. The branches like medicine, engineering can devise means to take advantage of such research.

When any fundamental research is undertaken its the results are uncertain but the society has to support this in the hope that its results would benefit the society as whole.

No doubt India has huge human resources supplies but the same is getting exported to other countries due to lack of incentives and increased Governmental intervention in our country.