Artificial life likely in 3 to 10 years

<http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070820/ap_on_sc/artificial_life>

By SETH BORENSTEIN, AP Science Writer
Mon Aug 20, 1:49 AM ET

WASHINGTON - Around the world, a handful of scientists are trying to
create life from scratch and they're getting closer.

Experts expect an announcement within three to 10 years from someone
in the now little-known field of "wet artificial life."

"It's going to be a big deal and everybody's going to know about it,"
said Mark Bedau, chief operating officer of ProtoLife of Venice,
Italy, one of those in the race. "We're talking about a technology
that could change our world in pretty fundamental ways - in fact, in
ways that are impossible to predict."

That first cell of synthetic life - made from the basic chemicals in
DNA - may not seem like much to non-scientists. For one thing, you'll
have to look in a microscope to see it.

"Creating protocells has the potential to shed new light on our place
in the universe," Bedau said. "This will remove one of the few
fundamental mysteries about creation in the universe and our role."

Fred Goodwin, CMA wrote or quoted:

Wet as in http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wetware

....?

"Fred Goodwin, CMA" yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:faf7hj$2i1f$1@darwin.ediacara.org...

I have no doubt that there will be announcements. My only
doubt is as to whether there will be artificial life - a very different
thing from an announcement.

I will consider it progress if we learn to make a few more self-organizing
molecules, and more progress still if we can get them to associate
with each other. The problems here are very hard and, while
the existence of life proves beyond doubt that it can be done, we
still don't know nearly as much as we need to know.

Alan Meyer wrote:

The artificial lifeform most likely to become dominant is
probably going to be a descendant of today's companies.

Companies today have a legal identity. They can own
property, and sign documents. They have their own
rights and liabilities in legal proceedings.

"Tim Tyler" cyberspace.org> wrote in message
news:fakhk4$21un$1@darwin.ediacara.org...
.....

.....

An interesting article. I think your conclusions are right.

I'll check out the other one too.

Alan

Alan Meyer wrote:

Hans Moravec has been saying much the same thing for 20 years
now:

``This is the end. Our genes, engaged for four billion years in
a relentless, spiralling arms race with one other, have finally
outsmarted themselves. They've produced a weapon so powerful it
will vanquish the losers and winners alike. I do not mean nuclear
devices - their widespread use would merely delay the immensely
more interesting demise that's been engineered.''

http://www.frc.ri.cmu.edu/~hpm/project.archive/general.articles/1988/takeover.lt...

Tim Tyler cyberspace.org> wrote:

in article fb0e12$1m7n$1@darwin.ediacara.org, DK at
dk@no.email.thankstospam.net wrote on 8/27/07 11:06 PM:

DK wrote:

Guy A Hoelzer unr.edu> wrote: