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Scientists Create First Synthetic Cell

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viresh amin Posted: Thu, May 20 2010 12:44 PM

"Heralding a new era in biology, scientists for the first time have created a synthetic cell, completely controlled by man-made genetic instructions, which can survive and reproduce itself, researchers at the private J. Craig Venter Institute announced Thursday." 

Rest is here: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703559004575256470152341984.html?mod=WSJ_hps_MIDDLETopStories

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thelion replied on Thu, May 20 2010 12:53 PM

Good!

But it's not fully synthetic yet. No one has any idea how to create the organelles.

 

In any case: notice this was made by a private company, not a large government funded university, based on business expectations.

John Jewkes' Sources of Invention gets another example demonstrating its thesis is correct.

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Clayton replied on Thu, May 20 2010 2:01 PM

We are on the verge of very strange times. I believe that the world our great-grandchildren live in will be more different from the world of today than the world of today is from the world our great-grandparents grew up in (I am speaking as a young adult).

Clayton -

http://voluntaryistreader.wordpress.com
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"In any case: notice this was made by a private company, not a large government funded university, based on business expectations."

Good point. What does John Jewkes' Sources of Invention say?

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"We are on the verge of very strange times. I believe that the world our great-grandchildren live in will be more different from the world of today than the world of today is from the world our great-grandparents grew up in (I am speaking as a young adult)."

Your right, did you see this on Stephan Kinsella's blog:

http://www.stephankinsella.com/2010/05/18/who-owns-you-a-documentary-trailer/

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thelion replied on Thu, May 20 2010 3:04 PM

Jewkes argued that the claim--that the technologist cannot anymore work, because of the complexity of further innovation, without large government funds and a facility offered by research universities--is not true. 

The small team with private funding and practical concerns can still yield important innovations, because one technology creates market demand for another technology, so government subsidy is not required because of the scope of technological research fixed costs.

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MMMark replied on Thu, May 20 2010 3:12 PM

Thurs. 10/05/20 16:12 EDT
.post #98

What does John Jewkes' Sources of Invention say?
The Sources of Invention, an overview.

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LeeO replied on Thu, May 20 2010 3:33 PM

I'm not usually one to impede progress, but I read three sentences of that article and wished the discovery had never been made. Just what mankind needs: "the ability to craft an entire organism." Strange times indeed....I will add reasoning/evidence soon.

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James replied on Thu, May 20 2010 3:41 PM

What if, down the road someone creates an entire synthetic intelligent life form? How will that be delt with legally?

"The more laws, the less justice"- Cicero
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I'm sure there are some thoughts on it. Anyone know any articles?

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Here's an article on Neanderthal rights, if they're ever brought back: http://reason.com/archives/2009/02/17/neanderthal-rights

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Another step towards the Star Trekian atomic Replicator! We might yet abandon the pursuit of wealth and move onward simply to a pursuit of happiness! Hah.

"If you want to lift yourself up, lift up somebody else." Booker T. Washington
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abskebabs replied on Sat, May 22 2010 6:56 AM

"The small team with private funding and practical concerns can still yield important innovations, because one technology creates market demand for another technology, so government subsidy is not required because of the scope of technological research fixed costs."

 

Is that like a "technological" form of Say's Law?smiley

"When the King is far the people are happy."  Chinese proverb

For Alexander Zinoviev and the free market there is a shared delight:

"Where there are problems there is life."

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James replied on Sun, May 23 2010 6:02 AM

Interesting article.

"The more laws, the less justice"- Cicero
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"No one has any idea how to create the organelles."

With synthetic DNA, an existing cell, and the necessary environment, of course.

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Merlin replied on Mon, May 24 2010 12:57 PM

Say bye-bye to friggin cancer

The Regression theorem is a memetic equivalent of the Theory of Evolution. To say that the former precludes the free emergence of fiat currencies makes no more sense that to hold that the latter precludes the natural emergence of multicellular organisms.
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