Gene-ious

Aliens!!!!! No wait..... we created them...... well what are they then?.....What is the world coming to?

According to a story I read on Sunday on Guardian Unlimited, we are on the verge of hearing, from scientist Craig Venter, a breakthrough in which he has created the first new form of artificial life on earth!

Know ethical or not, it really is amazing and scary and confusing....argghhhhhhhhh, what does it all mean for life and existence?

The story, which in full can be found here says that:

"The new life form will depend for its ability to replicate itself and metabolise on the molecular machinery of the cell into which it has been injected, and in that sense it will not be a wholly synthetic life form. However, its DNA will be artificial, and it is the DNA that controls the cell and is credited with being the building block of life."

I eagerly wait to hear any further news and am still struggling with the concept and my issues regarding the morality of the whole thing.

It's almost like the start of a comic book so if we don't hear any news or he just say that the experiment failed.... well..... we can safely assume that after going back (alone) to the lab late one night he was overtaken by the new life form and the artificial DNA overtook his body and took control of his brain making him a superhuman evil genius capable of destroying the earth and intent of spreading regenerating plastic DNA beings all over the entire globe........ phew gotta take a deep breath now, oh and a reality check.

So what do you think about the moral issues and the possible implications of such a technological/scientific leap? Or alternatively do you even give a damn?