Creating Life

Scientists from University of California, Los Angeles created tiny robots on the base of living tissue:

from BBC Science
Under a microscope, you can see the tiny, two-footed "bio-bots" crawl around.

Professor Montemagno says muscles like these could be used in a host of microscopic devices - even to drive miniature electrical generators to power computer chips.

But when biological cells become attached to silicon - are they alive?

"They're absolutely alive," Professor Montemagno told BBC News. "I mean the cells actually grow, multiply and assemble - they form the structure themselves. So the device is alive."

I wonder about consequences of this creations - while experiments about creating artificial life are getting further we are playing dangerous game with mother nature. It is fascinating, yes - I have to admit, but should we do that?

I actually know this guy. Carlo Montemango has been melding biological materials and non-biological material for years now. We were actually going to collaborate with his lab to build 'nanopropellors' a few years back, but he decided to go with protein from a different organism. He's a brilliant scientist, if somewhat of an egomaniac. I suppose that goes with the territory when you're continuously on the cutting edge like Carlo is.

Jazzgul, not sure what exactly your issue is with the technology. It doesn't appear like he's done anything too outrageous. It's just a coupling of cells grown in culture, something done in millions of labs worldwide, coupled with a novel self assembly mechanism. What is your major concern about whether or not we should do this?

Mattison -using living tissue to create mechanism somehow feels strange to me. I get the same feeling when watching Borg episode on Star Trek. It is difficult to elaborate this yet, it is more like gut warning when something is going wrong direction.
Please try to understand me -It is interesting experiment, but somehow I got on alert when reading the article - that is way I've posted it in this thread...

I see your concerns with this, your not concerd about this experiment but what other experiments will lead on from this one. It is a old question, if man should play god and create life. Well i wont disagree or agree with it, becuase this could have horrible effects on the society, also it could have wonderful effects apon soceity, who is to say? We will only know in time.
Although how do you not know that "god" isnt just another form of life that previous lived here and created us, using much much much more complex experiments? And we are jsut following in their footsteps trying to create our own legacy to become gods?

Originally posted by wang
I see your concerns with this, your not concerd about this experiment but what other experiments will lead on from this one. It is a old question, if man should play god and create life. Well i wont disagree or agree with it, becuase this could have horrible effects on the society, also it could have wonderful effects apon soceity, who is to say? We will only know in time.
Although how do you not know that "god" isnt just another form of life that previous lived here and created us, using much much much more complex experiments? And we are jsut following in their footsteps trying to create our own legacy to become gods?

Thanks wang for understanding
I'm not so much concerned about playing God - I'm not strong believer. I think more about the way how we, humans can create another danger to ourselves just by carelessly playing with different materials. Of course it can have wonderfull effects upon society, but which costs are we going to pay for it?
Is that the only way to do something and wait to see what it will bring?

Originally posted by jazzgul
Mattison -using living tissue to create mechanism somehow feels strange to me.

This type of technology is no more or less prone to evil than is any other technology. It might just feel strange because you're not familiar with it.

I get the same feeling when watching Borg episode on Star Trek. It is difficult to elaborate this yet, it is more like gut warning when something is going wrong direction.

Why is the interface of biological and non-biological wrong? So people who are missing limbs shouldn't be able to benefit from interactive prosthetics, or other such inventions? Lots of people can benefit from these types of experiments, what's so wrong about them.

Please try to understand me -It is interesting experiment, but somehow I got on alert when reading the article - that is way I've posted it in this thread...

Then you better not ever open an issue of Nature Biotechnology.

Originally posted by wang
I see your concerns with this, your not concerd about this experiment but what other experiments will lead on from this one. It is a old question, if man should play god and create life.

Nobody created life with this experiment.

Originally posted by mattison0922

Originally posted by jazzgul
Mattison -using living tissue to create mechanism somehow feels strange to me.

This type of technology is no more or less prone to evil than is any other technology. It might just feel strange because you're not familiar with it.

Because I'm not familiar with every field of science, it doesn't mean I must relate to it as an idiot who is afraid of new experiment
Feeling "strange" relates more to an idea of disturbing nature.
Maybe, because I'm looking at "nature" as intelligent being and this is not covered by official science makes me look like a uneducated one?

Originally posted by mattison0922

Originally posted by jazzgul I get the same feeling when watching Borg episode on Star Trek. It is difficult to elaborate this yet, it is more like gut warning when something is going wrong direction.

Why is the interface of biological and non-biological wrong? So people who are missing limbs shouldn't be able to benefit from interactive prosthetics, or other such inventions? Lots of people can benefit from these types of experiments, what's so wrong about them.

Oh, of course we can go along this line - everything can be done to improve human life -I cannot disagree now, how can I?
Otherwise I would sound like heartless person...

Originally posted by mattison0922

Originally posted by jazzgulPlease try to understand me -It is interesting experiment, but somehow I got on alert when reading the article - that is way I've posted it in this thread...

Then you better not ever open an issue of Nature Biotechnology.

No I won't, got my lesson here

Because I'm not familiar with every field of science, it doesn't mean I must relate to it as an idiot who is afraid of new experiment

Feeling "strange" relates more to an idea of disturbing nature.
Maybe, because I'm looking at "nature" as intelligent being and this is not covered by official science makes me look like a uneducated one?

Jazzgul... sorry, no offense intended. I wasn't implying you looked uneducated, nor was I implying you were an idiot. Because someone is unfamiliar with cutting edge molecular biology makes them neither uneducated or an idiot. Not sure why you came away from my posts feeling this way, sorry.