Artificial Life: Will Man Create it One Day?

The article, "Artificial Life - Breakthrough Announced by Scientists," informs of the success that was achieved by scientists in managing to have synthetic deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) control a cell into which it was implanted. Dr. Craig Venter expressed that such an achievement has prompted him to rethink his definition of life and how it functions. However, Dr. Anthony Forster, a molecular biologist at Vanderbilt university in Nashville, TN, doesn't share the same opinion regarding the experiment. He points out that although the DNA used was synthetic, the fact that it was implanted into a real cell makes it incorrect to refer to the achievement as true artificial life.

While some scientists and laypeople alike desire to see new inventions and the advancement of technology make a better world in which to live, other experts and laypeople continually point out that man's attempt to play God will only continue to backfire on him. Technology certainly has improved many areas of life, but scientists and laypeople cannot deny the serious and life-threatening problems that technology has also caused and continues to cause. Pollution of Earth's air and waters has caused some species of animals to become extinct and has caused the death of many people by cancer. Studies have revealed that exposure to radiation emitted by WIFI service, satellites, and microwave ovens has increased man's risk of developing cancer and might be contributing to global warming. Factory farming was encouraged and took over traditional, organic farming in many areas of the industrialized world only to cause more problems such as the use of carcinogenic pesticides.

Considering that man should learn from his mistakes and from history, both recent and ancient, is there really a reason to expect good from attempting to create laboratory artificial life? However, before even such a discussion is held, it's probably wiser to do as Dr. Forster did in questioning the definition of true artificial life. Manipulating life is not the same thing as creating it. It could certainly cause disastrous results tantamount to what's depicted in science fiction movies, but it still is not worthy of being called artificial life because reliance or dependence on already existing life made by God is not the same as creating it. Here is where man, whether scientist or layperson, must question his motives, hidden desires, and abilities. True creation power is that which creates something out of nothing; all other "power" over life is a form of manipulation, not artificial life. Although scientists have truly achieved amazing things, can it really be said that they are even approaching the authority to simply speak or will an artificial life into existence?

Some have suggested that to have the ability to do such a thing would require spiritual powers; however, most scientists vehemently reject belief in a supernatural world. They would, therefore, lack interest in investigating how to tap into a potential "creation" power from such a source--or would they?