Craig Venter created some kind of life in his laboratory recently. The geneticist produced the world's first synthetic living cell.
Could such a creation lead to intentional or accidental mutations, yielding a Jurassic Park of bizarre Halloweenish characters? Venter says he hopes to design cells that will produce medicines, absorb greenhouse gases and reduce oil dependency. Still, no one seems to be clear on the potential risks of the new scientific development.
Where does this “almost life” entity go in future research and experimentation? What sort of blend of man and machine can come forth in future weeks and months? Should we be fearful or should ethical scientists monitor future breakthroughs for us?
Nancy Gibbs, in Time magazine, comments that Venter’s bombshell “revived the oldest of ethical debates over whether scientists were playing God.” Fortunately, there is yet time for ethicists to draw a line in the sand. Should we find a boundary for this breakthrough beyond which we will not venture? President Obama has weighed in putting his bioethics commission to work.
What do you think? Do we continue down the path toward creating life forms or should we stop before science takes us beyond any moral control?
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