Synthetic Life - What it Means to You
Recent breakthroughs in science have opened the door to a whole new realm of possibilities. From cloning and stem cell research to decoding the human genome, the potential for regrowing limbs, curing diseases and restoring sight are just some of the implications. Although skeptics may be quick to criticize, the potential for helping mankind far outweighs the risk.
You see it all the time. A new movie comes out and suddenly the world is being taken over by robots. It's this constant portrayal of worst case scenarios that causes people to fear science more than they praise it. Perhaps the most disconcerting is the thought that it is now possible to conjure up life in a petri dish. While it may not seem like this is in our best interest, understanding what is driving the research is important to calming fears.
Although some scientists are undoubtedly in it for the glory, this type of reward doesn't pay the bills. Before any research can be conducted, someone has to fund it. For every crackpot millionaire willing to fund a project to suit his own personal gain, far more projects only occur because a wide number of sponsors agree that there is a down to earth practical application for such research. Moreover, it is not only likely to be easier to regrow a limb than it is to try to build a race of warriors, it is also cheaper! Couple this with less risk from a legal point of view and it is easy to see why if it doesn't have a safe market to appeal to, the research won't likely even get off the ground.
While it is true that automation has replaced some mundane jobs, the thought that everything will become automated in the future ignores the fact that robots are expensive and often unreliable. Although we may allow some jobs to become automated, someone will always have to supervise machines and be ready to intervene when they ultimately break down. Sensationalism may have a place in movies, but the technological reality is often quite different.
With more perseverance, great innovators such as Dr Craig Venter and his dedicated team of researchers may someday even produce meats that don't require animals to be slaughtered. Likewise, why kill a fish to obtain its nutrients and oils when we may be able to produce the same products in labs?
For every person who still remains a skeptic, if stem cells and other research can help cure diabetes so that kids no longer have to take their daily injections, why shouldn't we try to do these things? It is easy to criticize until it happens to you. Yes the future looks bright, but only if we put aside our fears and superstitions and look at science for what it can potentially be and not what we imagine it is.
About the Author:
Robert Haskell is a contributing author and manager of consumer affairs for http://www.officesalesusa.com and http://www.worldatfocus.com/.
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