• Question: Is it possible to manufacture a new living thing?

    Asked by 445spcc32 to Camilla, Dan, Katie, Mike, Rhys on 19 Jun 2015.
    • Photo: Camilla Weiss

      Camilla Weiss answered on 19 Jun 2015:

      Something that’s alive you mean? Ooo, that’s tricky. I think scientists have gone as far combining different types of DNA inside bacteria to create a sort of ‘alien’ bacteria which can then reproduce This is still a looooong way from a whole new living thing though. Another approach would be to look at artificial intelligence – creating a computer which displays the same intelligence as a human and thinks in the same way. Whether or not it’s a living thing is an interesting question in itself – if you can’t tell the difference between an AI and a human then can you say it’s alive?

    • Photo: Rhys Archer

      Rhys Archer answered on 23 Jun 2015:

      I would say similar to Camilla, depends what you mean by ‘living thing’. If its something that follows MRS GREN (Moves, Respires, Senses, Grows, Reproduces, Excretes and Nutrition) then we are a long way off from that. If rather you mean something that can think independently and act as a human, then AI might not be too far off!

Comments