Slide From Professor Cronin's TED Talk On Inorganic Life TED

Scientists at Glasgow University are on a mission to create a form of life from inorganic molecules. The team, led by Professor Lee Cronin, has demonstrated a way of creating an inorganic cell, in which internal membranes control the movement of energy and materials, just as in a living cell. These cells can also store electricity and could be used in medicine and chemistry as sensors or to contain chemical reactions.

This research is part of Cronin's larger project to show that inorganic compounds are able to self-replicate and evolve like biological cells do. The ultimate goal is to give these inorganic cells life-like properties so they can evolve and eventually be used in materials science.

Cronin said he believes creating inorganic life is entirely possible, that if biological organisms evolved from single-cell bacteria, so should life be able to evolve from inorganic microorganisms. This “inorganic living technology,” if it works, could change the way we think about evolution, showing that it's not a process exclusive to biology, and that non-carbon-based life could exist.

[BBC]

34 Comments

Screw skynet, this is the way the world ends....

This would be truly amazing if it works. I hope they try to make more complicated multi cell organisms as well.

Maybe this is the technology that will allow us to shape shift. So cool.

"I am Optimus Prime. These are the Auto-bots. We are cybernetic organisms from the planet Cybertron."

hahahha,
no skynet is still on ^^
its just that the inorganic life will be faster to connect with it than us...

*freaky team huh... do we still have any chances left? ^^"*

bored? lets go mine the stars... ^^

You know if this experiment fails it means the autobots can't possibly exist unless they were created by more highly intelligent organic lifeforms.

" if it works, could change the way we think about evolution, showing that it's not a process exclusive to biology"

Who thinks evolution is exclusive to biology?

People have been using the principles of evolution for creating computer algorithms for years...

---

"Do not offer sympathy to the mentally ill.
Tell them firmly:
I am not paid to listen to this drivel.
You are a terminal boob." - William S. Burroughs

this would be amazing for everything!! Space travel!! CARS!!! DEEP SEA EXPLORING!!!!!!

This has gotta be a joke. These "university scientists" are probably government agents creating some sort of new super virus to stage a biological warfare event as if it were coming from the Middle East. I can't believe how gullible the PopSci community is. Wake up sheep, stop believing everything you read.

AIdrons Last Hope" is the biggest parano that ive ever seen/read. ^^

bored? lets go mine the stars... ^^

SOMEBODY THINK OF THE AUTOBOTS!!!

But screw those Decepticons. Except for Soundwave and Shockwave. They my aces.

Megatron's a p####

Starscream has two sets of genetalia. A vagina and a c######

That'd be awesome to have inorganic microorganisms in your bloodstream killing cancer cells, viruses, and bacteria; and repairing damaged tissue.
What I would be most excited about is researching the evolution of multicellular inorganic organisms! Maybe there could be a zoo of inorganic life. Haha I'm getting a bit ahead of myself

"Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence."
~ Carl Sagan
http://www.mrboab.wordpress.com/

This kind of reminds me of the replicators from stargate... I dont know if this is such a good idea, i mean do you have any idea what it takes to stop those things?

It took me a while to figure out why someone all excited about the nano-bot thingy. I was watching the GI-JOE movie tonight and in watching the evil Irish dude was making evil attack nano-bots bugs, so I get it now.

I really do not understand the end point of this scientist of their project. I hope they are doing this to cure human suffering and disease. I worry they may create something that will get out in the real world and be prolific and hurt humans and animals and more.

I call this article creepy science. I have no idea where it will end up.

this makes the possibly of alien life to the non believers even more real. maybe life could even exists in different state of matter. never mind life already can and does exist in other state of matter.

_________________
The people of the world only divide into two kinds, One sort with brains who hold no religion, The other with religion and no brain.

- Abu-al-Ala al-Marri

What could possibly go wrong?
-Spouting a fountain of nonsense since 1995-

If this works, this opens the door to all kinds of Pandora creations, and dangers for humanity.

@kook916

I thought I was the only one!! (Well, besides the Transformers references).

@Tamiko

One could only hope, but it's never just science. It could also be a weapon. Only time will tell what stories will coalesce from these scientfic endeavors.

@JediMindset

My thoughts exactly (hence the Transformers references). As we consider the possibility of life in the universe, we look to how it could exist as we know it. This means carbon based single to multi-celled organisms thriving in liquid water, possibly air breathing; atmospheric contents of nitrogen, oxygen, and other trace elements.

Studying the possibility of inorganic evolution of life will widen our perspective in what we look for in defining life (sentient and nonsentient). This includes the existence of life in the inorganic form or in different energy states.

If you thought trying to get a wireless internet signal was annoying, wait till your trying to work on something and all of a sudden your laptop enters mitosis.

@Bomb20

I doubt the research is intended to create technology in the form of inorganic life. It'd be too unpredictable.

It's a study into the possibilities in the natural formation of inorganic life. The easiest comparison I could offer would be the Transformers.

In their natural form they're bipedal lifeforms made of inorganic matter. However they weren't created like someone creates a car, a computer, or a copier. They evolved naturally.

Of course inorganic life would most definitely be something to the likes we couldn't possibly imagine (i.e. cosmetically nothing like the Transformers).

LOL WTF I didn't write that comment....at 3:07pm yesterday! OMG I have been hacked :-8

They have been working on this for years.. it's called Silicon based life.

Aldrons Last Hope, Its time to change your password. ;)

@ALH,

You might want to check your comments for the past year. It's possible that a schizophrenic person has been posting comments under your account for QUITE some time now...

LOTS of comments from that account are all about gov't conspiracies and things that a generally normal person would respond to with "LOL WTF!?"

---

"Do not offer sympathy to the mentally ill.
Tell them firmly:
I am not paid to listen to this drivel.
You are a terminal boob." - William S. Burroughs

@B.V I'm pretty sure i am the schizoid writing those comments..lol but I did not write that. "university scientists" "popsci community", "gotta be". That's not my writing style.

@pheonix1012
yes and with this we will expand our knowledge on what "life" is considered by our standards.

_________________
The people of the world only divide into two kinds, One sort with brains who hold no religion, The other with religion and no brain.

- Abu-al-Ala al-Marri

lol @Aldrons Last Hope

_________________
The people of the world only divide into two kinds, One sort with brains who hold no religion, The other with religion and no brain.

- Abu-al-Ala al-Marri

Aldrons Last Hope, When you wake up tomorrow, I hope you are the you, I remember. What ever you do, do not be like them. You know, them..... they are always watching with those sheepish eyes, yea, them!

Do you think when the Scotts begin making new bacterias, virus and life it will be pretty like the picture above or is that just for our visual entertainment?

Goodnight! ;)

@JediMindset Silicon life exists and it has for at least a decade.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rU3dmc3V_qE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oUOpIjJ2lYM&feature=related

The fibers growing out of the patients skin are not carbon based! They glow in the dark and don't burn in 1000 degree heat.

@Tamico(BG) it's not my password.

@Aldrons Last Hope I was going to say. I thought you had a mental break down, because the recently you have had lots of CRAZY comments that didnt seem like you.

@Aldrons Last Hope
wow that's incredible. thanks for the videos.

_________________
The people of the world only divide into two kinds, One sort with brains who hold no religion, The other with religion and no brain.

- Abu-al-Ala al-Marri

@ ALH its still you posting about the 911 right? I don't want to be arguing with some random nut job, lol all respect to you of course if it is.

@JediMindset, no problem man

@inaka_Rob, that's the only comment so far, who ever tried to mimic me also tried to dumb me down..lol. what's up haven't seen you around in a while...how's Japan?

@IanRedneck, last thing I posted was a JFK speech, heading over there now. LOL, Respect received and reciprocated :-) I don't think we're arguing, we're actually having a discussion for once!

@Aldrons Last Hope,

"that's the only comment so far, who ever tried to mimic me also tried to dumb me down..lol."

Man, they are definitely out to get you now. They are trying to discredit all of your conspiracy theories by posing as you and making comments with poor grammar.

That MUST prove that you are ON TO SOMETHING! Why else would they be out to get you like that???

You must get to the bottom of this conspiracy to make you seem dumb and therefore not credible.

I've already said too much, I can hear the black helic--

---

"Do not offer sympathy to the mentally ill.
Tell them firmly:
I am not paid to listen to this drivel.
You are a terminal boob." - William S. Burroughs

@B.V my thoughts exac--



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