Scientists Create a Form of Pre-Life

[Deathshot]

A self-assembling molecule synthesized in a laboratory may resemble the earliest form of information-carrying biological material, a transitional stage between lifeless chemicals and the complex genetic architectures of life.
Called tPNA, short for thioester peptide nucleic acids, the molecules spontaneously mimic the shape of DNA and RNA when mixed together. Left on their own, they gather in shape-shifting strands that morph into stable configurations.
The molecules haven’t yet achieved self-replication, the ultimate benchmark of life, but they hint at it. Best of all, their activities require no enzymes — molecules that facilitate chemical reactions, but didn’t yet exist in the primordial world modeled by scientists seeking insight into life’s murky origins.

Source: http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2009/06/tpna/

 

[Tenzo]

Interesting...

 

[Dzamija]

$100 says J-Dude will post here.

 

[Snowm@n]

Does this means that mutants are on their way?

 

[The Deco]

Does this means that mutants are on their way?

NO MUTANTS, im scared

 

[Sonic the Vampire]

Every time we come up with a new molecule or a theory about how life started there are always naysayers who bring up the statistical unlikelyhood of the 'perfect' environment we use in labs existing long enough in any particular location on Earth during the chaos after the big bang. The same objection will arise in this particular instance rather quickly. Whether or not an intelligence set up the dominoes how they fell, life does exist, and it came to be one way or another. I can't imagine it didn't create itself in all of the chemical chaos of New Earth, and it's only a matter of time before we come up with a theory as to how. Statistical probability will, as usual, be the greatest argument people throw around against its legitimacy, and is, for some, the greatest stumbling block for thiests who can't buy into the idea that we were... for lack of better language, 'randomly generated.' It's fascinating and I hope we keep on researching it until we've got enough evidence to solidify a theory.