Molecular/Atomic/Nano assembler

While I was searching the web for the latests ins and outs on viruses and self-modifying code, I found an article about Molecular assemblers instead. Intrigued by the name I started reading. The article appeared to be a theoretical piece about structures and functions on a molecular (or even atomic) scale. It states that it was perhaps possible to engineer miniature factories that can produce other miniature structures.

A while later the article links the reproduction of DNA (actually the very concept of life) to this idea. When a cell splits, each half gets an exact copy of the originals' DNA. A special enzyme splits the dual helix into two separate strings which are then both rebuilt by yet another enzyme, producing two exact copies of the original. This all happens on a molecular scale and it thus a genuine example of molecular assembly.

The article doesn't say, but considering some of the recent technological advances, it might be possible to literally fabricate life in the future in other words: playing god.

What are your thoughts on this?

Nobody can create life except the Creator and for me since I am Christian that is God.


Wow, I never had to use religion on mpgh till today, lol.

I've got three things to say to that, first: we should remember that we all have different opinions and viewpoints in life so that we will not start shouting at each other about who's right and who's not

Next, while I'm a humanist I've read and thought about the bible and I was raised Christian. I remember for genesis: "and He created man in His image" if god could create life, and we are created after his image we should be able to make a tribute of our own right?

We also should define life, what it is and what is not life. I would term molecules that move in self sustaining or self replicating patterns life while others might simply call it physics. Also consider that we as humans have already cloned a sheep, and are (obviously) capable of creating offspring.

So, the idea is similar to AI, except it's saying full-blown simulation of life, evolution, etc. is possible?

Dolly(5 July1996 – 14 February 2003) lived for most of six years, although she may have had genetic defects this is not proven.

On the other hand there's:

However the sheep lived for 6 years, which is quite a long time don't you say?


Well I'd say it's not only Artificial intelligence, but even artificial life (but of course not artificial). We'd have to start with non intelligent organism of course like alternative versions to bacteria or something. We'd build our own protocol (like DNA) for reproduction and replication and launch 'alternative life'

Would it actually classify as life if it were a computer program? Or am I misunderstanding this? Lol. It seems like it would be possible, but what are the implications of this? What would the uses be?

When it says His image it meant that when He created Adam He created him to not know evil, it doesn't mean He gave us His whole knowledge.

I personally don't think that we will be able to make humans, but who knows what the future holds.

Yes you are misunderstanding The idea is that this is outside computers, ie. it's in real life.

Perhaps it meant that yes, but that's you interpretation of that specific line. We may never know what it truly means.

That's as maybe, but even artificial life is life wouldn't you say? I doubt that we are still a billion years away from this because technology has the tendency to violate all estimations. There could be a breakthrough tomorrow or it may never come at all.

But speaking doing what only god can do:

I just though of an interesting book I read once. It's along the lines of artificial life and intelligence so I guess I can post it here. The story goes that an advanced race ,not unlike us humans, built a super computer that had the computational power of the known galaxy. In other words: it could simulate the entire (known) galaxy. With this computer their scientists started to simulate the start of the universe to see how it all began and how things evolved. Of course this wasn't done in real time, as the scientists wanted quick results, so they sped up the simulation. After a few years of running anomalies started to occur inside the machine, unexplainable errors started to appear on the screens managing the simulation and strange occurrences were happening more and more often. When things started to get really hectic, the scientist in charge brought the simulation-speed back to real-time so that they could discover what was wrong.

It was then discovered by the scientists that the universe they'd launched many years back was now older then the universe they themselves were living in. They found that on the exact same planet they inhabited themselves 'their' civilization had 'reappeared'. Even more astonishing was the fact that after weeks of studies and investigations it appeared that the simulated civilization was much more technologically advanced then they themselves where. The simulation had surpassed it's creator because their creator was outside their time remaining static and unchanging while they advanced. Immediately investigations were launched by the creators to harness their simulation's technological prowess.

During one of these investigations the creators found their biggest surprise yet: the anomalies in their simulator -which should have been perfect- were caused by a machine found in the simulated galaxy. They discovered a machine not unlike their own simulator which was busy simulating what appeared to be another universe, one that was even more advanced than which they had simulated themselves. The list went on and on, and it was decided that the infinite recursiveness of the machine was what had caused it to fail.

An interesting story don't you think? Many say that God can't be surpassed and that he knows everything, that he is omni present and omni powerful, it's completely possible.

The creators, being at the start of the list of recursive simulators, had literally all the knowledge of the universe at their finger tips. They could inspect a galaxy simulated millions of simulators down the chain and thus see millions or even billions of years into the future. The creators where omni powerful: they could change the very laws of nature by adjusting the rules of their, or other, simulators. They could even reverse time and play the universe backwards (and with it all other universes). However the fact remains that even the first of simulated galaxies did what the creators did ,in their own time, and then surpassed them eventually because their time passed more quickly.

So in this story the simulated/created people surpassed their creators. Personally I think that if we have a creator we can surpass Him/Her/It because while our creator remains static we age and advance. This is also why I think we can create life, because even if there's a creator we can always improve on His/Her/It's work.

Well Schim ( i am not arguing i am just wondering what you think), if God gave us the same knowledge as He does then why did Adam and Eve eat from the tree of good and evil. Wouldn't they have known that it would damage their life and then all generations after that? The point is they didn't know. I don't interpret stuff by myself, that's how heresies start and we don't need anymore heresies these days hehehe. I get my info from the fathers of the church and they are people that were with the apostles when they were preaching. You can find their writings on ccel.org.

This is a very interesting topic indeed nonetheless.

Do you seriously think that we came form adam and eve?
Because I thought that was just a story to teach us how to live, and was not meant to be taking literally.

No this is a literal account. This is the fundamental belief of any Christian (I understand that you aren't Christian). Why would this be figurative? How do you think we got here? I am just curious.

Magical pixie dust on the ass crack of a fat man in an alternate universe.

How can you know that the Adam and Eve thing is a literal account? Were you personally there to see it happen, or do perverted old men interpreting a thousand year-old book somehow make sense to you? That we were made from two people by an all-powerful being is kind of ridiculous, no matter how you look at it. Let your religious ignorance blind you forever, fool. That would also imply that we are all inbred like a motherfucker up in this bitch.

Edit: That is why the world hates christians. You all seem to believe you're the best, that you have the divine right to rule the world and shove your religion down everyone's throat, and use it as an excuse to start war, kill the non-believers, and take shit. Because a good god would really want that.
You don't see Jews and Muslims doing this. Isn't one of a Muslim's beliefs peace? Doesn't Christianity claim peace, yet at the same time cause more conflict globally than any other religion? The modern world does not and will not have room for the arrogance and ignorance of blinding and mind-narrowing religions.