Cells made of metal may be evolving.

[Kerr]

Scientist creates lifelike cells out of metal | MNN - Mother Nature Network

Didn't know if I should post this in evolution or science.

"Researcher says he has created living cells made of metal instead of carbon — and they may be evolving."

Certainly skews the line between artificial life and "natural" life.

This should be an interesting read, thanks .

 

[fantome profane]

i wasn't saying that they should give a definite answer that will just make them look even more silly, i mean/meant is they have this metal experiment going on and why not wait for the results before they make childish claims about what might happen. have the metal balls (as they appeared in the picture) evolved into some sort of a living thing like and autobot or a megatron, as someone before mentioned the transformers, in order to say that they are evolving? the answer is no, so from where did the researcher get the idea that the metals are evolving?

There are two options, either revel the direction of your research early, or work in secrecy. Secrecy is not good for the advancement of science. Scientists often struggle with just this very issue, exactly when to reveal discoveries. It is often not an easy decision to make. Do you keep working in silence and isolation? If you do that too long it eventually becomes selfish and contrary to the interests of science (and the possibility that they may get scooped). Publish too early and you may get criticized for not being thorough enough. Keep in mind that when scientists reveal this kind of information mostly what they are looking for is input and critique from their peers. As others have already pointed out it us usually the media that sensationalizes the results, and the general public that often misunderstands. (like the autobot comments – which were jokes).

 

[apophenia]

thats not what i was saying, than can try all they want, but how come on their first try they have to spout out that look something is going to happen, why not wait for it to happen and then say it happened. the same thing was done with 'life' on mars. "we think there is life because the signs point out, oh, no life, just something that we believe is ice". it's always like this with scientists. a few months back they said that they have come up with a cure for cancer but they only have to try it out first. haha

Scientists are prepared to discuss what 'may be' because the dialogue stimulates other scientists to explore the question, resulting in many minds considering the subject from various angles.

Science CANNOT begin with knowledge and certainty, Science begins with observations speculations and experiments, and continues with observations speculations and experiments.

The fact that you are not comfortable with a process which involves uncertainty is because, IMHO, you are not surrendering to Reality ( Islam means surrender doesn't it ?).

The great muslim scientists and mathematicians, just like atheist or hindu scientists, acknowledge uncertainty and ignorance as facts of life,of reality itself. Only an intoxicated ego would presume to begin investigating reality by assuming certainty, and such an ego would discover nothing by assuming everything.

Premature omniscience is childish conceit.