When the Homily is about Immunology

Creating Artificial Life from "scratch"?

Article HERE.

So, ummmm, from scratch meaning that these scientists will begin with simple elements found on the periodic chart, right? Of course not...and so the rain begins over the parade.

I suspect predictions of doing this in this time frame will actually amount to little more that a complex molecular "organ" transplant. Intelligent beings gathered around a microscope and injecting the premade necessary ingredients for a living organism is NOT my idea of "creating" life. Will this organism generate its own complex enzymes necessary for copying DNA? For transcribing DNA? For turning mRNA into proteins? Or will these little wonders be provided to it?

Will this organism be able to reproduce itself? A rather necessary component - I should think - for something to be considered living. Indeed, is this not the GRAND wonder of our ancestor, "The Selfish Gene": the mysterious strip of chemical components that somehow garnered the ability to copy itself?

Whatever happened to those attempts like taking a test tube full of muck and zapping it with lightening to see if all of these complex biological mechanism can happen BY THEMSELVES?

"This will remove one of the few fundamental mysteries about creation in the universe and our role."

I am laughing. What "fundamental mysteries"? And "our role"? It would seem that if this achievement is actually achieved that it actually proves that intelligent design is absolutely necessary for the "creation" of life...no? Note the use of words like "hurdles" and "efforts" and "huge achievement."

And then this:

His idea is that once the container is made, if scientists add nucleotides in the right proportions, then Darwinian evolution could simply take over.

"We aren't smart enough to design things, we just let evolution do the hard work and then we figure out what happened," Szostak said.

Ummm...somehow natural selection is going to get the nucleotides to gather in just the right order to create a fully functioning genetic system ready to generate...oh let's say: polymerase, for instance? Oh wait a minute...in order to generate DNA polymerase you will have to first have RNA Polymerase, Ribosomes, tRNA, and Amino Acids (for starters off the top of my head) where did THESE happen to come from? Puhhlease..."we aren't smart enough to design things" but you you think you can inject a few building blocks in and it will happen all by itself? Sorta like throwing a few engine parts together covered with JB Weld and expecting a functioning engine to materialize...maybe after stirring the pot for awhile?

Count me as being profoundly UNDERWHELMED when the announcement comes...if it ever does.

I am reminded of this old joke (except that the above efforts don't do it justice):

Scientists came before God to tell Him that He is no longer required to explain the existence of life, because they were now able to create life in the laboratory.

"Really?" God says, "Show me?"

"Sure," the lead scientists says. And then as he bends down he says, "All I need is a little dirt..."

God interrupts, "Whoah, my son, go and get your own dirt."

Or Polymerase, or Nucleotides, or Ribosomes, or tRNA, or mRNA, or ____________.