人造细胞成本世纪的科学项目?

We are now to a major scientific breakthrough, building life from scratch. A biologist here in the US claimed to have created the first man made cell. He and his team researchers built this synthetic cell from human DNA inside their lab. The benefits really could be limitless. But then there are all these questions , you know, about ethics and moral issues as well.

And Michio Kaku is a theoretical physicist, physics professor and author of the book Physics of the Impossible. So, is this really a big deal? Why is it such a big deal?

This is the proverbial game changer. It's like splitting the atom back in the 30s. In 10 years, splitting the atom change the political, economic, theological landscape. This is potentially on that scale.

So we are creating artificial life?

In some sense, yes, if you take a look at the cell, think aobut it is a cell phone. We've downloaded apps onto the cell phone all the time, so this time, we took a cell from a goat, and actually downloaded new DNA that we programed.

So, a cell from a goat and with human DNA?

Well, different kinds of junk DNAs was put in, even James Joyce quotation from James Joyce. biography of Jay Robert, Robert Highbird. Also, this stuff was put in. The point was, that it was artificial, (got it ) and that's why this is so novel.

So what can we do with an artificial cell? What can be some of the benefits?

We can tailor and make it to do certain things, like eat oil slicks. (No kidding). Exile is a very much interested in commercializing this technology. Already there are negotiations with talks. Also global warming. You can create bacteria that are specifically designed to eat up carbon dioxide.

But this story reminds me of Jurrassic Park when all the dinosaurs got out and ran in the mark. I mean, there can be some unintended consequences, is that right?

That's right. You can not recall a life form, you can recall a bad Toyota, or General Motors car; You can recall a life form. And also killer bees, they were introduced in Brazil in the 1950s. Some Queen bees are escaped by accident. And these bees have now pushed down the honey bees out of the most of land of the America.

And there were Tinker West?

I know there were Tinker West, but it came Africa, deliberately introduced from Africa to Brazil (I see), to see whether we can get a better hybrid mix, but it was out of control. And now they are penetrating California, Texas, and Louisiana.

So an example of unintended consequence is really quick. As a physicist, do you give thumbs up or thumbs down of this discovery?

I think it this way, yuh, but it's between here and here.

All right, we will see what will happen, just beginning now. So, I guess a lot of things could happen moving forward. Thank you very much, I appreciate your coming in and Joan, back up to you.