Watching NOVA this weekend, I was pretty encouraged to see the recent advances in bio-chemistry and DNA manipulation. All the scientists they asked were firm in their belief that actually creating life in the lab is very close to being achieved. They spoke of making an "alien", meaning it wouldn't be genetically related to familiar earthly DNA lines, but would pass muster as a true "life form". Religious fundamentalists will undoubtedly call this "playing god", or "Frankenstein" experimentation, and miss the point entirely- that life is truly a biological machine and can be assembled and manipulated as such, once we understand the basic mechanisms sufficiently. They will see it as a threat to THEIR understanding of the singular importance of humanity as central to God's grand design, missing the fact that it only underscores the wonder and magnificence of the universe as set in-motion by God. Further, I worry for the safety of those scientists. They may be targeted by unstable, psychotic individuals much in the manner of certain members of the health-care industry. "Abortion-clinic" bombings and shootings come to mind. This is the terrorist mentality...kill those who don't agree with your beliefs. __________________________________ Start your day with Yahoo! - Make it your home page! http://www.yahoo.com/r/hs