The basic building block of life can now be yoked to blueprints synthesized in a lab: Scientists were, for the first time, able to get synthetic DNA to take over a living cell and then get that cell to reproduce.

A variety of prestigious scientists hailed the breakthrough in this Associated Press article, saying the technique could have important practical applications in, for example, medicine. Which is not too terrifying. Of course, the scientist behind the revolutionary experiment has his own goals: He wants to turn living things into oil for ExxonMobil. How inspiring.

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