Present At The Creation.

Craig Venter has created the world's first synthetic life form. It is a stunning scientific achievement.

To quote from the news story linked above: "This is literally a turning point in the relationship between man and nature," said molecular biologist Richard Ebright at Rutgers University, who wasn't involved in the project. "For the first time, someone has generated an entire artificial cell with pre-determined properties.

Bonus Link: The Economist goes all big think on this subject.