Plasma Comes Alive

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Posted by CowboyNeal on Saturday September 20, 2003 @03:34AM from the artificial-societies dept.

j_hirny writes "So, it seems that the widely acclaimed theory of how life begun, during hundreds of millions of years is, at least, not the only one which is being researched. As New Scientist report, a physicist managed to create life-alike beings made of plasma. They can replicate, grow and duplicate. They don't have amino-acids or DNA strains, of course, yet they may reveal something new about life's beginnings."

19 of 267 comments (clear)

overused by Anonymous Coward · 2003-09-20 03:35 · Score: 3, Funny

I for one, will welcome these new Plasma Blob overlords. Now, continue with informative comments, dear slashdotters.
1. Re:overused by ameoba · 2003-09-20 06:56 · Score: 3, Funny
  
  I, for one, welcome our new cliche overlords.
  
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So... by Brainboy · 2003-09-20 03:38 · Score: 3, Funny

So how does this help us discover plasma weaponry technology? I've played enough first-person shooters, i know its possible!

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Plasma Comes Alive... by Anonymous Coward · 2003-09-20 03:39 · Score: 5, Funny

...but will not sell more records than Frampton.
Bullshit by Anonymous Coward · 2003-09-20 03:41 · Score: 1, Funny

This New Scientist article is full of hot air.
Can this be done with other substances? by agent2 · 2003-09-20 03:41 · Score: 2, Funny

So what if they could do this to biological materials? Would it be possible to create cells from living things?
1. Re:Can this be done with other substances? by sharkey · 2003-09-20 06:18 · Score: 2, Funny
  
  Would it be possible to create cells from living things?
  Yes, it is. In fact, it's already being done, but with jism, not plasm.
  
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It's a fact by papasui · 2003-09-20 03:41 · Score: 2, Funny

that living gas blobs exist, just watch the Anna Nicole Smith show.
These guys may be on to something by Anonymous Coward · 2003-09-20 03:44 · Score: 5, Funny

My florescent desk lamp has been looking at me funny.
1. Re:These guys may be on to something by twoslice · 2003-09-20 04:02 · Score: 4, Funny
  
  My florescent desk lamp has been looking at me funny.
  I'll bet that your lamp isn't the only thing looking at you funny...
  
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Ob: by Bearpaw · 2003-09-20 03:47 · Score: 3, Funny

"It's life, Jim, but not as we know it."
Well, potentially life-like, anyway. Intriguing.
Re:Not! by NickFitz · 2003-09-20 04:00 · Score: 3, Funny

War == baby boomer generation

Yes, war is hell.

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overused by SHEENmaster · 2003-09-20 04:01 · Score: 0, Funny

I for one welcome our new florescent desk lamp overlords...

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Re:Big Deal by Jeremy+Erwin · 2003-09-20 04:12 · Score: 3, Funny

It reminded me of one of those funny Stephen Baxter novels--wherein the main characters are so completely devoid of humanoid characteristics that one loses interest after the thirtieth page.
Mathematician's rule of the thumb: by Krapangor · 2003-09-20 04:15 · Score: 5, Funny

if it's published in a journal with a title containing the word "chaos" then it's rubbish propability p is increased by
min(1-p,exp(1/(1-p))).
Some people even throw an integration over the spelling errors in the publication into this formula. (Seiberg's famous bad spelling trace integral.)

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alive? by stevebob2019 · 2003-09-20 04:18 · Score: 5, Funny

Dammit, now PETA is going to come after my new big screen.
Re:Life "out there" by WTFmonkey · 2003-09-20 04:21 · Score: 4, Funny

Um, no. There are MANY other things that mean your time spent learning Klingon was wasted, but this isn't one of them.
Re:Yes, yes you are. by iCat · 2003-09-20 04:59 · Score: 2, Funny

In any case, development of life this way can still be consistent with a God that created the universe, and possibly guided the development of life

I agree with most of what you say, however there is no evidence for the above statement.
He's created POLITICIANS !!! by fygment · 2003-09-20 06:29 · Score: 3, Funny

... outer layers of ions with hot gas trapped inside. Actually, only simulated politicians since in real ones the hot gas is rarely trapped inside for long.

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