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Bacteria Made to Behave as Computers

hende_jman writes "Scientists at Princeton University successfully 'programmed bacteria to behave like computers, assembling themselves into complex shapes based on instructions stuffed into their genes.' Though applications may not come for awhile, the article says that in the future this technology may be used in devices to detect bioterrorism chemicals. The article also has pictures of the programmed E. coli."

32 of 303 comments (clear)

  1. New Programming language by hattan · · Score: 5, Funny

    Bacteria.NET Sharp

  2. swell... by ErichTheWebGuy · · Score: 4, Funny

    First, they made armed autonomous robots, now it's smart bacteria that is potentially deadly... All that remains now is for the two to team up against their human opressors. I feel good about it.

    --
    bash: rtfm: command not found
  3. Imagine... by robpoe · · Score: 5, Funny

    A Beow ... nevermind .. screw it..

    I for one wel... naw, screw it

    In Soviet Russia .. The bacter... laaaaame

    the GN... err .. nevermind

    Hmmm..

    --
    = Grow a brain...
    1. Re:Imagine... by Spy+der+Mann · · Score: 3, Funny

      No, it doesn't run Linux. But it can have VIRUSES! :D

    2. Re:Imagine... by Frodo+Crockett · · Score: 3, Funny

      Yeah, but do they run Linux?

      --
      "The newly born animals are then whisked off for a quick run through a giant baking oven." --heard on Food Network
    3. Re:Imagine... by Walt+Dismal · · Score: 3, Funny

      In other news, bacteria living in the intestines of a programmer have learned C and are attempting to write, well, really crappy code.

    4. Re:Imagine... by Dead+Kitty · · Score: 4, Funny

      A Beow ... nevermind .. screw it..

      Can you imagine a culture of these things?

  4. Them bugs.. by ackthpt · · Score: 4, Funny
    "Is that the old Life simulation?"

    "No, it's a diagnostic."

    --

    A feeling of having made the same mistake before: Deja Foobar
  5. Awesome by dirtsurfer · · Score: 5, Funny

    It's amazing how you can control an organism's behavoir by altering it's DNA.

    *yawn* Welp, time to go look at pictures of naked girls.

  6. Bacteria + Windows = Nightmare by jordie · · Score: 5, Funny

    I can only imagine what wonderful ideas Micro$oft is coming up with right now... Imagine your 'computer' crashing and growing all over your house.

    1. Re:Bacteria + Windows = Nightmare by Nefarious+Wheel · · Score: 2, Funny

      Windows 2095 - Who do you want to infect today?

      --
      Do not mock my vision of impractical footwear
  7. lazy by aendeuryu · · Score: 1, Funny

    In post 9-11 soviet russia, only beowulf clusters of welcomed overlords are belong to old grit-eating Koreans!

    There! See? Nothing to it.

    Uh... oh yeah... and something something bacterial computers something

  8. Prey? by ErichTheWebGuy · · Score: 3, Funny

    Anyone else read "Prey" by Micheal Crichton? If so, does any of this sound framiliar? hmmmmmmmmmmm

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    bash: rtfm: command not found
  9. I FOUND by NoGuffCheck · · Score: 5, Funny

    a betterpictureof bacteria assembling themselves into complex shapes based on instructions stuffed into their genes

    --
    serenity now!
  10. This explains a lot by 3770 · · Score: 4, Funny

    This explains why I could calculate PI to 1 000 000 decimals in 1.8 seconds the last time I was sick.

    --
    The Internet is full. Go Away!!!
  11. Aha! Secrets of IBM's Cell processor, revealed! by xmark · · Score: 2, Funny

    Oops, wrong thread...thought I had something there for moment.

  12. yes but... by Kensho · · Score: 2, Funny

    Can they run Tiger? //you thought i was going to say Linux didn't you.

  13. Careful by Bones3D_mac · · Score: 2, Funny

    If they start generating an AT field, kiss your ass goodbye.

    --


    8==8 Bones 8==8
  14. I see it now... by Bananatree3 · · Score: 2, Funny
    [50 years in the future]

    [me] My %$#&#@@!!! E.Coli Computer keeps running slowly, too dangerous to my health, and is a waste of my time compared to it's electronic counterpart. Maybe if I sprinke a little um, penicillin on it, it might make it run faster [supressed snicker].

  15. e coli inside by Camel+Pilot · · Score: 2, Funny

    forget quantum computing I want to be the first on the block to have a fecal matter computer.

    1. Re:e coli inside by SidV · · Score: 4, Funny

      What to go with your piece of sh*t car. ;)

  16. Re:Call me cynical... by Justin205 · · Score: 2, Funny

    ...also known as "The Government of the United States of America"...

    --
    "Your effort to remain what you are is what limits you."
  17. Re:Is it just me? by bloodyghol · · Score: 2, Funny

    You would really think some areas of science would just be abandoned after all those science gone wrong books/movies/games. I mean seriously, if I find out that the US government is still trying to open a gate to hell, I'm going to be pissed. There are all of three games and an upcoming movie (although that may not count) that seam to be sending the don't open a gate to hell because it's really, really bad for you message.

    Of course, all of these types of advancements can be the gate to hell, but often offer nice and helpful features that subdue the nastier ones. Like the computer. The computer is great, we can do so much good stuff on it. A computer could be chugging through bioinfomatics programs to find a cure for cancer, or it could be sitting their determining the best way to cause human pain and suffering (because I know thats what everybody here does with their computers).

    The point is, all technology has a good and bad aspect and we really have to pay attention to ethics and keep people from unleashing a supervirus or destroying earth (for a hyperspace bypass).

  18. First program: by goombah99 · · Score: 5, Funny

    Perhaps the first program will be a cellular Autonoma simmulation. They could program it to play the game of Life.

    --
    Some drink at the fountain of knowledge. Others just gargle.
    1. Re:First program: by koko775 · · Score: 2, Funny

      Thank you. My mind will now proceed to explode. This is at least as perverse as nested wine-cygwin installs, only worse.

  19. air conditioner invented by oogoody · · Score: 1, Funny

    It may be used to cool air marshals as they look for terrorist devices. Please fund me.

  20. nice comparison by Dr.Opveter · · Score: 4, Funny
    Bacteria have been programmed to behave like computers, assembling themselves into complex shapes based on instructions stuffed into their genes.

    The last time i saw a computer assembling itself into a complex shape it didn't need instructions to accomplish that. Gravity is pretty much all it took.

    --
    Sample this!
  21. Unfortunately by mcc · · Score: 1, Funny

    Unfortunately the scientists in this case were all reading Asimov and Heinlein, and so believed that all they had to do was be very smart and discover things and much younger beautiful women would unexpectedly materialize and fall in love with them for no apparent reason.

    This rather dampened the stories' also-present warnings in their mind.

    *shakes fist* ASIMOV, YOUR INABILITY TO WRITE BELIEVABLE THREE-DIMENSIONAL FEMALE CHARACTERS HAS DAMNED THE VERY EXISTENCE OF HUMANITY!

  22. Re:+1 Amerikkka the victim by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

    dood, if you blow up a petting zoo, I want pictures

  23. WARNING by jlebrech · · Score: 2, Funny

    WARNING eating you computer may cause severe health problems.

  24. Re:GNU licence? by salvorHardin · · Score: 2, Funny

    Perhaps Mr Adams wasn't so wrong in stating that Earth and everything on it was actually one big computer, running a very important program.

  25. Role reversal by ChaoticSilly · · Score: 2, Funny

    Software has had bugs forever. Now the bugs have software.