I only know about it from the articles (Grauniad, BBC and The Register), but as far as I can see you are close to correct. The new thing is that they didn't just mod the software, they allegedly wrote it from scratch[1].
But they then did insert it (as I understand it) into an already 'living' cell which had its program removed. And it then reproduced (which that cell couldn't do without the program) and did whatever they intended it to do (none of the articles went into details on that).
Quite how much of the rest of the cell is non-trivial, and whether they have managed to make that separately, I don't understand. But to me, too, the fuss about "scientists have created life" seems over-stated. Yes, a breakthrough, and as a (computer) programmer I find it very exciting what they have done, but I wish the media didn't blow it out of proportion.
[1] Yes, they learned how to program it by reverse engineering the original versions. If that's the complaint (and I'm not saying that it is in yor case, it's one I have seen others make, and one I've seen directed against computer programmers) then no one "writes a novel" either, all they do is assemble existing words according to established syntax.
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branchandroot
no subject
Date: 2010-05-22 08:31 am (UTC)But they then did insert it (as I understand it) into an already 'living' cell which had its program removed. And it then reproduced (which that cell couldn't do without the program) and did whatever they intended it to do (none of the articles went into details on that).
Quite how much of the rest of the cell is non-trivial, and whether they have managed to make that separately, I don't understand. But to me, too, the fuss about "scientists have created life" seems over-stated. Yes, a breakthrough, and as a (computer) programmer I find it very exciting what they have done, but I wish the media didn't blow it out of proportion.
[1] Yes, they learned how to program it by reverse engineering the original versions. If that's the complaint (and I'm not saying that it is in yor case, it's one I have seen others make, and one I've seen directed against computer programmers) then no one "writes a novel" either, all they do is assemble existing words according to established syntax.