Dr Hamilton Smith, who was part of the Science study, said the team regarded its lab-made genome – a laboratory copy of the DNA used by the bacterium Mycoplasma genitalium – as a step towards synthetic, rather than artificial, life. He told BBC News: “We like to distinguish synthetic life from artificial life. “With synthetic life, we’re re-designing the cell chromosomes; we’re not creating a whole new artificial life system.”

IMHO it’s not going to matter in the public perception, most people believe synthetic and artificial mean the same thing. Semantics aren’t going to matter when the Frankenstein Monster syndrome takes hold.

Air Force claims jets were in UFO area

“In the interest of public awareness, Air Force Reserve Command Public Affairs realized an error was made regarding the reported training activity of military aircraft. Ten F-16s from the 457th Fighter Squadron were performing training operations from 6 to 8 p.m., Tuesday January 8, 2008, in the Brownwood Military Operating Area (MOA), which includes the airspace above Erath County.”

Maj. Karl Lewis, a spokesman for the 301st Fighter Wing at the former Carswell Field, blamed the erroneous release on “an internal communications error.”

To UFO, or not UFO, that is the question. If anybody at all still believes the Air Force has any credibility concerning the phenomenon, they might as well go back under the rock they’ve been living under for the past 60 years and turn their TV back on.

Biscotti Bits

Italy at Night

Courtesy of Dark Roasted Blend

Tom Corbett, Space Cadet

Tom Corbett, Space Cadet

Courtesy of The Thunderchild 

Yeah, I’ve been accused of this sin many times! (Being a space cadet that is!)