This article blew my mind.

Some of you guys might find it interesting

Cool. I don't have time to read the whole thing at the moment, but yes, I do find it interesting.

I study environmental ecology (probably starting also deeper microbiology studies soon). The things that article suggest, like for example the possible connection between nucleus and viruses. It blew my mind. We're could literally be viruses.. haha

http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/conten...308/5725/1114a Some nice deeper material there if anyone cares. Most of it doesn't come free thou, unless you get to read it thru your University ip space

The information in the article is very interesting, totally changes how you think about viruses, but the writer's tone occasionally annoyed me. It's too sensationalist and is cramming in topical issues that don't really belong there. What on earth has this really got to do with creationism?

This discovery doesn't make any fundamental philosophical difference to how we think about life beginning.

We already thought life began with a mixture of random non-living organic chemicals, it's no big leap to suddenly say it began with a mixture of random viruses instead. As far as the average person is concerned, it's still pretty much the same concept of microscopic globules appearing followed by evolution into larger creatures.

As for theological implications, I don't think there's anything new here. If someone believes there's a supreme being, then they could just as easily claim that viruses were the being's tool for creating life as much any other method. So-called Literalists won't accept viruses as a creation mechanism, but then they never accepted evolution in the first place, so this will make no difference to their thinking either.

This discovery IS very interesting in terms of how we think about viruses, but it's not so interesting in terms of how we think about life. It's still not answering the question we started out with:

If viruses did kickstart the process that created all other organisms, how were the viruses created? In other words, how did this whole process of life begin?

(And the next most interesting question: what are the chances we could find this happening on other planets?)

Yes, I skimmed the first page and quit; while it looked interesting, the sensationalism was getting to me. I'll search for it elsewhere and read someone else's article.

The weird thing is thou that this article is from 2006 and this is the first time I heard of it. I mean the origin of viruses is one of the great mysteries of biology. What are they, run away genes or perhaps bacteria that gave up independent life?

One would think discovery such as this would be widely reported in the major media, but no, I guess it's more important for people to know what mental institution Britney is currently staying at..

Discovery or History channel had a show about this. Very fascinating.
A friend of mine told me about two years ago that researchers had discovered that most cold and flu viruses spread mainly from our drinking water. He said it is very difficult to kill these viruses and bacteria. Ever since he recommended I drink distilled bottled water I have not had a cold or flu virus. Scary stuff. Some hospitals now test patients for drug resistant viruses before admitting them. Dan

Distilled water is not good for human use. Ask your physician.