In 1968, Pope Paul VI, in an encyclical entitled "Humanae Vitae" (Of Human Life), declared that any artificial forms of birth control were prohibited by the Roman Catholic Church.

CNN: Wednesday,

Dr Venter maintains that artificial life forms could produce solutions to global problems such as green sources of fuel and climate change.

BBC: NEWS | Science/Nature | Patent sought on 'synthetic life'

But like comic book and animation aficionados who have seen their pet art forms taken over by cute, anthropomorphic animals, artificial intelligence geeks must be getting anxious.

FORBES: Sony's Robot Dog Has Pups

He implores the prime minister to ditch this artificial dividing line and be candid with voters about the need for fiscal retrenchment whoever forms the next administration.

ECONOMIST: Gordon Brown's latest relaunch