Top 10 Science and Tech Stories of 2007

from William Saletan, at Slate. Sample:

Artificial life. First scientists announced that they had transplanted one micro-organism's genome into another, completely changing the host's identity and behavior. Now they're trying the same thing with an artificial chromosome. They claim to have built an artificial chromosome, and are on schedule to grow "the first living cells with fully artificial genomes" within a year. The concept is to make bacteria that produce fuel, drugs, fabrics, or beneficial environmental effects. The risk is that bioterrorists will exploit the technology or that self-replicating organisms will spread diseases or run amok. Bioengineers say that as a precaution, they're trying to rig organisms to self-destruct if they escape the lab. Good luck.