Humans, plants, and animals all take for granted and don’t pay much attention to the incredible ability of their immune systems. They recognize various forms of antigens and destroy them to protect the body from thousands of illnesses. The immune system is why humans and other animals can live their day-to-day lives without fear of contracting bacteria as simple as a cold without any hope of recovering from it. What if you take this shield that so many depend on and ultimately compromise it? That is what Mirror Life would be able to accomplish. It is the hypothetical form of life that is wholly replicated or mirrors the molecular structure of a normal cell. The only difference is that our body would not recognize it.
Even though it is still in its hypothetical stage, the possibility of its existence in the future isn’t a “what if.” It is a “when.” According to StandfordReport, an article was published on Dec. 12, 2024, by a group of 38 researchers arguing for the exploration of Mirror Life to come to a complete stop, claiming that the risks are far too significant to take, even with the co-author of the article Kate Adamala saying “We’re basically giving instructions of how to make a perfect bioweapon.” The creation of a virus using this artificial cell could be a catastrophic event, possibly even causing mass extinction and the end of the human race as we know it.
Mirror Life isn’t all doom and gloom, though. The original intention behind it would be to use it to create particular replicas of proteins and DNA that our enzymes wouldn’t recognize or break down, preventing and curing several diseases. This gives way to the double-edged blade of this hypothetical. Even with its possibly magic-like properties for curing diseases like some ‘miracle’ drug advertised in the 1950s, the fact is that it would eventually be used for the wrong reason. Just like the invention of nuclear power, turning from something that promised clean energy to becoming the world’s most deadly weapon. This is what makes exploration and venturing even deeper into science so dangerous. The higher that humans climb this ladder of knowledge, the harder it will all crumble back down once they invent something they can’t control.
Even with scientists being well aware of the risks that come along with the advancement into science, such as Mirror Life, they will continue to try to crack the code to this hypothetical phenomenon with money, their government, the betterment of science, or some other factor deeply motivating them. Unfortunately, there isn’t much the general public can do to oppose the unstoppable march of science other than protesting. The simple answer is that research into something of this caliber needs to stop until we are much better equipped. As for now, civilization has proven that, yet again, nothing, not illness, disease, or even natural disasters, is as dangerous to them as they are to themselves.
