Synthetic Life - Cookin' Up a Cell from Scratch

Science fiction authors have long predicted the day when rogue researchers would create synthetic life. From ancient Greek mythology's Prometheus who created men from clay, to Mary Shelley's Dr. Frankenstein who brought dead flesh back to life in 1818, to modern stories such as Flubber. Humanity has always been in awe of the intricacy of living things, and desired the power to bestow life.

Well, we've arrived. Mostly. In May, 2010, the J. Craig Venter Institute (JCVI) announced that they had successfully assembled the first synthetic life form. What exactly did they mean by that?