From the science fiction department this week comes the revelation that medical researchers have created the heart of a rat in the laboratory. As in, grown from scratch. Building tissues like a construction worker build a house seems like a dream more than reality. But, it's not.

Are the manufacturing of human organs and vital tissues next on the horizon? That would certainly be plausible to many of us. Growing organs and body parts would open up a completely untapped area of business for the medical community. Is it disgusting or genius? You decide.

With heart disease being the #1 killer in the U.S., growing a genetically-compatible heart for a waiting organ recipient would keep thousands alive, as 50,000 people now die each year in the U.S. waiting for a heart donor.

Are we getting too close to meddling with mother nature or just showing off how superior our collective medical intelligence has really become? That's a debate for the ages, but it may need to really get underway soon with this week's announcement.