tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34970069.post8692363091975678267..comments2024-03-29T01:24:21.143-07:00Comments on Biology in Science Fiction: Messages in Our DNA?Peggy Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18360669414917755737noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34970069.post-69203476980895819602011-02-09T10:39:24.295-08:002011-02-09T10:39:24.295-08:00I imagien that if there were a hidden message in o...I imagien that if there were a hidden message in our genome it would say something along these lines: "There is no inherent meaning in anything. Stop looking for one, you fool."Evan Soehttp://mypapa@yahoo.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34970069.post-35682701294603545792007-07-09T13:30:00.000-07:002007-07-09T13:30:00.000-07:00Well, I suppose that looking for patterns in non-c...Well, I suppose that looking for patterns in non-coding DNA may be useful to understand all-genome function and structure.<BR/><BR/>The idea of searching a "designer-made" message of DNA reminds me the proposal made by Carl Sang in <I>Contact</I> about a message encoded in mathematical constants such as PI. We don't know for sure if PI is a <A HREF="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Normal_number" RELDLhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15700557401433617820noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34970069.post-36037515904266348392007-07-06T01:21:00.000-07:002007-07-06T01:21:00.000-07:00I have to admit I raised my eyebrows at the alien ...I have to admit I raised my eyebrows at the alien messages in DNA. I can see it making for a great theme in scifi booksTaliahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08021644688776666185noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34970069.post-12955529878955220502007-07-05T13:05:00.000-07:002007-07-05T13:05:00.000-07:00A.R.: That is a wonderfully nasty idea! I don't th...A.R.: That is a wonderfully nasty idea! I don't think that latent viruses hidden in mitochondrial DNA are any less likely than alien messages in our genomic DNA ;-)<BR/><BR/>I more uplifting take on "ready to be activated" alien sequences is in Spider and Jeanne Robinson's <I>Starmind</I>. <BR/>SPOILER! - - - In the final novel of the Star Dance trilogy it turns out that junk DNA is actually Peggy Khttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18360669414917755737noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34970069.post-54853857060572711182007-07-05T12:19:00.000-07:002007-07-05T12:19:00.000-07:00Alien messages in DNA... that reminds me of a (rat...Alien messages in DNA... that reminds me of a (rather morbid) 1-page comic-strip I made years ago.<BR/><BR/>The strip "explained," step-by-step, why we've never seen alien visitors: Some alien civilization has seeded other worlds with a genetic virus which actively prevents other intelligent beings from ever going into space.<BR/><BR/>The virus rides "piggyback" in mitochondrial DNA over A.R.Yngvehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03972668378286177600noreply@blogger.com