200 page book converted into DNA by researchers

200 page book converted into DNA by researchers

Scientists from Harvard University wanted to prove that DNA, the genetic template substance, can be a viable storage solution. They took a 200+ page book that totalled close to 53000 words. The book also had 11 images and a short _javascript code added to its contents.

The scope of Harvard's research was to see if DNA molecules ca be used to store a large amount of data. DNA can last for thousands of years as opposed to the average harddrive lifespan which is close to 5 years of active use. If DNA is trapped in amber then it can last for million of years.

In order to convert the digital version of the book to DNA the following process was followed:

- Researchers first took the binary code of the book.

- The resulting binary string was analysed bit by bit. A nucleobase was assigned for every bit value.

- The 5.27 million base long DNA strand was synthesized by analysing 96 bases at a time

- The synthesized DNA now contains the entire book. Its weight is one million time less than the weight of a grain of salt.

Ok, here we go....

I read this and just had to post it here for everybody to comment on. So here we have some researchers storing information in DNA. They make the argument how if store properly it can last much longer than anything we have today.

Now, Who here with an open mind can possibly imagine....

A.) If there are Extra Terrestrials could this mean we aren't the first species to think of this?

And

B.) Maybe we should start some heavy in-depth research into what the hell exactly is all that Junk DNA is that we've been carrying around all this time?

Who knows. It may be the Encyclopedia Galactica


Thoughts?

If DNA is trapped in amber then it can last for million of years.:
A.) If there are Extra Terrestrials could this mean we aren't the first species to think of this?

That brings to my mind the crystal skulls and how some have theorized that information might be trapped inside of them?

reply to post by SLAYER69


Wow, that's some mind boggling stuff. Just think of all the spy technology available with DNA sized secret info. Even TSA would never find it!

reply to post by SLAYER69


B.) Maybe we should start some heavy in-depth research into what the hell exactly is all that Junk DNA is that we've been carrying around all this time?


www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov...[/url]

A snippet from the sight noted above.

A new form of biomineralization has been studied in the pineal gland of the human brain. It consists of small crystals that are less than 20 microm in length and that are completely distinct from the often observed mulberry-type hydroxyapatite concretions. A special procedure was developed for isolation of the crystals from the organic matter in the pineal gland. Cubic, hexagonal, and cylindrical morphologies have been identified using scanning electron microscopy. The crystal edges were sharp whereas their surfaces were very rough.

So perhaps our brains are storing this already as you've hinted above in B

Wonder if anyone considered the crystal skulls to have dna encoding?

Sure any advance civilization would have thought about that and can last forever.

They are doing it this now imagine what tomorrow brings.

oh wow more ammo for creationism....darwin keeps getting smaller and smaller.

Wouldn't it be wild if the Hall of Records was just a synthetic dead body encased in Amber just waiting for us to be able to access it?

I wonder if they have reversed the process? I may be mistaken, but it seems I've read at one time that all DNA on the planet is a large percentage the same from the smallest organisms to the largest. (please correct me if I'm wrong ) That being said I wonder if they've reversed that encoding process on the major portions of "similar" DNA just to see what they come up with?

What would be the purpose of storing the DNA if our soul lives on after the body dies?

Perhaps if you believe that our soul willingly comes to the earthly realms... to evolve and learn... then we need the DNA to be stored so that life and evolving spiritually can progress into infinity

And I am referring to the junk dna or "hidden' if you will... because we all know that new life carries our DNA forward through time

Whoa... Now you have really brought us a brain teaser with this one. DNA accurately storing information that can be retrieved and read clearly? Who would have thought..... I have to say, before even reading your OP completely...I had the same thought occur to me. Given this discovery, has anyone tried reverse engineering our own DNA with the intent of decoding what may not have been thought of as a code before?

I know... so unlikely, it barely even warrants a mention. Barely.... But, that still leaves the off chance, huh?

Of course, with our luck, we'll spend billions and years of effort to decode that junk DNA just to find it says "Made in Alpha Centauri - No Returns, No Refunds, No Exceptions!"

Thanks for a real wonder of a puzzle. This is one we can't even prove either way for a long time..now those are always the best kind.

reply to post by SLAYER69

B.) Maybe we should start some heavy in-depth research into what the hell exactly is all that Junk DNA is that we've been carrying around all this time?

Who knows. It may be the Encyclopedia Galactica

Ahaha. That is one of the best theories I've ever heard. It could have some merit though... maybe not information which has been artificially placed their by aliens or something, but it may be like, all the important information which helps us understand the world... things that we just seem to know when we are born and things we don't necessarily have to be taught by anyone else. It could be that certain types of useful information about the world are encoded into our DNA.

reply to post by ChaoticOrder


I thought it made sense. We couldn't destroy a record stored in our own DNA. We'd carry it with us no matter where we went or who was in charge. No burning of the Library down to the ground like so many have been in Human history which were done mostly due to ignorance and hatred.....

Really good thought provoking thread by the way~

It would be really cool if we could find out who or what made our dna and coded it.

In the future we will have organic computer and machines. One day we will build an organic farm machine that has four legs, eats grass, poops out nutrients for grass, can do heavy work and when it gets tired and old you can eat it. Oh wait, a cow, its been made already.

wow imagine the amount of information that can be moved from place to place, to person to person without the carrier even knowing about it.

Think of how much information your pocket lint could hold, the decal under your nail polish could be used to hold the entire worlds library's.

For the tiniest little thing this is HUGE

love and harmony
Whateva

reply to post by SLAYER69


Ha... Encyclopedia Galactica would be awesome, way better than junk DNA. Which is something that I don't buy for a second.

Besides that would be the smartest way possible to store information for a few reasons:

1. It would be guaranteed that for as long that species is alive the contents would be there available for them to decode it.
2. One could rest assured that the message would only be decoded once that species had reached a certain level of evolution or self-awareness.
3. It wouldn't give much margins for questioning and interpretations, since the source would be yourself.

I dig the concept. When do we start to decode it?

I just had a bizarre idea.

This is pretty far out there...

What if Idiot savants are storing and retrieving their information Genetically totally bypassing Grey matter?

Even if they are able to decode a story or even some sort of information on it do you think that they would tell us the truth about it? They hide so much from us. Why would they tell us whats on there?

reply to post by SLAYER69


Awesome !

How mind boggling is this? I mean really?

Originally posted by SLAYER69
I just had a bizarre idea.

This is pretty far out there...

What if Idiot savants are storing and retrieving their information Genetically totally bypassing Grey matter?

What if Grey Aliens made us just because they ran out of disc space on their computers?