2 posts tagged “dna”

This is ...awe inspiring.

"nonorganic dust, when held in the form of plasma in zero gravity, formed the helical structures found in DNA. The particles are held together by electromagnetic forces that the scientists say could contain a code comparable to the genetic information held in organic matter. It appeared that this code could be transferred to the next generation."

This is dust, spontaneously transforming into "life".  Well, technically life,  as we have defined life so far. As they say in the article, we may need a better definition.

I don't know which direction scientists will run with this information, but it sets my imagination going.  Though we will never know for sure, it makes sense to me that process of reproduction and death that is evolution occurred out of natural processes that seem supernatural to us only because they are too complex to wrap our minds around.  Once evolution got going, the process was self-sustaining, and life just kept getting more and more complex. 

Maybe life's mystery doesn't come from a "super"natural source, but simply from it's vast and deep complexity.

For some reason, I think that is even more amazing.

Once again, I saw this first here.

"He has also recorded the vaginal contractions of ballet dancers and broadcast them into space..."

Other choice quotes.

4_kac-bunny

"In GFP Bunny (2000), Kac created a transgenic rabbit using a gene derived from a jellyfish, which makes it glow fluorescent green."

"The device is a 25-micron hook connected to a fishing line and an amplifier that scales up the organism's struggle, so that reeling in a cell can feel like netting a large tuna."

This is all from here.

For even more thrilling tales of genetic daring-do, check out this.

Thanks to the Center for Media and Democracy.