DNA is a Many-Layered Thing
A spell back, we looked at the enigmatic cipher of DNA, which clearly demonstrates the genius of the Master Engineer. The best that Darwin's disciples can do is give the weak non-explanation of "it evolved" — as if that was supposed to satisfy minds that desire rational information.
Although mobile devices dominate teh interwebs these days and help shorten attention spans, I am going to make a reference to a Windows PC. When the user does a right-click in a browser, program, or whatever, it brings up a context menu. DNA actually does something similar!
Credits: Flickr / quapan (CC BY 2.0), modified at PhotoFunia |
According to Bill Gates, one of the founders of Microsoft, “DNA is like a computer program but far, far more advanced than any software ever created.” Here, Gates is referring to ‘the genome’—the set of instructions encoded in DNA that is used to control embryonic development (in humans to direct the growth of a baby from a fertilized egg) and the day-to-day workings of biological cells.In an attempt to help the reader gain just a small insight into the sophistication of DNA, I will tell an imaginary story concerning the discovery of an electronic tablet in a deserted alien spaceship. On this was a whole library of documents and books.The find generated great excitement and the best linguists in the world cooperated in an attempt to decipher the strange symbols in the books. One document contained diagrams of the ship’s layout and engine room, with many of the parts labelled. This provided the vital clues needed to begin to understand the alien language.
To keep reading (you know you want to), see "The mysterious alien tablet: Delving into DNA’s mind-blowing, multi-layered information system."