Comments on: Scientists discover double meaning in genetic code. https://habitablezone.com/2013/12/13/scientists-discover-double-meaning-in-genetic-code/ Tue, 07 Apr 2026 19:18:10 -0700 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: FrankC https://habitablezone.com/2013/12/13/scientists-discover-double-meaning-in-genetic-code/#comment-28864 FrankC Sat, 14 Dec 2013 08:06:55 +0000 http://habitablezone.com/?p=41346#comment-28864 That sure sounds promising, but again we don't know how soon we will learn how to use the information to rewrite instructions. I can recall the discovery of DNA and RNA in the 60s. The two scientists that made the discovery won the Nobel. It has taken nearly 40 years to map the human genome and over 30 to start using human dna to solve crimes and identify individuals. How long before they can re instruct genes to cure disease, replicate cells, create super humans and even turn off the biological clock that causes us to age. It could be centuries, decades or it could be less. It may come in dribbles or as impossible as it seems, it could all come together for our children. Fusion, quantum mechanics, genetics, if we keep our nose clean, we might be on the brink of becoming a godlike species. Sure is fun to speculate. That sure sounds promising, but again we don’t know how soon we will learn how to use the information to rewrite instructions.

I can recall the discovery of DNA and RNA in the 60s. The two scientists that made the discovery won the Nobel. It has taken nearly 40 years to map the human genome and over 30 to start using human dna to solve crimes and identify individuals.

How long before they can re instruct genes to cure disease, replicate cells, create super humans and even turn off the biological clock that causes us to age.

It could be centuries, decades or it could be less. It may come in dribbles or as impossible as it seems, it could all come together for our children. Fusion, quantum mechanics, genetics, if we keep our nose clean, we might be on the brink of becoming a godlike species.

Sure is fun to speculate.

]]> By: bowser https://habitablezone.com/2013/12/13/scientists-discover-double-meaning-in-genetic-code/#comment-28863 bowser Sat, 14 Dec 2013 07:17:03 +0000 http://habitablezone.com/?p=41346#comment-28863 Clearly evolution would not have preserved "junk" DNA in organisms, wasted all that energy, without having a reason for it. The fact that it can use DNA to code for both an item and a process makes perfect sense, but I would never have thought of it. Sort of like the idea old that we don't use 90% of our brain. Just because we didn't know exactly what it's used for didn't mean wasn't being used. Clearly evolution would not have preserved “junk” DNA in organisms, wasted all that energy, without having a reason for it. The fact that it can use DNA to code for both an item and a process makes perfect sense, but I would never have thought of it.

Sort of like the idea old that we don’t use 90% of our brain. Just because we didn’t know exactly what it’s used for didn’t mean wasn’t being used.

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