Author Topic: Evolution of DNA  (Read 6849 times)

Offline Numsgil

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Evolution of DNA
« on: February 23, 2011, 05:14:32 PM »
I found this interesting site about the evolution of DNA (and life).  It has an interesting take on it, using language that I've never seen used this way before (differentiating "coding" regions of the DNA and "scripting" regions, which I hadn't ever thought about).

I'm going to read through it and mine it for ideas.  Others are welcome to do the same.

Offline ikke

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Re: Evolution of DNA
« Reply #1 on: March 15, 2011, 09:37:06 AM »
I read it. It is good. I have no background in biochemistry but the site is very good in giving very much information without making my head spin. I'm sure the namegiving helps. It really opens (at least to me) the black box of what kind of processes are needed at a chemical level to support life

I think the scripting part is off though. Specifically on the low level repetition of building blocks. Basically the idea represented is that making the cell wall consists of repeating an exact sequence of attach molecule x. It would mean the cell wall of each cell of an organism (even a species!) would consist of exactly the same number of molecules. Maintenance, for instance cell wall repair would be a bitch. At which repeat of insert molecule x should the script restart to repair a cell. I think it works more along the lines of as long as chemical balance is off (because the cell wall is incomplete or damaged) make and place molecule x. Chemical equilibrium. The author has no problem with the concept at other instances, so why he deviates here is a mystery to me.
On the other hand some scripts will work that way. I have a definite number of ribs, and exactly two eyes

Offline Numsgil

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Re: Evolution of DNA
« Reply #2 on: March 15, 2011, 03:00:38 PM »
I'm not sure how factual the idea of the scripts are, because I haven't heard of that idea outside of that site, but leaving aside reality for the moment I think it's a reasonable way to program super structures like multicellular animals, etc.  I might experiment with some of the ideas for DB3.  Maybe "slow" DNA that bot authors can use to program a bot's lifecycle (larva stage: feed; adult stage: combat) in a way that is amenable to mutations and evolution.

Offline ikke

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Re: Evolution of DNA
« Reply #3 on: March 15, 2011, 11:59:11 PM »
I'm not sure how factual the idea of the scripts are, because I haven't heard of that idea outside of that site, but leaving aside reality for the moment I think it's a reasonable way to program super structures like multicellular animals, etc. 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hox_gene This to me is an example
I might experiment with some of the ideas for DB3.  Maybe "slow" DNA that bot authors can use to program a bot's lifecycle (larva stage: feed; adult stage: combat) in a way that is amenable to mutations and evolution.
I think the way to go would be codule - codule stack - stack of codule stacks.