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| Storing Information and History Within Living Organisms |
Avatar was an impressive achievement and enjoyable, I wonder if James Cameron understood
all of the implication's of his work. Some see it as a shallow story with great eye candy. I see it
as a merging of high technology with high biology. One directly visible implication of the vision of
Avatar is the storage of information in biological vessels.
all of the implication's of his work. Some see it as a shallow story with great eye candy. I see it
as a merging of high technology with high biology. One directly visible implication of the vision of
Avatar is the storage of information in biological vessels.
While chewing on a blade of grass...
I had the thought: what is the flavor of history?
The 8 track, cassette, CD, and DVD show that technology for storing information constantly
changes. A biologically based storage media that interfaces with the brain would seem to be a
way of maintaining a vast amount of knowledge without the technological overhead. Recent
history has led to complacency and the commonly held assumption that civilization's path is ever
upward. The coming environmental changes could produce shortages and wars that could down
into a dark age in which very little information will be retrievable.
I had the thought: what is the flavor of history?
The 8 track, cassette, CD, and DVD show that technology for storing information constantly
changes. A biologically based storage media that interfaces with the brain would seem to be a
way of maintaining a vast amount of knowledge without the technological overhead. Recent
history has led to complacency and the commonly held assumption that civilization's path is ever
upward. The coming environmental changes could produce shortages and wars that could down
into a dark age in which very little information will be retrievable.
If the future turns out to be as bright as many hope, this biological media could be just another
form of entertainment. If civilization does fall apart, the biological information storage could be like
those plants in Avatar, a light in the jungle until the sun rises on a different (human?) civilization.
There could many ways to biologically archive knowledge, and this is just one concept.
form of entertainment. If civilization does fall apart, the biological information storage could be like
those plants in Avatar, a light in the jungle until the sun rises on a different (human?) civilization.
There could many ways to biologically archive knowledge, and this is just one concept.
The technology and biology depicted in Avatar suggest many different ways of storing
information when civilization can no longer sustain, (or want), significant technology. The storage
media must interact directly with the brain. The 8 track, cassette, CD, and DVD show that the
technology for storing information constantly changes and anything left on the old format is
quickly lost.
In the movie Avatar all of the higher creatures of Pandora appear to have a built in biological
data port with universal compatibility. This condition appears to be an intentional non-Darwinian
leap.
information when civilization can no longer sustain, (or want), significant technology. The storage
media must interact directly with the brain. The 8 track, cassette, CD, and DVD show that the
technology for storing information constantly changes and anything left on the old format is
quickly lost.
In the movie Avatar all of the higher creatures of Pandora appear to have a built in biological
data port with universal compatibility. This condition appears to be an intentional non-Darwinian
leap.
| (To Be Continued) How do you write a message to the future? And Who are you writing to? |
Plants could be created with data chromosomes or other structures that could store information.
A simple method of preparation would allow the plant to be eaten and over time the information
transferred to consciousness. The plants would retain this information indefinitely or until they went
extinct. This type of transfer probably wouldn't allow much information in the message and it could
be dangerous to the reader.
On Earth, data chromosomes (non-protein coding or silent chromosomes), could carry a large
amount of data in the English language or a mathematical form, but it requires a knowledge of
English or mathematics to make sense of it. Above all, reading the chromosome data requires a
technological means of reading DNA. Only another civilization with our biological knowledge or
greater could read it. If someone does find an already written message, please notify me so
I can escape the witch burners, this time.
A simple method of preparation would allow the plant to be eaten and over time the information
transferred to consciousness. The plants would retain this information indefinitely or until they went
extinct. This type of transfer probably wouldn't allow much information in the message and it could
be dangerous to the reader.
On Earth, data chromosomes (non-protein coding or silent chromosomes), could carry a large
amount of data in the English language or a mathematical form, but it requires a knowledge of
English or mathematics to make sense of it. Above all, reading the chromosome data requires a
technological means of reading DNA. Only another civilization with our biological knowledge or
greater could read it. If someone does find an already written message, please notify me so
I can escape the witch burners, this time.
| Work in Progress |
The movie "Contact" showed a method for encoding information. An X and Y grid matrix that
would produce a picture (Scratch the 3 faces of the cube). One assumption about the reader is
that they would have enough computing power to filter out a lot of the errors and corruption. A
picture, even at low resolutions, can survive a lot of changes.
So graphic novels will be our legacy to the future...
would produce a picture (Scratch the 3 faces of the cube). One assumption about the reader is
that they would have enough computing power to filter out a lot of the errors and corruption. A
picture, even at low resolutions, can survive a lot of changes.
So graphic novels will be our legacy to the future...
Writing in DNA is not trivial and human technology is not currently capable of quickly writing
information in DNA. Ideally the organic structure would be responsive to light or electricity so a
digital database would have minimal delays in writing the information. The biological writing
structures in a cell might be altered by a virus to accept something other than DNA or RNA for
transcription. Fail-safes need to be incorporated that will prevent the information DNA from
having any biological function. We don't want our information killing the plant messenger.
information in DNA. Ideally the organic structure would be responsive to light or electricity so a
digital database would have minimal delays in writing the information. The biological writing
structures in a cell might be altered by a virus to accept something other than DNA or RNA for
transcription. Fail-safes need to be incorporated that will prevent the information DNA from
having any biological function. We don't want our information killing the plant messenger.
Would they want technical knowledge? Would they want stories from our lives to compare to
theirs? Could we tell them how we rose and fell and the pitfalls to avoid. And if we fell, why
couldn't we prevent it.
Writing a message to the future tends to focus your mind on the now. A disturbing assumption
is that mankind won't be around to read the message. Those uneasy feelings that we push to the
back of your minds, may be the recognition of the many faces of fate that we are already beginning
to see. Some of the choices that will open the future will be harsh and cruel. But not making them
will mean that a human future won't exist at all.
theirs? Could we tell them how we rose and fell and the pitfalls to avoid. And if we fell, why
couldn't we prevent it.
Writing a message to the future tends to focus your mind on the now. A disturbing assumption
is that mankind won't be around to read the message. Those uneasy feelings that we push to the
back of your minds, may be the recognition of the many faces of fate that we are already beginning
to see. Some of the choices that will open the future will be harsh and cruel. But not making them
will mean that a human future won't exist at all.