And is there any study on the parallels between human biology and computer science?
Ask HN: Can we think of DNA as Infrastructure as Code
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Re: Ask HN: Can we think of DNA as Infrastructure as Code
#2genetic algorithms were stolen by the latter from the former
Re: Ask HN: Can we think of DNA as Infrastructure as Code
#3We can if we'd like to but remember that it's an analogy, no matter how useful, inspiring or beautiful the connections might be.
I don't like this analogy too much because it collapses "DNA" into a singular thing that's somehow related to classical computing, even though there's no indication that DNA and the multiple layers of systems interacting with it are limited in the same ways as classical computers.
I prefer to think of the DNA as a medium for memory, one of many mediums for memory.
Memory is everywhere, whether or not anyone or anything remembers it.
Re: Ask HN: Can we think of DNA as Infrastructure as Code
#4definitely not, go and look up epigenetics
Re: Ask HN: Can we think of DNA as Infrastructure as Code
#5Re: Ask HN: Can we think of DNA as Infrastructure as Code
#6Chromatin, not just DNA.
Anyway, the "code" category is too simple to describe what is actually happening.
There is a sort of nanoscale industrial cyber-bio-physical-chemical plant/factory/machinery/complex within each cell.
If you consider CS-stuff as an analogy, you might miss the 'physical-chemical' aspect of it all. Like, you know, you would not call an autonomous android with embedded micro chemical facility just a computer or server. Yes it is also a computer, yes it runs some code, but it is moving, it is chemically very active, it has sort of initiative capabilities.
cs analogies are way too barren.
Re: Ask HN: Can we think of DNA as Infrastructure as Code
#7Yes, but the computer that runs the code is the body that grows it, and each one is different.
Re: Ask HN: Can we think of DNA as Infrastructure as Code
#8There is no direct parallels. And guess what - the brain is not even a computer.
Everything this was just metaphors for non experts, irrelevant contexts and making money on pseudo science books.
Re: Ask HN: Can we think of DNA as Infrastructure as Code
#9Not as Infra as Code but you could think of it as another stack with its own architechture and programming language. Also runs on jelly instead of electronics.
Re: Ask HN: Can we think of DNA as Infrastructure as Code
#10Computation is everywhere. Read about CRISPR and tape based Turing machines.