[Sci/Tech] DNA Found to Have "Impossible" Telepathic Properties

[The Helper]

DNA has been found to have a bizarre ability to put itself together, even at a distance, when according to known science it shouldn't be able to. Explanation: None, at least not yet.

Scientists are reporting evidence that contrary to our current beliefs about what is possible, intact double-stranded DNA has the “amazing” ability to recognize similarities in other DNA strands from a distance. Somehow they are able to identify one another, and the tiny bits of genetic material tend to congregate with similar DNA. The recognition of similar sequences in DNA’s chemical subunits, occurs in a way unrecognized by science. There is no known reason why the DNA is able to combine the way it does, and from a current theoretical standpoint this feat should be chemically impossible.

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[esb]

Creepy yet cool.

Might it be magnetic though? Or something similar?

 

[pladams9]

Well, it couldn't really be a magnetic force or anything similar because those forces act in a general way upon everything around them. It, and most other forces such as gravity, wouldn't distinguish between different DNA strands. They're all just a jumble of atoms.

 

[esb]

Well magnets are only attracted to other magnets and metal. Maybe it's the same case with this, but certain chemical instead of metal.

It could be something completely different though, besides telepathy too.

 

[Asehujiko]

Quantum entanglement on a larger scale?

 

[emjlr3]

its called the law of thermodynamics

its going to find similar sequences eventually, its called the path of least resistance

 

[TheDamien]

1. "I don't know how this works."
2. ?????
3. "AMAZING DNA TELEPATHY ZOMG"

Sigh.

Here is the actual publication. The experiment hasn't been duplicated, but it seems to have been conducted to a rigorous scientific standard. Like emljr3, the scientists have hypothesized a "path of least resistance" explanation:

We hypothesize that the origin of this recognition may be as follows.15 In-register alignment of phosphate strands with grooves on opposing DNA minimizes unfavorable electrostatic interactions between the negatively charged phosphates and maximizes favorable interactions of phosphates with bound counterions. DNAs with identical sequences will have the same structure and will stay in register over any juxtaposition length. Nonhomologous DNAs will have uncorrelated sequence-dependent variations in the local pitch that will disrupt the register over large juxtaposition length. The register may be restored at the expense of torsional deformation, but the deformation cost will still make juxtaposition of nonhomologous DNAs unfavorable.14 The sequence recognition energy, calculated from the corresponding theory is consistent with the observed segregation within the existing uncertainties in the theoretical and experimental parameters (Supplemental Theory). This energy is ~1 kT under the conditions utilized for the present study, but it is predicted to be significantly amplified, for example, at closer separations, at lower ionic strength, and in the presence of DNA condensing counterions.10,15

 

[Lobster]

fundamental force #5?