NEWS: From Genes to Difference Engines

From: Robert Bradbury (bradbury@genebee.msu.su)
Date: Fri Apr 14 2000 - 03:08:06 MDT


Human Chromosomes 5, 16 and 19 are done. See:
  http://abcnews.go.com/wire/US/reuters20000413_2883.html

NCBI reports as of March 31st 2K, 17.5% of the genome was
finished sequence and another 65.5% was in draft sequence
state. That works out to roughly 2.66 billion bases.

Also, the printer for the Babbage Difference Engine is
finally printing. See:
  http://abcnews.go.com/wire/US/reuters20000413_2883.html

I'm struck by the architectural differences between the
Babbage Difference Engine, modern day electronic computers
and the genetic "machinery" of life. Just three of the
*many* possible architectures that will be available
for various forms of "machinery" when we can easily build a
variety of machines at the nanoscale. One interesting
question would be, "How small would the Babbage Difference
Engine and Printer be if you could build them out of atomic
scale components?"

Robert



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