The Genetic Code mysteries

Are we alone in the Universe? The question haunts us much, and the answers are so far only theoretical speculation. Searching alien life continues on many fronts, and one of the latest and most exciting contributions is the work published by two scholars from Kazakhstan, launching a hypothesis-bomb: our genetic code hides signals informational betrays intelligent intervention and willful a message mathematically and semantically which would not have arisen by Darwinian evolution type. Us then who "wrote" the genetic code? Where and when?

The two scholars who support this idea are Vladimir I. Şcerbak, National University Al-Farabi Kazakh, and Maxim A. Makukov, from the Institute of Astrophysics Fesenkov, both in Kazakhstan.

They hypothesized that exist in the structure of our genetic code, certain "markers" that could be etched there by an alien intelligence, leading us to the idea that the entity would be populated then one of the planets of the Milky Way - Terra - beings created by it, which later evolved beings, leading to compiling the terrestrial biosphere as we know it today.

Inspired by the SETI project (Search for extraterrestrial intelligence) called this message semantic and mathematical "SETI biological" or "genomic SETI."

If SETI project aims decades to capture the Universe radio signal to show us that there are intelligent beings on other planets, the presence of this "SETI biological", the researchers say, offers more chances to discover a possible existence of such entities. In general, avoid using the terms "civilization" or "being" because it's very unlikely that any extraterrestrial intelligence to be structured similarly to any one form of life found on Earth, whether we are talking about single-celled organisms, plants, fish, birds or animals. Accordingly, neither the term "civilization" can not be associated with what is commonly prefigure our brains, that a lot of beings organized by the rules that make them behave as a distinct entity.

The work of the two scientists was published recently in the journal Icarus, entitled The "Wow! signal "of the terrestrial genetic code.

What's the signal "Wow!"? SETI project began in 1959 and, throughout its history over half a century, there were some memorable moments, including the one related to the so-called signal "Wow!" In 1977, dr. Jerry R. Ehman , an astronomer who worked in SETI received by using the radio telescope at Ohio University, USA, an unusual radio signal. Excited as hell - was convinced that he heard the aliens! - Wrote Wow! On the sheet of paper that recorded data signal. But unfortunately, it was not repeated again. Eventually, after its quiet bustle astronomer has said those who sought his insistent explanations that suspect signal captured him was, in reality, a signal emitted by the Earth and that was reflected by some piece of "trash space".

What Şcerbak and Makukov call "a SETI biological" would, they believe, evidence of the existence of extraterrestrial intelligence, who left traces of their presence in the universe through these specific features of our genetic code, features that, say researchers, not It can be explained by chance based on probabilistic model, a solution that we propose evolutionary theory.

What is the genetic code?

Claim without issuing an exhaustive approach, taking into account the information provided so far by scientists, the genetic code is a set of rules that allows translation of such information, contained in the genetic material of living cells to synthesize proteins.

If we imagine an analogy between computer and human cell, the genetic code does what they do and codes are written by computer programmers: they contain, written in a certain format, instructions that enable the computer to perform various tasks. Similarly, different cell protein synthesized on the basis of the information contained in the genetic code.

One of the most fascinating of the genetic code is its universality: with some minor variations, it is common to all life on Earth, from bacteria to humans. Although the wide gaps that exist between microorganisms and mammals, for example, the genetic code is the same, the same bases containing nitrogen is included in the nucleic acids and the same codons encoding the same amino acids, which suggests that the genetic code is a home one and the same evolutionary history.

There are several hypotheses that attempt to explain the origin of the genetic code, including concepts such as affinity of a chemical between certain amino acids and certain triplets of nitrogenous bases (has been demonstrated experimentally the existence of such affinities), natural selection (which led to the establishment codon so to minimize the effect of mutations) etc, but we must admit, in fact, the origin of the genetic code is one of the great enigmas: in the largest of the riddles we bothering us - the origin of life on Earth - how it appeared genetic code a chapter is extremely difficult to explain.

In such circumstances, it is no wonder that for many scientists come to seem the tempting idea of a genetic code "received ready-made", appeared somewhere on another planet and come to us already format. (How was formed there on that planet, whatever it is, it's another discussion.)

In their article, the two researchers say that the nucleic acids are an excellent means of storing information, thanks to their stability: "Once fixed, the genetic code would remain unchanged at scale cosmic time. In fact, it is the most durable structure known so far. Therefore, means an exceptional storage of a signal intelligently. Once genome was rewritten properly, the new code, with its marking and all, will remain unchanged in the cell and the progeny of his, which can then be disseminated time and space. "

They say that beyond any variation in the genetic code there are some traits that lead to the idea that the elements of this code, its overall scheme, its guidelines, would have been "written" by some smart programmers.

So we can assign creating the code of such projects, we should find in it some repetitive patterns that are very significant in statistical terms and have features that can not be acquired by natural processes, but by the conscious intervention of planners intelligent.

The two authors have started to analyze the genetic code and state that they found that the human genome sequencing surprisingly has a certain rigorous as regards the correspondence between the nucleotide and amino acids.

"Arrangements of the code reveal a set of models arithmetic and ideographic associated with symbolic language." Are present, they say, features that you would not expect to find a structure that would have

arisen through evolution and natural selection no matter how accurate it may be; It seems something built, composed, designed on the basis of concepts such as dominance decimal system, semantic symmetry and use of an abstract symbol of zero - all considered by both as unquestionable signs of artificiality. For example, that certain arrangement of the scheme involves predominantly numeral system decimal is, in their view, a sign of artificiality, intervention out to implement a particular mathematical concept, because "nature is indifferent to languages numerical employed intelligence to represent amounts."

"Precise and systematic, these models appear to be the product of a precise logic and the application of computer knowledge," say the study authors.

And these findings have led to a very bold conclusion: the genetic code appears to have been "invented outside the Solar System, already several billion years ago."

Sounds somewhat known their conclusion? It is the centerpiece of a theory much discussed: the panspermia - the idea that life arrived on Earth germs coming from elsewhere, on another celestial body. ... There is a natural variant, say, panspermia theory, which holds that "seeds of life", as shown anyway, would have wandered on Earth, carried by meteorites, and would have thrived here, giving birth, through evolution, the terrestrial biosphere.

But there is also a radical, boldest: the routed panspermia, which claims that our planet would have been "seeded" knowingly, intentionally, with the living matter by an advanced extraterrestrial intelligence. However SF would seem, the theory was supported by some scholars illustrious, including Francis Crick, one of the Nobel laureates for the merit of being deciphered the structure of DNA - one of the greatest science victories of the twentieth century and of all time.

The two authors of this paper have the courage to say: "Since it is far from being established a real scenario of the origin of terrestrial life, assuming that it was <sown> artificial can not be excluded." They're right, in terms of logic.

But like most daring ideas, and their idea could find a much broader interpretation, and some of them have no connection with science in the spirit which assumes that the work was written. Besides panspermia directed theory the two researchers with their "SETI biological 'more grist to the mill and another concept, this time clearly anti-science: that of intelligent design, formulation modern but it is not only an another name for creationism in the biblical sense of the term. The theory of intelligent design says that biology forms of life on Earth is so complex that it can not be explained by favorable natural ways, but must necessarily be the work of a supernatural force. In the West, this theory is often trying accreditation - including schools - as a more modern alternative to creationism "classic", as opposed to the evolutionism. But as long as there is a talk of intervention by a higher force that would be created consciously, deliberately, life, everything remains creationism. And we can ask, how to ask astronomer Ray Villard in an article published recently in commenting hypothesis launched by Şcerbak and Makukov: even if the genetic code would be considered, ultimately, the creation of a Great Designer alien , the engineer who designed it?

But let's not exaggerate! Şcerbak and Makukov's hypothesis is one of many attempts to explain THE

SUPREME ENIGMA (worth an uppercase): how did life on Earth? Theories upon theories have been developed in an attempt to clarify the problem, experiment after experiment was taken to lighten obscure points of either of the theories, studies over studies have synthesized data periodically and have reinterpreted, hoping to give head mystery.

But Great Enigma stands still, locked in its colossal complexity.

Until recently, experts studying the problem of the origin of life could hope little research on the genetic material and the genetic information because this research was extremely difficult and costly - so too inaccessible - due to insufficiently developed technology. But things have changed: the remarkable recent progress, the methods of genetic analysis provides a new lever action. A comparative study of the genomes of different creatures or, as they did Şcerbak and Makukov genetic code, scientists can now address the question of the origin of life from another angle, using not only the chemistry but also computer science. A recent study even suggested that the evolving absolutely necessary progress in the field, this change of perspective.

The idea of the two scholars, with all its connotations disturbing, should be seen as a new step on this road; even if it is likely to be challenged, it is another step - as important, only time one has a look - the way of losing greatest mysteries: the origin of life on Earth.

foto credit: google.com

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