Human DNA - just elaborate computer code?

Originally Posted by Kepler

Sure, a change in DNA due to some stimuli could be modeled as an IF statement. I guess where my view differs from others in this forum is that when considering this analogy, I have to ask "Okay, so what?" Such a general conditional statement can describe all kinds of situations. Why is it surprising, or interesting, that it can also describe something that involves DNA?



(For what it's worth, I also have some programming experience. As an undergraduate, and currently continuing as a graduate student, I spend time coding condensed matter physics models which include some crazy blend of FORTRAN (yes, people still use it, haha), python, perl and Linux shell scripts.)

Unfortunately I don't think its possible to study physics and not do some coding. Trust me, I tried to get out of it! I use currently Matlab for models, which is a form of Fortran, previously we used Pascal, an abomination in my opinion!

I suppose your right, to code it you would need to have thought of ALL the possible situations that may occur to turn on a gene, that would take someone with excellent knowledge of the future! I think the thing is is that our DNA responds to the situation around us, we are never going to be able to fortell situations in the future so howto program the unknown into a code? Not sure its possible, or advised! But thats just my 2pence