Andromeda Strain and the Meaning of Life: Part 3 with Chris Kempes and Kate Adamala

[@za.z.6061]

What does Kate Adamala mean by "DNA is boring" ? Any posts, videos or papers ("simple" ones) explaining this thought in more depth? Thanks!

[@SFIScience]

Possibly that the science community has given it too much credit, isolated it and enshrined it as a special molecule somehow distinct from and more important than the entire complex biomolecular system in which it exists and for which it provides a much more narrowly-specified and dependent function than people originally thought. It's likely an anti-reductionist statement from a researcher interested in the entire dynamic works of life, decoupled from specific material instances - does life even NEED DNA? Most of us here at SFI seem to think not.

[@za.z.6061]

@@SFIScience Thanks for your reply! I see. So what other information carrying molecules do you think can replace DNA (except RNA or amino-acids)? Or do you think that life doesn't even need an information carrying molecule?