Chapter 899: Fool's Design

"Idiot question? That's great!" Xiangshan suddenly became energetic.

Yawgmoth described this issue as an "idiot problem", which is definitely a good thing - it means that this issue has reached a consensus in the academic community, is not too controversial, and may even be considered "common sense" by professionals.

This is great!

Xiang Shan immediately asked: "So what is the answer?"

"Go to Google!" Yawgmoth almost shouted!

"How can there be a search engine now? Do you know who controls the Internet here? It's annoying to you, but it's annoying to me!" Xiang Shan said unceremoniously.

There was a rustling sound on the phone, which sounded like Yawgmoth scratching his hair wildly.

"Life was only born once... or it was born several times, but only one continues to this day." Yawgmoth said: "The process of cell structure coming into existence from scratch cannot be reproduced by the genetic material in the cell... Miracles only happen After that time, everything after that is the self-continuation of the miracle..."

This is the answer Xiangshan wants.

In other words, he almost knew it, but just to be on the safe side, he still went to a professional to ask.

"In other words, genetic information determines how cells grow and divide. But the structure of the 'cell' itself has been continued from four billion years ago?"

"Almost..." Yawgmoth yawned: "Genetic information can determine the shape of the cell membrane, and you can also add special proteins into the cell membrane. But... after all, the structure itself of 'cell' has always existed. . A cell does not need to be rebuilt from scratch..."

"Hey..." Xiangshan looked excited: "So... does genetic information determine every detail of biological growth? For example... let me think about it? Does genetic information determine the specific location of embryonic development or cell differentiation? What?"

"Damn, it's inexplicable..." Yawgmoth was very impatient: "Genetic information cannot directly regulate cells, nor can it edit proteins or generate organelles on its own! Only the products of gene transcription and translation can exert physiological effects and regulate The intracellular environment.”

"Oh, oh! So that's it, that's it! The protein folding process is not precisely controlled by cells, but relies on the principle of minimum energy? If I remember correctly?"

An unstable mass of matter—such as a polypeptide chain, or the headphones in your pocket—will automatically fall toward the lowest overall energy state.

"Almost... the principle of minimum energy, self-assembly system... damn, these are basic concepts!" Yawgmoth said: "Anyway, the products of gene translation and transcription can affect the intracellular environment, and the intracellular environment and The principle of minimum energy determines the final product of protein folding."

"Is this a purely mechanical process?"

"This expression is so damn weird! It's generally correct..." Yawgmoth said: "Many things about embryonic development are also mechanical... The proportion affected by force is relatively large. The divisions of many substances are related to Synthesis is affected by mechanical factors... tension changes between cells, fluid pressure around the embryo... Otherwise, why do you think it is so difficult for embryonic development in artificial uteruses and microgravity environments on hard glass petri dishes and soft culture substrates? Embryonic stem cells can develop into completely different postures, showing that the process is completely controlled by mechanics."

Xiang Shan was confused: "It turns out the answer is so simple..."

"That's an idiot question. I bet even a high school kid who plays football every day after school could answer it—as long as he doesn't go to a parochial school."

"I should have thought of it earlier... This is simply a 'fool-proof design'..."

“What is the proper term for ‘fool-proof design’ (Chinese)?”

"It's just... a structural thing to prevent idiots from installing it incorrectly." Xiangshan replied, but he was already distracted.

"Damn, those idiot embryos are not 'fool-proof' at all... Repeated contractions of the cytoskeleton will cause the actin filaments to be directionally aligned, broken, and re-bundled, producing cell anisotropy and plastic deformation and increasing stress in specific directions within the embryo. , driving the orderly elongation of those things. Details such as the stretching direction of neural tissue depend on the stiffness of the tissue. Many embryonic diseases in humans come from internal defects and mechanical abnormalities in this process..."

"Yes, yes, this is called 'Beware of fools but not fools, miracles can happen with great force'." Xiang Shan was already excited. He said quickly: "Eureka, Eureka! I know!"

With that he hung up the phone.

——“It’s not like compressing any 8,000 poems.”

——"The structure of the cell itself is a continuation of that miracle and has nothing to do with genetic information."

——"There are a large number of mechanical processes in embryonic differentiation and development"

——I understand...I understand...

Xiangshan turned on his computer and started typing on the keyboard quickly to design a research plan.

——There is one more thing that needs to be determined. If my guess is correct...

……………………………………………………

Yawgmoth, with thick dark circles under his eyes, drank espresso in small sips. David held a pile of information and leaned against the tea room: "Man, have you really thought about it? Are you going to submit an application to return to China?"

"Otherwise?" Yawgmoth asked, "There is nothing here for me to study, right?"

"The conclusion has not come out yet. Maybe there are still some...alien organic matter left?" David shrugged: "But you are right. For many people, the future of this research is too uncertain. It is normal for the master uncle not to want to waste his life here."

Yawgmoth rubbed his forehead: "By the way, I am here to submit a written application. What are you here for?"

"He asked me to apply for some information." David said: "In order to prevent hackers and spies, some original data are not yet available in electronic version. He told me this morning that he might need something and asked me to help him go through the procedures - when will those bureaucrats Only then can we understand that the scientific method relies heavily on the freedom of information..."

"To?" Yawgmoth said, "He shouted 'Eureka, Eureka' last night. I wonder if he ran around naked to imitate Archimedes. Haha... What did he know yesterday?"

"Ah? Yesterday?" David said, "He sent me a message this morning saying that he needed some information... Does he have a new idea?"

"I don't know. He just asked a few inexplicable questions..." Yawgmoth said, "I suddenly became curious. I'll ask him in person."

"Aren't you here to submit your application?"

"One day is not a big deal."