Paul Rothemund: Casting spells with DNA

http://www.ted.com Paul Rothemund writes code that causes DNA to arrange itself into a star, a smiley face and more. Sure, it's a stunt, but it's also a demonstration of self-assembly at the smallest of scales -- with vast implications for the future of making things.

TEDTalks is a daily video podcast of the best talks and performances from the TED Conference, where the world's leading thinkers and doers are invited to give the talk of their lives in 18 minutes -- including speakers such as Jill Bolte Taylor, Sir Ken Robinson, Hans Rosling, Al Gore and Arthur Benjamin. TED stands for Technology, Entertainment, and Design, and TEDTalks cover these topics as well as science, business, politics and the arts. Watch the Top 10 TEDTalks on TED.com, at
http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/top10

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Science & Technology

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• Paul
• Rothemund
• TED
• TEDTalks
• Talks
• DNA
• programming
• nanotechnology

[Stickstacks12]

einstein said "highly developed spirits have always encountered great resistance from mediocre minds". This guy is one of those spirits...you people calling him scary/nerd/weird are mediocre and will continue to be so until you sack up, let go of those fragile little egos, and realize that calling people names is for second graders. Paul...you and your work are amazing, thank you. Don't ever get sidetracked by insignificant jeerers with nothing better to do with themselves.

[MaZe741]

hes talking about the transformation of information into matter, like a wizard casting a spell (speaking information), to create an effect (matter is affected, produced, ect)

but thats probably too phylosophically for the ordinary youtube community to fully understand.

ergo: Future will be insane

[acidbath32]

@ajlexander that would imply that quantum physics is a mindsnare!!

[acidbath32]

the implications for dna programming seem scary nonetheless. people can already hack matter without computers, thier genetics are just transferred to whatever holds it (any kind of matter/condensed vibration) butterfly effect

[PlanetBongoSan]

this is nice but the talk on DNA Folding he gave is truly jaw-dropping. go find it!

[TheRonMorales]

This has metaphysical implications: if Paul Rothemund took his knowledge and the time and effort to make a simple nano-smiley face with DNA, then what about the much more complex protein structures of the natural world. In our experience, transforming matter through a complex information process is a relic of intelligence. Information implies an Informant.

[Aidsus]

Holy shit! That is cool, and quite scary.

Someone needs to appoint this guy as leader of the world or something. Super intelligent.

[rozekei]

Fuckin' GENIUS

[AENIMA42069]

wow this has absolutly no potential for abuse. as if controling peoples brain activity with televisions wasnt enough they will soon be able to program your DNA. atleast with TV's you can make the choice not to watch them and avoid the trance/alzhiemers bullet, this however can be administered to the worlds middle and lower class populations against their will and without their knowledge effortlessly. great....

[JoshuaAmaro]

Hacking matter!! wow this is some amazing stuff!! Just imagine the possibilities... the analogy to spells is correct because if this takes off -like I think it will- then you people who don't understand this are going to be left thinking "it is magic!" and the technology gap is going to be HUGE.. if some of you are scare and confuse now wait another 10 years... amazing..

[ajlexander]

its so disgusting to see orthodox scientists pretending not to follow whats being presented just because the "spell" word was mentioned. i'm starting to believe the idea that science is a religious order.

[Unityspirit50]

the end of man cometh here comes woman hear her roar.