Life and computers

[Magrathean]

Today, at university, my programming teacher talked about cellular processes and computers (more specifically, about whether cellular processes are computable or not; that is, whether cells and what they do at a molecular scale can be said to follow rules and have a finite number of possibilities, therefore being able to be modelled/computed provided we had enough computer power, enough patience and enough understanding, or whether the number of possibilities is infinite and/or they do not necessarily follow a set of rules, thus being unable to be modelled/computed), and a discussion took place. My class was divided into two groups (those who believe cellular processes are computable and those who don't) and moderated by the teacher. I thought it was very interesting, so i decided to bring the discussion here. What do UM members think?

Note: Before the same problem that arose in my class arises here, i want to make something clear: the question isn't whether human beings are able to compute cellular processes with the knowledge and technology we have now and will have in the future, but whether cellular processes would be computable if we had the resources.

 

[rahvin]

count one vote for computable.

 

[marduk1507]

Same here.

 

[hyena]

this sounds remarkably like the vote about what time it is in manderlay. i will not tell you where it leads because i don't want to spoil the film for anyone.

 

[Taliesin]

With the understanding and the ressources Im sure they'd be computable

 

[Hiljainen]

computable.

 

[Siren]

computable, including mutations and evolution.

maybe you shouldn't have asked that question in a group of computer freaks.

 

[Malaclypse]

indeed. computable++

 

[Arch]

Computable. In fact, there's research being done in Israel involving computers made from DNA.

 

[Dafne]

of course computable!!! infinite can't be generate by smth finite...
btw what are you studying?

 

[La Rocque]

As someone with a Beavis and Butthead mentality, I'll say not -

 

[Magrathean]

Siren: Hah, maybe it was a mistake. I agree with all of you who said they are computable, btw. LaRocque, care to elaborate?

Dafne: Genomics (genetics + computers ).

 

[Dafne]

Dafne: Genomics (genetics + computers ).

you mean kinda physical chemistry? i mean molecular modelling and stuff...

 

[Siren]

@undo: what exactly is genomics? i mean, what will you do?

btw it would be interesting to see a discussion, it was a good thing you posted this thread, but i guess there can't be much discussion when everyone agrees and gives one-word answers.

 

[Thanatos]

definitely computable

 

[Magrathean]

Dafne: Um.. i mean like genetics and using computers to do genetics stuff (i.e. it's easier to sequence a genome and store it in a database with a computer than it is without one). Mostly genetics, full of biology/biochem/physicochem, some math and quite a bit of computing (and bioinformatics, which i'm not exactly thrilled about).

Siren: Well, according to Wikipedia genomics is "the study of an organism's genome and the use of the genes". I think it's genetics with a lot of computing tools (i.e. to sequence genomes and stuff). There's a couple of things i could specialize in, but right now my main interests are gentic engineering (i.e. creation of transgenics), embryo cloning (which isn't really a focus in my uni but which i could do anyway) and gene therapy.

And yes, 'tis a pity that everyone agrees and gives one- or two-word answers. :\

 

[Dafne]

And yes, 'tis a pity that everyone agrees and gives one- or two-word answers. :\

oh yeah maybe it's a pity but what is it to be added?! btw me too i was into biochemistry at uni, actually my thesis was about DNA-analogues. but i think no one could care less!!!!
and btw let's talk more about music!

 

[Magrathean]

no one could care less

I care. Care to tell me about it? Maybe in another thread, or perhaps you want to use this one, or maybe PMs, it's all the same to me.

 

[Thanatos]

genomicists are evil

 

[Taliesin]

That just made my day