Design of the Genetic Code (Fuz Rana)

The genetic code—the rules used to translate the information found in DNA into the information functionally expressed by proteins—displays optimization with respect to error minimization. New work by researchers from Japan indicates that the genetic code optimization exceeds 1 in 1020 randomly generated genetic codes, suggesting that the genetic code found in nature displays a greater degree of optimization than originally thought. This new insight supports the case that biochemical systems are the product of intentional design.

Impacts and Tsunamis (Jeff Zweerink)

A massive asteroid strike in the Yucatan Peninsula is known to have caused one of the mass extinctions on Earth. A recent study investigated the tsunami that would result from such a collision and found waves of incredible heights would have washed across the Northern Atlantic and Southern Pacific oceans. A search of geological records affirms the devastation wrought by these tsunamis. We’ll discuss the details of the techniques behind this research and highlight the apologetic implications of these catastrophic events.

Links and Resources:

• Rare-Event Sampling Analysis Uncovers the Fitness Landscape of the Genetic Code
• Fazale Rana, Fit for a Purpose
• Fazale Rana, The Cell’s Design 
• Fazale Rana, “The Genetic Code: Optimized for Resource Conservation”
• The Chicxulub Impact Produced a Powerful Global Tsunami
• Dinosaur-Killing Asteroid Triggered Global Tsunami