Is An Alien Message Embedded In Our Genetic Code?

The following article bears a striking resemblance to the story of Halo wherein the Forerunners have reseeded Earth. It’s not Halo, but it’s a great read!

Article by Ray Villard

The answer to whether or not we are alone in the universe could be right under our nose, or, more literally, inside every cell in our body.

Could our genes have an intelligently designed “manufacturer’s stamp” inside them, written eons ago elsewhere in our galaxy? Such a “designer label” would be an indelible stamp of a master extraterrestrial civilization that preceded us by many millions or billions of years. As their ultimate legacy, they recast the Milky Way in their own biological image.

Vladimir I. shCherbak of al-Farabi Kazakh National University of Kazakhstan, and Maxim A. Makukov of the Fesenkov Astrophysical Institute, hypothesize that an intelligent signal embedded in our genetic code would be a mathematical and semantic message that cannot be accounted for by Darwinian evolution. They call it “biological SETI.” What’s more, they argue that the scheme has much greater longevity and chance of detecting E.T. than a transient extraterrestrial radio transmission.

Writing in the journal Icarus, they assert: “Once fixed, the code might stay unchanged over cosmological timescales; in fact, it is the most durable construct known. Therefore it represents an exceptionally reliable storage for an intelligent signature. Once the genome is appropriately rewritten the new code with a signature will stay frozen in the cell and its progeny, which might then be delivered through space and time.”

To pass the designer label test, any patterns in the genetic code must be highly statistically significant and possess intelligent-like features that are inconsistent with any natural know process, say the authors.

They go on to argue that their detailed analysis that the human genome (map here) displays a thorough precision-type orderliness in the mapping between DNA’s nucleotides and amino acids. “Simple arrangements of the code reveal an ensemble of arithmetical and ideographical patterns of symbolic language.” They say this includes the use of decimal notation, logical transformations, and the use of the abstract symbol of zero. “Accurate and systematic, these underlying patterns appear as a product of precision logic and nontrivial computing,” they assert.

This interpretation leads them to a farfetched conclusion: that the genetic code, “appears that it was invented outside the solar system already several billions years ago.” This statement endorses the idea of panspermia, the hypothesis that Earth was seeded with interstellar life. It’s certainly a novel and bold approach to galaxy conquest if we imagine this was a deliberate Johnny Appleseed endeavor by super-beings.

However, there are other possibilities too. I’ve previously written about the far-out notion that the universe we observe was built just for us and exists inside a computer program (with apologies to The Matrix film trilogy). Therefore the idea that some programmer somewhere wrote the genetic code for life in their model universe is consistent with the authors’ suggestions.

Biological SETI inevitably smacks head-on into an idea that is completely antithetical to science: the concept of intelligent design (ID). The proposition of ID is that our biology is so complex it must have been engineered by a higher power.

To date, ID has been nothing more than biblical creationism in sheep’s clothing. Christian fundamentalists use it to push the teaching of creationism in schools as an alternative to “secular” evolution. (Which, by the way, is now being battled in school systems in four states.)

Can the claim of an alien signature in our genetic code be any more believable, or provable than biblical ID?

We know so little about the origin of life on Earth it seems presumptive to identify genetic structure that supposedly defies a natural explanation. Even the discovery of life elsewhere in the solar system would not provide an independent test of this idea. Panspermia could have naturally occurred among the planets and moons.

And, even if the genetic code is ultimately considered the handprint of an extraterrestrial grand designer, then who designed the designer?

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HFFL: Very Interesting…

Woot, the Halo 4 Fatheads Contest Prizes have arrived!

As I’ve been promoting on the blog for a little more than a week, Fathead.com will be having a promotional 30% code for all of their Halo products through the use of a special code exclusive to this blog. In the meantime, they were gracious enough to send along four of their “Junior” sets as prizes. I got a large Master Chief set which I’ll show also.

First things first, the shipping package. These can come in a large triangular box with a corresponding tube as sen below. The box is about 4ft tall.

FH Shipping box and tube

The Junior sets come in a square box about half the height that have a tube inside that holds the wall graphics.

Here are the four prize sets (held by my wife):

The Promethean Knight Junior set: FH Promethean Knight JuniorThe Elite Junior set:FH Elite Junior
Next the Crawler Junior set:FH Crawler Juniorand the last of the junior sets to be given away, Master Chief:FH Master Chief Junior

Finally, here’s the set I got for myself, the FULL sized Master Chief:

FH Master Chief LARGE

Sorry for the camera flash. But WOW, this is HUGE! Master Chief stands about 6’5″ tall in this wall graphic. Darn near actual size.

All of the graphics are “kiss cut.” This means that the graphic part is cut while the sheet they are attached to is not cut. This makes it easy for peeling off AND reapplying back to the sheet, if you so desire.

One thing I HIGHLY recommend with these is that you be certain to clean off the places on your walls that you want to stick these onto. You don’t want dirt/dust, etc. to affect the graphic’s application to the wall. Don’t forget these are removable and you can reposition. So it’s thankfully not a once placed, always stays kind of a thing.

The discount code will be revealed Saturday, April 13. It will be good to use starting Sunday, April 14 through Saturday, April 20.

-Sal

Some new Halo 4 stuff hits the Avatar Marketplace!

Three new items have been added to the Avatar Marketplace that are Halo related. First up is the Mantis, then Ghost, and finally the Didact’s Cryptum. Also, recently added are, the Didact’s armor and Commander Palmer’s armor for your avatar, as well as a Prop Roland with display console.

Some new Halo 4 Avatar Items wm

All rang in price from 240-320MSP. You can find these and MANY more by clicking the pic above, or going to the Avatar Marketplace on XBOX and looking up Halo 4. While you’re at it, there are plenty of Avatar things from previous Halo games to peruse and/or buy.

I WANT that Mantis and Ghost! And wow, I’d love to get that Didact Armor for my avatar.

-Sal

 

Periodic table of Competitive Skill Ranks!

Adding just a smidge of scientific reference to your CSR, here is my “Periodic table of Competitive Skill Ranks.”

Periodic table of Competitive Skill Ranks cropped

Just having a little fun here folks. Please no hate mail for the “noob” and/or “try hard” references.

(Please if you repost this article and or graphic to another website, give me credit as “By Sal Salerno of HaloFanForLife.com“)

-Sal

Halo 4 Spartan Ops, Departure (with Podtacular) featured on HaloWaypoint.com

h4so1

I’ve had the good fortune and fun to had done 10 podcasts with POD Dust Storm of Podtacular.com regarding the episodes of Spartan Ops.

Starting this week and continuing for the next 10 weeks, HaloWaypoint will be rereleasing these podcasts on the main page for you to enjoy.

If you haven’t had a chance to listen to these podcast yet, PLEASE give yourself that opportunity. Not only did we have fun making them, I believe the information within each podcast can be of great help to you, especially if you’ve never played Spartan Ops, or haven’t finished it.

You can go here to

      download the first episode's podcast
.

If you dont’ want to download it, but still listen to it, you can go to Podtacular’s page.

Let me know if you’ve listened to any of the podcasts. Did you enjoy them?

-Sal

Microtransactions Could Be Coming to Halo Series

Per Gameinformer.com

The topic of microtransactions is a hot one, and Halo 4 executive producer Dan Ayoub says that his team has had their eye on them. Citing the success of Gears of War’s cosmetic skins, Ayoub told Digital Spy that, “Halo certainly has the potential for those kinds of things.”

Microtransactions have been in the news recently, with EA making waves after telling Morgan Stanley conference attendees that all of their upcoming games would include them. This statement was later clarified, but it shined a light on growing discontent with the practice when incorporated in full-priced titles. The nickel-and-dime approach tempered enthusiasm for a number of Dead Space devotees, since the third entry in the franchise ramped up their inclusion.

Were Halo to incorporate small, cosmetic items in the way that Gears of War does, there would be no impact on game play (other than that one glowing guy making himself a target on the battlefield). Provided there are no perks, more powerful weapons, or ability unlocks that disrupt matchmaking, it’s hard to argue with microtransactions. While Ayoub is otherwise quiet on the subject, don’t be surprised if that flaming helmet you love will cost you in the next Halo title.

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UGH, I REALLY hope Halo doesn’t go this route. I know they want to emulate other franchises formulas. The REAL problem is though, that this takes the franchise further and further away from what Halo IS. We play plenty enough for the game, DLC, XBOX Gold memberships. We’ve been able to unlock extras through gameplay. Making them micro transactions that we have to PAY for? Sorry, that’s greedy. I don’t care how “affordable” these micro transactions are. The point is, extras haven’t cost us before. Though it did start in Halo 4 with exclusive game content via retailors.

Please 343, stop the bleeding here. Show your fans that you won’t cave to other franchises. You made more than 200 MILLION on Halo 4. Micro transactions are NOT needed.

/Rant.
-Sal