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Computer Made From DNA And Enzymes

develop writes "Some folks from Israel have created a computer that runs on DNA and enzymes and is supposedly 100,000 times faster then today's PCs. Information at National Geographic, Telegraph UK and United Press." According to the National Geographic story, this DNA-based computer "can perform 330 trillion operations per second, more than 100,000 times the speed of the fastest PC." However, be aware that most of this is still future tense, and what these researchers have now is just a proof-of-concept.

36 of 393 comments (clear)

  1. nice typo by GlassUser · · Score: 2, Funny

    "computer made FOM" . . .?

    How lovely.

    1. Re:nice typo by crazyprogrammer · · Score: 4, Funny

      from the National Geographic aritcle:
      It can't, for example, correct a misspelled word

      Slashdot must be running these DNA computers!

      --
      "the fax machine is nothing but a waffle iron with a phone attached to it." - Grandpa Simpson
    2. Re:nice typo by gnovos · · Score: 3, Funny

      Not just that, but they go from "have created" to "proof of concept" in the blink of an eye.

      Well, technically not in the "blink" of an eye... the proof of concept is just in the eyelash.

      --
      "Your superior intellect is no match for our puny weapons!"
    3. Re:nice typo by .com+b4+.storm · · Score: 2, Funny

      from the National Geographic aritcle:
      It can't, for example, correct a misspelled word

      Oh the irony... :)

      --
      "Wow, you're like some kind of superhero able to ward off happiness and success at every turn."
      -- Ryan Stiles
  2. 330 trillion calculations per second? by martyn+s · · Score: 5, Funny

    330 trillion calculations per second? Impressive, but can it run Doom 3?

    1. Re:330 trillion calculations per second? by MulluskO · · Score: 5, Funny
      ...but can it run Doom 3?
      If so, inject it into my brain now, please.
      --

      Too busy staying alive... ~ R.A.
    2. Re:330 trillion calculations per second? by Bradee-oh! · · Score: 3, Funny

      No silly, it's only 330 trillion calculations per second...

      --
      "This is Zombo Com, and welcome to you who have come to Zombo Com" - www.zombo.com
    3. Re:330 trillion calculations per second? by IanBevan · · Score: 1, Funny

      Yes, but only in 16 colours at 640x480. For more you need a special "primeval sludge" upgrade.

    4. Re:330 trillion calculations per second? by davebarz · · Score: 5, Funny


      Yeah, but only at 47976 fps, if you can even call that playing.

  3. Prior Art by worst_name_ever · · Score: 5, Funny

    Earlier today I hawked up a loogie in the parking lot. While at the moment it is only a puddle of goo, or "proof of concept", I predict that this collection of DNA and enzymes will someday be capable of performing over 330 trillion operations per second, more than 100,000 times the speed of the fastest PC!

    --

    In Soviet Rush, today's Tom Sawyer gets high on you.
  4. Imagine by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

    Imagine a beowulf cluster of those machines...wait a minute, I am one!

    1. Re:Imagine by MBCook · · Score: 4, Funny

      And that's the only joke you could think of? I think it's time for an upgrade my friend.

      --
      Comment forecast: Bits of genius surrounded by a sea of mediocrity.
  5. FOM by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

    I hear Feed Only Memory is the future of storage.

  6. My hamster died by Kaeru+the+Frog · · Score: 5, Funny

    I don't think I'd be responsible enough to remember to feed my computer.

    1. Re:My hamster died by zero-g · · Score: 5, Funny

      So... would overclocking involve caffeine?

  7. Finally!!! by Patrick13 · · Score: 2, Funny

    Now we can finally learn the answer to Life, the Universe... and Everything!

    --
    ::.. check out some Cell Phone Reviews
  8. Suuuuurrree... by grub · · Score: 2, Funny


    If an organic computer is vapourware, does it smell like a fart?

    --
    Trolling is a art,
  9. Re:Human brain by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    A 286 already surpasses me, at least when I'm BC (Before Coffee).

  10. Fastest computer in the World.. by QwkHyenA · · Score: 3, Funny
    Until the nightly cleaning staff comes in and sprays Clorox Disinfectant!

    --
    LFS. Have you built your system today?
  11. OMG!!! The Miracle Of Birth!!! by kruetz · · Score: 4, Funny
    Some folks from Israel have created a computer that runs on DNA and enzymes and ... can perform 330 trillion operations per second, more than 100,000 times the speed of the fastest PC ... is just a proof-of-concept.

    WTF? Has the world gone mad?

    I am made from DNA and enzymes!

    My brain performs more than 330 trillion ops/sec (stuff like image analysis, speech recognition, "AI",...)

    AND YOU DARE CALL ME "just a proof-of-concept"!?!?

    Welcome to the miracle of birth (and cloning). This is the 21st century!

    Listen, buddy. I'm the result of billions of years in the evolutionary compile-link-debug cycle. So just show some bloody respect. Would you like to see my proof-of-concept gross-human-mutilation firsthand? No? Then keep your childish insults to yourself!

    (from Israel ... hmmm ... do they cut the PS/2 port off the end of the keyboard cable? *just kidding, folks* )

    --

    This sig intentionally left bla... dammit!
    Who's got the whiteout?
    1. Re:OMG!!! The Miracle Of Birth!!! by ubugly2 · · Score: 2, Funny

      no but they do bob the floppy

  12. Re:Imagine! by Goalie_Ca · · Score: 5, Funny

    Imagine what a beowulf of these would look like!
    Perhaps a little like a scandinavian warrior from the 6th century!?

    --

    ----
    Go canucks, habs, and sens!
  13. National Geographic? Please.. by Havokmon · · Score: 4, Funny
    According to the National Geographic story, this DNA-based computer "can perform 330 trillion operations per second, more than 100,000 times the speed of the fastest PC."

    Yeah, and on page 79 is a article about a newly discovered Amazon tribe 'untouched by modern man'.

    Yet the women have remarkably perky breasts..

    --
    "I can't give you a brain, so I'll give you a diploma" - The Great Oz (blatently stolen sig)
  14. Stolen Laptop? by silvakow · · Score: 3, Funny

    Person1: What did you do with my laptop? Those things don't just grow legs and walk away!

    Person2: Uhm, well, uhh, this one did ...

    --
    In the long run, we're all dead.
  15. supercranial mentation by antiprime · · Score: 5, Funny

    My brain performs more than 330 trillion ops/sec (stuff like image analysis, speech recognition, "AI",...)

    The human brain has between 10 billion and 100 billion neurons. They can fire up to 100 times per second. 100 billion * 100/second is only 10 trillion per second.

    So we must assume that either:

    1. you have an enormous brain (3.3 trillion neurons would weigh about 50kg), or

    2. that they fire very quickly, (you overclocked your brain and run around with a heatsinking hat and have to eat 20x a day) or

    3. that you do some 'thinking' without using neurons.

    Hmm, that last option seems to be the most reasonable. How's that working out for you, anyway?

  16. Finally... by xaoslaad · · Score: 2, Funny

    Something fast enough to run Everquest.

  17. I just released a service pack into the toilet. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    I was about to download in my pants.

  18. Re:Sorry, wrong. by Mr.+Frilly · · Score: 2, Funny

    uh, actually the bandwidth is pretty pathetic, it's just that evolution has done a great job of adapting constrained to the limitations of wet ware. the "unsurpassed" quality of human vision is only at the center of your field of view (where you need it), the rest of your retina is low resolution and optimized primarily for motion detection. our skin is likewise fairly low resolution (there's places on your body that can't discriminate between two touches over a centimeter apart), but it's high resolution where it needs to be (primarily the finger tips).

    it's okay that we have such low bandwidth, as our brains wouldn't be able to handle more bandwidth anyway.

  19. Oh sure, yesterday we were compiling with Wine by kfg · · Score: 5, Funny

    Today we're computing with Denatured Alcohol.

    When will the madness end?

    KFG

  20. Viruses by t0ny · · Score: 3, Funny

    So, when one of these catches a virus, it REALLY catches a virus. Better stock up on PC-cillin.

    --

    Manipulate the moderator system! Mod someone as "overrated" today.

  21. I can just see it now... by DarwinDan · · Score: 2, Funny

    My computer...? It's ALIVE !!!

    --
    $DEITY bless $NATION
  22. Woah there cowboy! by gnovos · · Score: 3, Funny

    The immense benefit that this technology will have will be in fields like evolutionary computation.

    Are you trying to say that DNA could be of some practical use in genetic algorithms? That's pretty hard to swallow.

    --
    "Your superior intellect is no match for our puny weapons!"
  23. Re:Human brain by calyxa · · Score: 4, Funny

    you obviously haven't seen me throw a ball...

    -calyxa

    --
    Decay! Decay! Decay! -Helium
  24. i bet the answer was 42. by deft · · Score: 1, Funny

    the computer ran a computation, well, quite a few of them, spit out an answer, but because we cant read it, the answer means nothing, since theres no question.

    i bet the answer was 42.

    --

    There's nothing Intelligent about Intelligent Design.
  25. Shameless Apple Plug by Bloodmoon1 · · Score: 2, Funny
    "can perform 330 trillion operations per second, more than 100,000 times the speed of the fastest PC."

    Well, I don't know about inferior PCs, but this isn't 100,000 times faster than the fastest G4. The fastest Apple G4 is the Dual 1.42 GHz. It has a peak performance of 21 Gigaflops, or 21 billion operations per second. Now let's break that down:

    1. Divide 21 by 2, since there are 2 processors after all = 10.5 Billion ops per second for one G4.

    2. Working in Billions, 330,000/10.5 = 31428.57

    As you can see, the DNA computer is only 31,428.57 times faster than the fastest G4. The MHz (GHz) Myth is destroyed once again. Go Apple!
    --

    Request: ECM unit, 1000 km fullerene cable, 1 tactical nuclear weapon. Reason: Birthday party for foreign dignitary.
  26. Re:I just don't get it... by gregorio · · Score: 2, Funny

    Disclaimer: I am not anti-sematic or anything

    You mean anti-semantic? Judging from the above phrase, yes you are ;)