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Researchers Debut DNA-Powered Computer
An anonymous reader writes "Researchers at Columbia University and the University of New Mexico have built a DNA -powered computer that is unbeatable at Tic-Tac-Toe. Although it's much slower than a normal computer, the researchers say their proof-of-concept system could help them develop new techniques for sorting and analyzing viruses and DNA mutations."
unbeatable at Tic-Tac-Toe This is un-fucking-believable.
I thought most Tic-Tac-Toe games end in a tie.
If the best that my DNA can do is an unbeatable game of Tic-Tac-Toe.
That's exactly what unbeatable means - cannot be beaten. It does not mean it can beat you.
From TFA: "One limitation of the system is that the human player must always go second, after the centre square has been filled by the machine." Pfft... we can all be unbeatable if we have a little hissy fit about the center square...
Playing with MAYA-II takes a long time," Macdonald admits. The system needs between 2 and 30 minutes to compute each move and a second machine is required to translate the fluorescent signals generated each time into a move in the game.
No wonder it wins, it bores you to death by taking so long and hopes you fall asleep or quit.
I mod down so you can mod up. Your welcome.
Is it just me, or does the title seem.. misleading? Powered by DNA? It's not really feeding on people's genomes in order to meet its energy requirements. :[
This thing might get more viruses than Windows.
(Hey don't complain, blame my DNA computer)
liqbase
Can anyone comment on how this is related (if at all) to a recent announcement in New Zealand about a new ability to "store and execute computer programmes within a microscopic DNA Pharmaceutical crystal"? [1] [2]. Supposedly (according to radio reports) the New Zealand group has been working for 20 years in secret (or something) until the press release in the past day or so.
I'm wondering if it's a case of one group having announced in a rush so as not to be overshadowed by another group that's been working on the same thing.
Next, they'll probably want a WOW account.
It must have been something you assimilated. . . .
Most slashdotters are out of the equation, so I'll explain DNA computing for you real quick. It takes 9 months to spawn a child process and they usually outlive the parent. DNA computers use this thing called evolution which is the best fork() bomb ever created. It's all pretty fucking pointless actually.
This is actually the first thing I *can* wait to build a Beowulf cluster from.
Artifical Intelligience is no match for natural stupidity.
Strange game. The only winning move is not to play.
How about a nice game of chess?
p.s.: I hope they don't program it with an option to play global thermonuclear war! =P
"Luck is my middle name," said Rincewind, indistinctly. "Mind you, my first name is Bad." -- Terry Pratchett
My pet rock is also unbeatable at Tic-Tac-Toe. She discovered the cunning (hehe, cunning stunt bonus!) strategy of never making a move. I've been forced to concede every game so far as hunger, thirst and a need to urinate ultimately win out over my drive to be the greatest Tic-Tac-Toe player on the block.
I blame my DNA.
It is fairly common to refer to the CPU as powering the computer. eg "The Commodore64 was powered by the 6502". In this case it is DNA that is providing the computing power.
When our name is on the back of your car, we're behind you all the way!
So what? I built a computer that's COVERED in DNA.
The future isn't here until I can type "car keys" into Google and have it say "You left them in your pants last night."
...a Beowulf puddle of these.
"How to Do Nothing," kids activities, back in print!
Quit surfing and pay attention to the lecture!
No folly is more costly than the folly of intolerant idealism. - Winston Churchill
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tic-tac-toe
There is a non-losing strategy for both the first and second player.
...because "hacker" sounds way sexier than "code drone."
The limitation is in place because it's harder to program in DNA than machine code.
God is a l33t hax0r.
...because "hacker" sounds way sexier than "code drone."
make it easier to clone my hard drive?
Now wait a minute. It does not sound like you are trying very hard. Since you are waiting for the rock to make a move, you can go eat, drink, urinate, take a dump, sleep, have intimate relations, or anything else as long as you trust the rock not to cheat. If you wait it out long enough, the sun will eventually explode, and your rock will probably melt. Then you can claim victory and be the best. We all have goals, and the only way to achieve them is to persevere in the face of adversity.
My other computer is a Jacquard loom.
I just have to be the smart ass here: The Commodore 64 had a 6510 processor.
I believe it uses "Xs" and "Ys" instead of "Xs" and "Os".
Wow, I can't believe nobody is excited about this. This is the birth of the next evolution of computers: bio-computers. Think about it. The first computers could only place simple games as well, but now look at us. Bio-computers are closer to recreating human technology: life.
"It's lovely work," says Peter Bentley, a computer scientist linked to University College London. But he notes that a system that cannot be extended much further than playing tic-tac-toe "is merely a novelty". Stojanovic and Stefanovic are aware of this and are now focusing on developing simple decision-making solutions that can operate in vivo. Molecules could, for example, assess faults in a living cell and then either kill or repair it. source
Health Insurance Quotes
Your pet rock is a genius. The only winning move is not to play.
Never give in--never, never, never, never, in nothing great or small, large or petty, never give in except to conviction
My children are also unbeatable DNA-powered tic-tac-toe players.
It wasn't hard to make them. Kind of fun, actually.