Researchers Debut DNA-Powered Computer 158
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."
Holy crap (Score:5, Funny)
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FTFA:
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Sounds will be available when it will get equiped with an DNA Adlib soundcard, okay? Years will pass...
Obligatory (Score:5, Funny)
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
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p.s.: I hope they don't program it with an option to play global thermonuclear war! =P
Or worse, John Conway's "Game of Life" [bitstorm.org]
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You might wanna go read The Swarm [amazon.com]
I'm not much of a (book) reader any more (damn net) but I couldn't put this 900 page international best seller down. And if you like this story you'll really enjoy this book.
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Must resist pron masturbation infinite energy loop joke..... must resist....
Does tying = unbeatable? (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Does tying = unbeatable? (Score:4, Insightful)
If you tie, you wern't beaten.
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Thinks for 2.3 microsends... Yes, yes it does.
Unbeatable at Tic Tac Toe? (Score:1)
Re:Unbeatable at Tic Tac Toe? (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Unbeatable at Tic Tac Toe? (Score:5, Funny)
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.
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That means it's winning (Score:3, Funny)
I wouldn't be bragging... (Score:5, Funny)
Tic-Tac-Toe? (Score:1, Funny)
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*sigh*
Welcome to Slashdot, enjoy your stay.
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Well, of course. The only winning move is not to play.
But can it be tied. (Score:2)
Re:But can it be tied. (Score:5, Funny)
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I can prove you right (Score:3, Interesting)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tic-tac-toe [wikipedia.org]
There is a non-losing strategy for both the first and second player.
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The limitation is in place because it's harder to program in DNA than machine code.
God is a l33t hax0r.
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Nice (Score:2)
Lets keep the doomsday movie-references coming, Ill start:
Wargames...
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All you need is to add 2+2 [slashdot.org] to get 4 [amazon.co.uk]
Wins by attrition (Score:5, Funny)
No wonder it wins, it bores you to death by taking so long and hopes you fall asleep or quit.
Uhh... (Score:3, Insightful)
Not Really. (Score:4, Informative)
Not Really - it was a 6510 (Score:2, Informative)
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i wanna play (Score:1, Funny)
X|_|_
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_|O|_
_|_|X
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O|O|_
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O|O|X
_|_|X
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O|O|X
_|_|X
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O|O|X
X|X|X
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But cheating on ascii-tic-tac-toe.. c'mon...
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O|O|X
_|_|X
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void PlaceXMove()
{
cout << "hey! look behind you!" << endl;
board[0][0] = 'X'; board[0][1] = 'X'; board[0][2] = 'X';
cout << "oh look! You lost!" << endl;
cout << "another game?" << endl;
}
Now beat this!
I don't think this is such a good idea... (Score:3, Funny)
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First Post!!! (Score:4, Funny)
Is this related to the other DNA announcement? (Score:5, Interesting)
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] [scoop.co.nz] [2] [newswire.co.nz]. 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.
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Midi-Chlorians... (Score:4, Funny)
Next, they'll probably want a WOW account.
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DNA powered computers suck (Score:4, Funny)
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No, no... you've got it mixed up. It's actually all pointless pretty fucking.
Wow, a first (Score:3, Funny)
so what? (Score:5, Funny)
DNA Shines (Score:2)
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O(1) in time. Beautiful.
Still exponential in space though; the volume of DNA solution needed ramps up exponentially with the complexity of the problem.
IIRC even vaguely interesting TSP's would require an olympic-sized swimming pool.
The DNA strand carrying the answer would appear in the pool in a very short time. I wonder how long it would take for a commercial PCR machine to find the DNA strand which carries that answer...
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Its exponential in space because it requires an exponentially larger quantity of sticky-ended DNA strands to initiate the reaction and form all possible solutions to the TSP.
Basically, you stir up the liquid, the sticky-ended DNA bits form all possible routes through the graph almost straight away in the form of DNA strands.
You then dis
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It's unbeatable but it has to move first... (Score:2)
Subject to malfunction? (Score:2)
So this is different from Microsoft Windows in what way?
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So this is different from Microsoft Windows in what way?
It would certainly open up a whole new range of possible viral attacks...only this time with real viruses!
Meh... (Score:2)
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No, no you can't. When you see a chicken playing tic-tac-toe, it's a trick whereby feed is released to the place that it's supposed to go to next.
Granted, you're still right that tic-tac-toe is an amazingly simple game, and thus, that's not much of an accomplishment for a computer. Still, it's a proof-of-concept that their computer can run some logic, not a demo of the next AMD / IBM / Intel CPU technology.
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Not that it still doesn't require some training of the chicken. And it's still entertaining to watch, but it's still a trick. Especially when you see people lose to the chicken. Wh
Imagine... (Score:5, Funny)
Makes a change .. (Score:2)
But does it scale? (Score:2)
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Achievement (Score:1)
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http://computer.howstuffworks.com/dna-computer1.h
You are, quite simply, completely and utterly wrong. There is no way around it.
Oblig. Simp. (second today) (Score:2)
Similar but seems more promising: (Score:1)
In Soviet Russia: (Score:1)
Cat's game snarks aside... (Score:2)
Do DNA Computers... (Score:2, Funny)
DNA (Score:2, Funny)
Bio-tech: Wow (Score:2, Interesting)
"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 Stefano
I already did this. PRIOR ART!!! (Score:3, Funny)
My children are also unbeatable DNA-powered tic-tac-toe players.
It wasn't hard to make them. Kind of fun, actually.
So what? (Score:2)
Nuff said, so we'll attempt to use this til it completely fucks up and then go back to silcon.
DNA might work, but at 2 minutes a move a "real" computer should be able to play 3-4 games against a fast opponent or probably a couple hundred times that against another compupter. Tic tac toe isn't even a complex game. Tic Tac To
Rna based logic... (Score:2)
OH GOD NO!
IT'S ALLREADY STARTED!
The only question left is (Score:2)
Interesting
Wonder if it has passed the capabilities of a mechanical computer yet.
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