dna information and creation (pdf)

My professional background:

Master of Arts in eEducation, Master in Advanced Studies in E‐Didactics, Federal Diploma in

Business Informatics

In 1979 I wrote my first business software program

the last ten years I’ve been a Lecturer for Business Informatics at the University of Applied

Sciences here in St. Gallen

You may ask, why on earth a computer science guy would speak about the topic of molecular

biology.

I’ll try to give you a specific viewpoint of this topic as a computer scientist

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DNA from the point of view of a computer scientist

Hansruedi Tremp

This morning I want to highlight 4 points:

firstly the encoding in actual IT (Information Technology)secondly the encoding and usage of information in DNAthirdly I’ll answer the question “What is information?”and finally I’ll give my personal conclusion

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Hansruedi Tremp

As a starting point I want to give a short insight into the encoding in actual IT (Information Technology).Maybe a repetition of your IT‐Lessons long ago?

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Hansruedi Tremp

How is the information stored?

I think most of you know the hard disk of a computer.

This disk is the carrier of the information not the information itself.

As a data carrier (also named data or storage medium) you probably know

the CD‐ROM, DVD, Blue‐Ray‐Disk,

SSD‐Disk (solid state drive disk, these are in the new laptops instead of the hard disks) and the

Memory‐Stick.

All these different kinds of data carriers can carry the same information.

The material basis of a computer is named hardware.

The information may be either

‐ data (your letters, addresses) or

‐ programs (word‐processing as Microsoft Word, or address‐program).

All this immaterial stuff is named software.

On the lowest level, in every computer system the data are encoded in 2 states, namely 0 or 1.

This is named binary digit.

On a hard disk this is realized with magnetized (1) or not magnetized (0) areas. On a DVD this is a

small pit (1) or no pit (0)

Therefore we name this binary system.

So if you could look on the hard disk of your laptop, then you would discover millions of 0 or 1’s,

nothing else!

Would you know the significance of them?

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Hansruedi Tremp

To come closer to the significance we go a step further and answer the question: How does the computer build up a character like A or B?

To make sense of all these 0 and 1’s we have to agree on a common code system.One of the oldest is for example ASCII (American Standard Code for Information Interchange).In ASCII we always take a group of 8 bits (that is for example 00110101) and give them a meaning, that is a concrete character such as A, B, C, ... or 1, 2, 3 and so forth. We take our example and look up in the table: 00110101 means 5

I’d like to emphasize that there was on the one hand the need for a common intellectual effort and agreement to build up such a table andon the other hand the necessity to use strictly and consistently the table always in the same manner (without changing).

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Hansruedi Tremp

Does an unordered, accidentally mixed soup of characters result in a well written story of Shakespeare?No, we have to use all the art of a language (such as syntax, grammars, style, ...) to give meaning to a well formed phrase.If we say to our spouse “I love you!”, we applied the syntax and grammar of the English‐language, and if my partner understands English we will have a common meaning of these words.

The same is true in the encoding of information in our computers.There are clear definitions about the syntaxes (how to structure) and semantics (meaning of words, commands) to build up:‐ Data stores (databases) and‐ Programs in specific program languagesIn computer science we use specific languages (there are hundreds of them!). As an example: print “Total” + SumOfInvoice which hopefully prints the total amount on my invoice.

Again I stress the point: creating a computer language is a heavy intellectual task and using it (e.g. programming) also!Nothing happens accidentally or by chance.

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Hansruedi Tremp

The big question is: why do we build phrases and communicate it to others?We want to produce a result!If I say to Tatiana: “I love you!” – I expect her to kiss meThe goal is to produce some (hopefully useful) result.

In computer science it is the same:We like to‐ write and send E‐Mails, ‐ surf the internet‐ write orders and invoices‐ do accounting‐ control the construction of cars or other machinesand so forth

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Hansruedi Tremp

In this second part I’d like to demonstrate how God used these same principles long before man was able to discover and use them.I take you with me to have a fascinating insight into the encoding and usage of information in DNA.

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Hansruedi Tremp

What is DNA and where does it reside?DNA is the abbreviation of Deoxyribonucleic Acid. It resides in every cell of our body.Every full grown person is built up of about 50 to 75 trillion cells (e.g. 50 ‐ 75 x 1000 x 1000 x 1 Mio., in German «Billionen»!).

The outer structure of the cell is different, depending on its location.A cell in an eye is different from a cell in one of our nails.Every cell contains a nucleus, where the human genome (the whole genetic information) resides. By the way: this is different in every person, which is why we can detect a criminal through DNA‐analysis.

In the nucleus there are 23 pairs of chromosomes, e.g. 46. Only the germ cells (the cells for reproduction) have 23 chromosomes.The chromosome contains double stranded molecules of nucleic acids. These contain millions of base pairs with which the information is encoded.Therefore the DNA is the hardware (like the hard disk) that carries the information (the data carrier, the storage medium on molecular bases).

A comparison with blue ray discloses that the density to store data is more than 1000 times higher than the actual blue‐ray‐discs.If we could build a “new blue‐ray disc” with the same density, then we could store a whole video store with thousands of HD‐Films on it.

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Hansruedi Tremp

We saw that on a hard disk only 0 or 1 is encoded, therefore it’s named a binary system.

God in his wisdom used a system with 4 different basic codes on molecular bases:

The base carrier is a sugar phosphate backbone.

On this we have the codes (e.g. 0 or 1 of our hard disk) in form of nucleobases:

‐ Adenine

‐ Thymine

‐ Cytosine and

‐ Guanine

Each of these has a different molecular structure.

In this double stranded DNA there are always pairs, namely A with T or G with C.

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Hansruedi Tremp

In the Human Genome Project an international team worked from 1990 till 2003 with a budget of about 3 billions (3000 millions) USD. This project enabled scientists to discover the whole encoding of DNA.About 3 billion of base pairs: if you print this information, you would have a pile of books from here to the moon.

The big question remains: what is the meaning of all this encoding information?

The complexity is overwhelming and scientists are just beginning to decipher some of the functionality.In the next steps I will show how this information is used to build proteins.There are about 2 % of all the DNA which are used for this kind of task.

The evolution theorist thought at the beginning that they have a wonderful proof of evolution: 98 % is junk and garbage of the evolutionary process.But recent studies gives proof that this is not true.We are on the brink of discovering a gigantic program (a marvelous software) which is used to‐ determine our body growth ‐ provide structure and‐ give instructions for the maintaining of all our bodily functions Moreover, all this is working with self‐correcting and defending functions.We cannot enter in more detail, but in the next years there will be a lot of new discoveries.

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Hansruedi Tremp

About the syntax we know, that there are always 3 base pairs coupled together.

Such a triplet is named codon.

From now on I limit the explanation to this 2 % of the genetic code which is involved in building

up proteins.

On the semantic level there is a stringent relationship of a triplet to an amino acid which are

used in building proteins.

For example: The triplet GUG will bind the amino acid valine as you can deduce from the genetic

code table.

A series of hundreds or sometimes thousands triplets (codons) together build up genes.

Therefore a gene contains for example the information of your structure and color of your hair.

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Hansruedi Tremp

We have seen that every information is used for some useful purpose.

This level of information is named pragmatics.

Now, what is the pragmatics of at least 2 % of the DNA‐information?

To build proteins.

This process is absolutely fascinating and we can see very clearly that the DNA contains the

information and building plan (this within the nucleus) which is used outside the nucleus.

This happens in 3 basic steps:

1. Transcription: The information of a gene is copied on a RNA‐strand.

2. Transport: The copied information on the RNA‐strand is moved outside the nucleus.

3. Translation: the information on the RNA is used by the ribosome to build a protein.

We know about 50’000 different kinds of proteins which are used to build our body or to carry

energy through our body.

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Hansruedi Tremp

We can see this process in a computer animation which is freely accessible in the human genome projectIt starts with the chromosomes in the nucleus.Then we see the double strand (also named double helix).Here we see the base pairs which contains the encoded information.Now we see the 3 basic steps which I mentioned before:

1. Transcription: The information of a gene is copied on a RNA‐strand.

2. Transport: The copied information on the RNA‐strand is moved outside the nucleus. Like

taking the data on a Memory‐Stick

3. Translation: the information (like a construction plan) on the RNA is used by the ribosome to

build a protein.

You see the parallel for building machines based on a computer‐program.

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Hansruedi Tremp

We now come to a somewhat difficult question: What is information?

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Hansruedi Tremp

When investigating the nature of information we enter into quite a philosophical area.There is still no unified definition.I’ll try to make some important things clear.Information is not the reality itself.Information contains data about some material or immaterial reality.

For example: a description of a building gives data like color, height etc. about the building. But itis not the building itself.The given information, for example for the color: brown – beige RAL‐Nr. 1011 and a height of 60 m.Can you tell me what the building looks like?You don’t know RAL‐Nr. 1011?Evidently we need the knowledge of this RAL‐encoding‐system.Height of 60 m is ok, as we all learned what is 1 m.Without the correct encoding system any information is useless!

We see that in another example: the Egyptian hieroglyphsFor a long time we could not decipher the meaning of the hieroglyphs.It was thought that this was a kind of wall ornamentation.Why? The encoding system was lost.In the 19th‐century the encoding system could be reconstructed and now it was clear:The Egyptian hieroglyphs are writings or in other words information!

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Hansruedi Tremp

I’d like to make clear that information is not matter.Let’s take the example of a robot that plays piano.

You can touch the robot and it may be quite heavy. When it becomes old the iron may rust away.Now we put the robot on a balance: his weight 52 kgIn the next step we delete the program, so it cannot play piano anymore .We put him again on the balance: What will its weight be ? – 52 kg?But we erased the program?Ah, the software has no weight. The conclusion is, that information is immaterial and therefore not equal to matter.

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Hansruedi Tremp

What is the source of information?

In IT (Information Technology) we know that no encoding system, no programming language, no useful software can be produced by itself.I have never encountered any accidentally produced software product.It is always a product of an intellectual effort of human beings, it is the product of a mental, spirit‐driven work.

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Hansruedi Tremp

I close my presentation with a personal conclusion.

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Hansruedi Tremp

The question arises: Who is the author of this phenomenal program which is in the DNA‐

information?

We have today overwhelming evidence and proof of the information in our DNA.

We have seen, that it contains a wonderful giant software which is used to build and maintain

our body.

Everything is working together with staggering precision.

If there is any fault somewhere in the DNA‐Information the effects are hereditary disease,

disabilities or even death.

I’d like to give some conclusions (though not exhaustive, due to our time limit) about the

possible author:

The author must have a surpassing mind, he must be an intellectual being.

He must have an overwhelming intelligence and a sense for engineering as well as aesthetics.

The information was given to our first parents and is still given further to the next generation.

This author must transcend the time and space continuum.

If he was able to accomplish, to realize, and to materialize it, he must be extremely powerful.

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Hansruedi Tremp

Given all this evidence I conclude that the author of the DNA‐Information can only be the God who revealed Himself to us in Scriptures namely the Holy Bible.Let me highlight some verses to emphasize this conclusion:

John 4:24: God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”The doxology in Romans 11:33‐36: Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways! 34 For WHO

HAS KNOWN THE MIND OF THE LORD, OR WHO BECAME HIS COUNSELOR? Or WHO HAS FIRST GIVEN TO HIM tHATIT MIGHT BE PAID BACK TO HIM AGAIN? For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen.

Psalm 147:4‐5 He determines the number of the stars; he gives to all of them their names. Great is our Lord, and abundant in power; his understanding is beyond measure.

Paul wrote in Romans 16:26 of the “commandment of the eternal God,”

Psalm 139:13‐14 For You formed my inward parts; You wove me in my mother’s womb. I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Wonderful are Your works,

Romans 1: 20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.

These are only a few verses but the Bible describes and testifies to all the previously mentioned attributes:‐ God is a spiritual being and even in Jesus the Son of God has become flesh‐ surpassing wisdom and intelligence‐ transcending the time and space continuum as he is the Eternal‐ powerful and mighty even the almighty God

Therefore my God, the unique real God is the greatest information scientist that ever was.

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Hansruedi Tremp

May our God be glorified through this message. Amen

Questions maybe later?

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Hansruedi Tremp

dna information and creation (pdf)

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