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Claude discovers a novel enzyme system with CRISPR-like repeats

780 points · 805 comments · raahelb

  1. aakil · · focus · HN ↗
    This shows why biology is so much harder a problem area for LLMs than math, finding RTs is tedious but pretty doable today, they had to scope the problem down a lot from something that would be the equivalent of Navier Stokes in biology. Glad they’re doing it though, even if it’s just marketing.
    1. encyclopediai · · focus · HN ↗
      Every day now I expect that they or somebody alike will discover in our genes that we (ie life) are lambda terms, combinators or something similar to Universally Programmable Intelligent Matter <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;web.eecs.utk.edu&#x2F;~bmaclenn&#x2F;UPIM&#x2F;UPIM3.pdf" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;web.eecs.utk.edu&#x2F;~bmaclenn&#x2F;UPIM&#x2F;UPIM3.pdf or chemSKI <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;imar.ro&#x2F;~mbuliga&#x2F;talks&#x2F;chemski-with-tokens.html" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;imar.ro&#x2F;~mbuliga&#x2F;talks&#x2F;chemski-with-tokens.html

      All it takes is to identify the syntax, so to say.

      1. hardbass · · focus · HN ↗
        I have bookmarked the links to read later but until then I would ask in what sense? To my knowledge the known physics currently is all within the realms of a Turing machine, which is equivalent to lambda calculus.
        1. Paracompact · · focus · HN ↗
          A model of lambda calculus with a much smaller Kolmogorov complexity, them.
        2. encyclopediai · · focus · HN ↗
          You can play with it. Equivalence with Turing machines is not the point of interest

          Sorry about this &quot;not A but B&quot;, now is one of those situations where is needed.

          Is not:

          - cellular automata, - Turing machines

          implemented chemically.

          The goal, first of UPIM, then chemlambda or chemSKI, is simply to: - find chemical complexes, - or to make them

          (though I suspect that we shall discover them in our cells)

          so that they enter in random chemical reactions which are akin the graph rewriting inspired by lambda calculus or SKI combinators or Interaction Combinators.

          The thesis is that this chemical translation still can do &quot;anything&quot; despite the lack of control of reactions or the combinatorial explosion of possible reaction networks.

          Under this thesis we are graph quines.

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