The following text considers the issues that arise from the static storage model. By looking at mechanisms of death which occur in cells and taking human memory as an example of labile storage, static memory is posited to be a problematic model. A link is traced between cellular death mechanisms and memory transmission (mutations), and the new developments in synthetic DNA storage. As the near future nature of truly embodied data stored in DNA is thought of within the static storage model, I use this text to sketch the implications of this anachronism, and hope to inspire thoughts on possible mutable memory models.
Static storage is understood here as a model, in the first instance, because it ranges across several disciplines as a framework. In literature, static storage is a model in which memory is not altered and representational. This notion has been challenged namely by Thomas Wägenbaur (1998) and Kyle Pivetti (2015), accounting for amongst other factors, recent neuroscientific memory research. In the sciences, neuroplasticity has replaced the notion of the immutable memory. Memory changes every time it is recalled, transmission between neurons is highly mutable (Nader et al. 2000). In computer science, static may refer to storage, variable allocation, or objects (to name but a few).
…show more content…
Though some thought is being put into DNA contamination, complex implications or possibilities which could arise from synthetic DNA propagation are still unclear. Also, DNA is itself part of a cycle of life that involves duplication, mutation and suicide. What happens if we try to impose a static model upon a mutable format? Researchers at ETH have developed a sheath of silica glass to encapsulate stored DNA data, which could allegedly survive a million years (Grass et al. 2015). This literal example of impeded mutation begs the question, who does this contrived approach
Memory refers to the persistence of learning in a state that can be revealed at a later time (Squire, 1987). A memory is a network of neocortical neurons and the connections that link them. That network is formed by experience as a result of the concurrent activation of neuronal ensembles that
The author explains the basics of DNA by describing the simple part of it, “proteins are the molecules that do all of the work in every organism, from carrying oxygen, to building tissue, to copying DNA for the next generation” (Carroll 73). He also explained the four bases that are building blocks that are held together by strong bonds and are represented by the letters A, C, G and T. Scientist also learned that A and T always pair with each other as well as G and C, this helps them because if they know one strand of DNA they already know the second because of how the bases match up. The author states that scientists have found about 500 genes that exist in all forms of life, the author explains that these genes are “immortal”. These genes have endured millions of years of evolution and have not been mutated because they are essential for every organism to have; these genes can have important jobs such as decoding of the DNA and RNA and making
In this part, we will conclude what is constructive nature of memory and some of the examples of how it works.
This paper explores the history and some interesting facts about DNA. The last couple centuries have seen an exponential growth in our knowledge of DNA. The history of the DNA can be traced back to multiple devoted scientist. This article attempts to summarize, and review the basic history of DNA while providing some fascinating information about it.
Human memory is a complex cognitive structure, which can be defined in many ways. One would argue that memory is 1.) The mental function of retaining information about stimuli, event, images, ideas, etc. after the original stimuli is no longer present. 2.) The hypothesized storage system in the mind that holds this information is so retained. A clear distinction is made between different types of memory systems and can be divided into subclasses.
DNA is life, and life is abundant on planet Earth. The barren surface crawls with untold trillions of unique genetic codes, turning the land rich and green. The ocean bursts species with DNA that enables a cold and watery existence. Then there is the life unseen, hidden for four billion years from the naked eye. All diversity is life, and all of life is DNA. At its heart, the goal of science is organizing observations and quantitative data which define the biological processes and relationships of species; however, the field of genetics is uniquely complicated in this pursuit due to an infinite source of DNA subjects to study and an ever shifting genetic landscape which refuses
Atkinson and Shriffin (1968) established a model known as the multi-store model. The model depicts that memory can be interpreted as a sequence of steps, whereby
Lesson 3.1 is a review of the low-level constructs that we use to store and
To start, it is important to understand how memory storage occurs. After a series of experiments conducted from 1958-2000, by Dr. Eric R Kandel and numerous colleagues, using a radical reductionist approach, he found evidence for several theories.
We can customize DNA to fit any genetic need so that clones can be introduced into the existing society and go virtually un-detected – even to the point of extensive behavioral, psycho- logical, reproductive, intellectual, and physical scrutiny.
For many years, There have been many discoveries in the world of science such as; the structure of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) by Watson and Crick, the purines and pyrmides of DNA by the Human Genome Project, yet despite discovering genetic changes associated with Huntington’s disease, Alzheimer's Disease, and thousands of other diseases with deleterious genetic mutations, The process of openly altering the structure of DNA and using it in many industries from agriculture to clinical research has only just began.
There are many risks to new advancements in science and technology, but the biggest fears of the public often come from fear of change and not actual bad outcomes. The fabrication of DNA present in human chromosomes is a topic commonly tackled in science fiction, where the results are based on the supposed negatives of what is ultimately positive change and not on the actual risks. The easiest way to show that supposed fears are not real risks is to relate it to reality. Ultimately, it is my view that fabrication of human DNA has many potential benefits that outweigh the risks if they are dealt with appropriately.
“Every time I learn the name of a student, I forget the name of a fish” was once said by David Jordan, the president of Stanford University (Anderson, Bjork & Bjork, 2000). This statement is interesting because it brings up the idea of the amount of information one can consume and maintain available at any given time; this information is put into memory. Memory is the process of maintaining, recovering, and applying information about episodes and events, when the original material is not current (Goldstein, 2008, p. 136). This definition mean even if we have not just experience that memory, our brain can go back in time and retrieve what has happened hours, days or years ago. Retrieving memories from the brain is the process of relocating material from Long Term Memory (LTM) back into working memory, where it becomes available through consciousness (Goldstein, 2008, p. 197). Our brain is capable of retrieving information because it has been encoded. Encoding is the process of obtaining information then converting it into memories, in which goes onto our LTM (Goldstein, 2008, p. 196). The main claim of this essay is that is that if a memory is encoded correctly, then that is all that is needed for memory failure or success and the process of retrieving memories also relies on the encoding of the memory.
Finally let us accept the software-based memory criterion, which states that X at t1 is identical to Y at t2 if Y remembers the thoughts and experiences of X, and Y’s remembrance is caused in the right way. By right way, we mean any reliable cause, excluding things such as false memories of experiences or hallucination induced thoughts. To analyze this criterion we must define how memories are stored in X and Y, and we will look at it from the view of the memories being held in the brain. If this is the case, when X’s atoms are destroyed and then recreated as Y, we know that the memories that were in X’s brain
Memory makes us. It is, to an extent, a collection of unique and personal experiences that we, as individuals, have amassed over our lifetime. It is what connects us to our past and what shapes our present and the future. If we are unable remember the what, when, where, and who of our everyday lives, our level of functioning would be greatly impacted. Memory is defined as or recognized as the “sum or total of what we remember.” Memory provides us the ability to learn and adjust to or from prior experiences. In addition, memory or our ability to remember plays an integral role in the building and sustaining of relationships. Additionally, memory is also a process; it is how we internalize and store our external environment and experiences. It entails the capacity to remember past experiences, and the process of recalling previous experiences, information, impressions, habits and skills to awareness. It is the storage of materials learned and/or retained from our experiences. This fact is demonstrated by the modification, adjustment and/or adaptation of structure or behavior. Furthermore, we as individuals, envision thoughts and ideas of the present through short-term memory, or in our working memory, we warehouse past experiences and learned values in long-term memory, also referred to as episodic or semantic memory. Most importantly, memory is malleable and it is intimately linked to our sense of identity and where we believe we belong in the world.