Naked Science Forum
Life Sciences => Cells, Microbes & Viruses => Topic started by: A. Human on 17/03/2015 11:58:39
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A. Human asked the Naked Scientists:
Could a virtual human model be constructed by making a molecular dynamics simulation of the DNA using the appropriate conditions like making a virtual womb or a virtual fertilised egg?
similar to this: http://www.cell.com/abstract/S0092-8674(12)00776-3
What do you think?
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Sure it is possible. Theoretically. However no country or scientist would start such an experiment legally. I think it is forbidden. There are cases in the past when mad scientists have made such sick experiments and mabye some are done nowadays, but nobody would tell such a thing. :D Because the results are probably too Ugly to see :D
edit:
Creating a Virtual Human is also possible only theoretically because there is no so powerful machine to render the whole load of information. The quantum Computer is under development and if they successfully create one, this could be done pretty easilly. Let us hope the MIT invent one in our lifetime! :)
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A simulation covering the genome and its effects in cellular replication covers events many orders of magnitude apart (ie extremely difficult).
Extending the simulation from a single bacterial cell to a whole human covers events spanning far more orders of magnitude (ie phenomenally difficult).
The 2013 Nobel Prize in Chemistry (http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/the-curious-wavefunction/2013/10/09/computational-chemistry-wins-2013-nobel-prize-in-chemistry/) was awarded for algorithms which allow simulation of a whole biological protein.
Further improvements in algorithms simulating low-level events, and summarizing them for inclusion in higher-level simulations will steadily reduce the processing power required.
If the exponential growth in computing power over the past century continues, a simulation of an entire human may one day be feasible.
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Actually if someone successfully create a virtual human, this would be history news, because apart from the benefits in biology, this would also be the first artificial intelligence ever made! I am sure that it will be done in our lifetime. So, Behold! :)