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The "we have the same genes" argument is completely absurd. So alright, some set of DNA sequences in the context of a worm enable the regeneration of worm part
by maxander 10y ago
The "we have the same genes" argument is completely absurd. So alright, some set of DNA sequences in the context of a worm enable the regeneration of worm parts; does it follow that the same set of DNA sequences in the context of a human enable the regeneration of human parts? Of course not! In the same way that the knowledge of how fix a bike has little bearing on being able to fix a cellphone, or that the touchscreen drivers on said phone wouldn't provide a usable interface if loaded onto your gameboy. DNA is just data; its functional value is almost entirely dependent on its surroundings. For that matter, we're a bit physically different than worms; trying to port their mechanisms to human physiology is likely comparable to trying to graft wings onto your arms in order to fly.
Not to say that regeneration is implausible (after all, generation is possible), or that there's nothing to be learned from worm regeneration, but this article is fluff.