It's amazing to think first-principles mechanisms which trigger mutations at the genetic level are still shrouded in mystery. Cold War era research sought to es

It's amazing to think first-principles mechanisms which trigger mutations at the genetic level are still shrouded in mystery. Cold War era research sought to establish effects on radiation exposure in pursuit of the question: can our species survive the fallout of a general nuclear exchange. More recent imaging techniques have actually been able to visualize the nucleotide "wobble" that results in replication errors. But the environmental information that directly codes for beneficial advantage seems to be a deep secret. And one that could benefit from active inquiry ;)