The cell as a computer: Turing complete and massively parallel
summary
Claims that cells run a 6-bit instruction set with DNA as high-density ROM (~700 MB per human cell), ribosomes as a slow but massively parallel CPU (trillions per cell) and proteins as logic gates (roughly half of ~22,000 genes act as switches). Gives a concrete beer-vs-phone example: ~40 billion Saccharomyces cells × ~3 MB ≈ 120 PB in a pint of beer. Lists practical tools—PCR, bioreactors, Oxford Nanopore / minION sequencing, CRISPR—and notes DNA printing and cheap whole‑genome sequencing (~$500) are already working.
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chapters (16)
- 0:00Intro
- 3:45DNA
- 7:44How much data
- 13:45Storage
- 14:15RAM
- 19:34Instruction set
- 27:21Motor proteins
- 29:56Ribosome
- 31:31Transcription factors
- 35:38Ion channels
- 38:59Phospho phosphorylation
- 40:53Lipid bilayers
- 43:51Cell death
- 45:30Power supply
- 47:52Electric motor
- 50:43ATP synthase
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