Restless Souls/Technology

Daodan Chrysalis

Hasegawa's motive and criticism

12_43_11 Hasegawa: "The world outside the Atmospheric Processors is poisonous. If something isn't done we are all doomed. Jamie's death won't be in vain. I'm going to do something about the nightmare that killed her. Her brother will help me. He misses her as much as I do."

The Daodan was here and then criticized to be unethical especially by geyser. (But I'm happy he did. That way we have more points of view). He said that with the Daodan a human loses / gives up a not unimportant amount of control over his body and mind - at least there's a potential threat that it can happen.

• Sort of just look what happened to Muro. In that point I disagree: Muro's personality might be the one of an anarchist but it could be very possibly formed by education / influences of an certain super-criminal organization and not by the Daodan.

• Also in his opinion Kerr is biased against Mai: The preservation of Mai personality is a wishful thinking. Indeed, it would be interesting to know from where Kerr takes the assumption that the personality change the Daodan body and not vice versa.

13_65_35 Kerr: "You are who you have always been. The Chrysalis can't change that. The effect of the mutation is influenced by the subject's nature."

More speculation on Daodan body and mind in the section "explanation attempt [...]".

At least Kerr admits that the Daodan is unknown terrain in aspect of genetics.

13_65_31 Kerr: Yes. We weren't sure what kind of mutation the prototypes would produce.

And now we are back to the term "control". I think it's one of our greatest modern fears to lose control. Also, having control means to be responsible and hence giving up control can be irresponsible. So, I think geyser described well the fears one can have. In total the Daodan can be feared in three ways: missing control, emerging unknown, and possible (or not) mind changes.

We are used to the thinking that having control is good. But what if Hasegawa thought about the opposite. Maybe he came to the conclusion that the world is in the hands of too many unwise men and so giving up control in that very situation cannot be so unethical ...

A draft of an ethic vs. death dialog.

Pensatore: "Isn't your Daodan project unethical?"

Hasegawa threw a punishing look to Pensatore: "Ethic is without meaning to the dead. -- This stupid [majority of] society tolerated the acts of its government therefore its own suffering. Social intelligence failed. WCG is to blame as well the people. They are reckless about their and other lifes. Jamie paid the ultimate price. I can't accept this destructive idle any longer. Wouldn't it be more unethical if I don't work towards a change?"

Pensatore: "But the means. The means!"

Hasegawa: "You need many to change a society, especially this one. And we here ... are less than my hand has fingers! If society's intelligence can't ensure our survival then I will empower the human body to do it."

Pensatore: "You are going to give up all the control we achieved over the last 50 thousand years..."

Hasegawa: "Control won't be vanished here, but become rebalanced. Think of it as an inner safeguard system organized as a simple biocracy. All cells contribute to a collective knowledge. And then, what needs to be done will be done. No interfering interest of others, no foul compromises."

Pensatore: "I will say it again: this is unethical. Think about the consequences. Chaos and fear will lead us into an unseen catastrophe."

Hasegawa: "Here's the point you are equal to them. Faced by allegedly unknown you start to panic! - We live within evolution and this brings up always unknown things. All I do is speeding things up. To protect our bodies against wrong decisions of our minds!"

Pensatore: "That is irresponsible..."

Hasegawa: "And doing nothing about it is not irresponsible? -- We are living in a permanent situation normal, all fucked up."

"Ethic is flexible. Look at our history! -- Hungry men at death's door ate other men to survive. -- Religious people rethink their commandments and approve murder if the person is a megalomaniac dictator (Hitler). [...]"

"Ethic ... is only as good as the situation allows it! -- What's worth an bunch of opinions and ideologies which don't let you even survive? -- If we really need to afraid people, let's do it, I'd say. You know a bad solution is still better than no solution."

[...]

Pensatore: "And you think we are in a comparable situation?!"

[...]

Pensatore: "I see I cannot stop you guys. But hopefully I can you influence enough to think about a proper framework."

Explanation attempt of the biological dimension

Finally wrote some “technobabble” lines that seem to provide a solid basis but also allow different interpretations. Paradox-01 18:28, 9 July 2010 (UTC) The Daodan Chrysalis (short: Daodan) produces always mutations that are really needed. Only that way the same damage source won't be dangerous again in the future. Thus the type of damage becomes analyzed and therefore the Daodan requires a sensor system. In nature, “higher lifeforms” evolved by following – among other concepts – specialization and socialization. Those find their expression on one hand in different cell types – therefore multicellular organism – and on other hand in all kinds of symbiosis. So, for a hyperevolved organism, it wound be understandable if it work more intensely by those concepts. A body realizes damage or harmful influences by stimuli. To detect all kind of stimuli, much space is surely needed. Ninety percent of cells that can be found on and inside the human body aren't his own but microorganisms. Fortunately they weigh only a half up to one kilogram. Their assemblage is known as human flora. Depending on the organism, one of them can be a squatter (in metaphorical sense) against real health threatening germs or another one can hold an actual ability like vitamin K production. Some abilities can't be simply or sufficiently integrated into an organism but its product can be received from a symbiont. So, it seems likely to enlist microorganisms for more sensory tasks and abilities which are actually alien to the human. For this reason the Daodan needs to upgrade the genomes of all the microorganisms (microbiom) as well. Next, communication between the symbionts has to be ensured. A more or less standardized cell organelle might do the job by using messenger substances. Or it transmits different electromagnetic waves which existence doesn't seem too alien in comparison to the real bioelectric field of each living organism and wound give an explanation attempt of the Daodan glow. (Some metabolic waste products – which are released through the body surface together with perspiration – might become stimulated to glow by the field.) For processing the received information, the Daodan might use an own “self-awareness”, mainly a kind of "bodyimage" formed by another organelle type inside every daodanized cell. The presence of such organelle in neurons opens the possibility for – how geyser coined it – “schizophrenia of the 3rd kind” but also Kerr's idea of a mental interface which allows influence on the Daodan's development by the host's personality. If we want to know more about the decision making algorithms (and their physical structures) which calculates the mutations, we will need to ask Hasegawa. ;-) Depending on the target – human Daodan genome, Daodan microbiome, both their epigenomes, or even organelle genomes (like mitochondrions and plastids have) – a few different “vectors” (e.g. viruses) need to be available to transport the mutation. (To ease further talk one might like to fall back on the terms holobiont, sum of symbionts, and hologenom, sum of symbionts' genomes.) However, it's hard to believe that the Daodan could be able to come up with fitting mutations completely by its own. It seems more likely to me that it draws on “genetic building blocks” holding basis information for fast regeneration, resistances, different metabolisms, and so on. Muro and Mai got implanted with prototypes, indeed, but after more than 15 years I think the Syndicate accomplished to developed a Daodan allowing its mass production. This second generation would be independent from the host's sex (XX / YX chromosomes) and the microbiom's composition by providing level-zero stem cells. These can target any compatible symbiont cell and then do a “configuration” (whereby they dissolve the unnecessary genetic material) to become classic stem cells and microbes.            German translation ... Erklärungsversuch der biologischen Dimension Endlich ein paar Zeilen „Techno-Gequatsche“, die eine solide Basis versprechen aber auch Raum für Interpretation lassen. Paradox-01 18:28, 9 July 2010 (UTC) Die Daodan-Chrysalis (kurz: Daodan) produziert immer die Mutationen, die auch benötigten werden. Nur So kann die gleiche Schadensquelle in Zukunft ausgeschlossen werden. Also wird die Art des Schadens analysiert und somit benötigt die Daodan auch ein sensorisches System. In der Natur entstand „höheres Leben“ – unter anderen Konzepten – Spezialisierung und Sozialisierung folgend. Sie finden Ausdruck einerseits in verschiedenen Zelltypen – daher mehrzelligen Organismen – und andererseits in den unterschiedlichsten Symbioseformen. Für einen hyperentwickelten Organismus ist es daher vorstellbar, dass er diese Konzepte verstärkt umsetzt. Der Körper nimmt Schaden oder schädliche Einflüsse durch Reize wahr. Um alle Reizarten detektieren zu können, ist sicherlich viel Platz nötig. Neunzig Prozent aller Zellen, die man an und im menschlichen Körper finden kann, sind nicht seine eigenen aber die von Mikroorganismen. Diese werden in ihrer Gesamtheit Normalflora genannt. Abhängig vom jeweiligen Mikroorganismus kann er beispielsweise „Platzbesetzer“ gegenüber einem wirklich schädlichen Keim sein oder er kann ein echte Fähigkeit haben wie die Produktion von Vitamin K. Manche Fähigkeiten lassen sich nicht so einfach oder nur unzureichend in einen Organismus integrieren. Ihr Produkt kann aber durch einen Symbiosepartner geliefert werden. Es ist also naheliegend die Mikroorganismen für weitere Sensorik und eigentlich humanfremde Fähigkeiten heranzuziehen. Aus diesem Grund muss die Daodan auch die Genome der Mikroorganismen (Mirobiom) aufrüsten. Als nächstes muss Kommunikation zwischen den Symbiosepartner sichergestellt werden. Ein mehr oder weniger standardisiertes Zellorganell in jeder Daodanzelle könnte vielleicht über Botenstoffe dem Rechnung tragen. Oder es sendet verschiedene elektromagnetische Wellen aus, deren Existenz gegenüber dem bioelektrischen Feld eines jeden lebenden Organismus als nicht zu weit hergeholt erscheinen mag und ein Erklärungsansatz für die Daodan-Aura bieten würde. (Einige Stoffwechselabfallprodukte, die über die Haut mit dem Schweiß abgegeben werden, könnten in dem Feld zum leuchten angeregt werden.) Bei der Verarbeitung der Informationen könnte sich die Daodan einem eigenen „Selbstbewusstsein“ bedienen. Dies wäre zum großem Teil eine Art Körperschema, welches sich durch einen weiteren Zellorganelltyp manifestiert. Die Präsenz dieses zweiten Organells in Neuronen ließe die Möglichkeit einer – wie geyser es nannte - „Schizophrenie der 3ten Art“ zu aber auch Kerr's Idee einer mentalen Schnittstelle und somit Einflussnahme auf die Entwicklung der Daodan durch die Persönlichkeit des menschlichen Wirts. Für die genauen Entscheidungsalgorithmen und ihrer physischen Strukturen zur Mutationsfindung müssten wir wohl Hasegawa fragen. ;-) Abhängig vom Ziel – menschliches Genom, Mikrobiom, ihrer beider Epigenome, oder sogar Organell-Genome (wie Mitochondrien und Plastiden sie haben) – müssen ein paar unterschiedliche „Vektoren“ (unter anderem Viren) verfügbar sein um die Mutation zu transportieren. (Um Diskussionen zu vereinfachen, mag man vielleicht auf den Begriff Holobiont, Gesammtheit aller Symbionten, und Hologenom, Gesamtheit aller Symbionten-Genome, zurückgreifen. Trotzdem ist es schwer zu glauben, dass die Daodan vollkommen alleine im Stande wäre passende Mutationen zu erzeugen. Es ist vielleicht glaubwürdiger, wenn die Daodan auf „genetische Bausteine“ zurückgreift, die Basisinformationen für schnelle Regeneration, Resistenzen, unterschiedliche Stoffwechsel, und so weiter enthalten. Muro und Mai wurden Prototypen implantiert, richtig, aber nach mehr als 15 Jahren glaube ich, dass das Syndikat es schafft eine Daodan für die Massenproduktion zu entwickeln. Diese zweite Generation würde durch sogenannte Level-Null-Stammzellen unabhängig vom Geschlecht des Wirts und der Zusammensetzung des Mikrobiom sein. Diese Zellen würden jede kompatible Symbiontenzelle zum Ziel haben und nach einer „Konfiguration“ (in welcher sie überflüssiges genetisches Material auflösen) zu klassischen Stammzellen und Mikroben werden.

Natural reproduction of human hosts

Iritscen's post on the OCF initiated me to think about following problem. At new environmental conditions, randomly evolved traits helps members of a population to survive. The survivors then ensure the population's continuity by their reproduction. The Daodan reacts directly on environmental influences and probably – or largely – doesn't know anymore randomness. Therefor it's uncertain if the Daodan can manage or allow random recombination of genetic material during the sexual reproduction of Daodan hosts. For the Daodan, there's actually no more necessity for recombination. So, if no recombination happens, female gamete (egg cells) might become produced with or without genetic material whereby only empty egg cell can accept a male gamete. In any case, the chromosome set is already diploid which means that baby is a genetic clone of one of it's parents. (But you know, the personality is still shaped to a major degree by environment and education.) Contact of male hormones with female gamete (cell nucleus must be presented) marks the cell as fertilized. Implantation and embryonic development follows. The passing on of microbial Daodan symbionts happens during child's birth (...) and by intake of breast milk. (Bifidobacteria can be taken as kind of RL example).            German translation ... Natürliche Fortpflanzung von menschlichen Wirten Iritscen's Beitrag im OCF ließ mich über folgendes Problem nachdenken. Zufällig hervorgebrachte Merkmale helfen Mitglieder einer Population bei neuen Umweltbedingungen zu überleben. Die Überlebenden sichern den Fortbestand der Population. Die Daodan reagiert direkt auf Umwelteinflüsse und kennt wahrscheinlich – oder zum großen Teil – keine Zufälligkeiten mehr. Bei der sexuellen Fortpflanzung von Daodan-Trägern ist es daher ungewiss ob die Daodan mit der Rekombination des Erbguts zurechtkommt oder dies zumindest zulässt. Es besteht für die Rekombination eigentlich keine Notwendigkeit mehr. Wenn keine Rekombination stattfindet, könnten vielleicht weibliche Gameten (Eizellen) mit und ohne Erbgut entstehen, wobei nur die weibliche Gameten ohne Erbgut ein männlichen Gamet aufnehmen. Die Gameten sind also zu Beginn schon diploid. (Sie haben einen doppelten Chromosomensatz, der für gesunde Menschen erforderlich ist). Der Kontakt von männlichen Hormonen qualifiziert die Eizelle zur „Zygote“; es hat also jetzt den Status „befruchtet“. Nidation und embryonelle Entwickung folgt. Die Weitergabe mikrobiellen Daodan-Symbionten findet bei der Geburt statt (...) und mit der Aufnahme in der Muttermilch. (Die Weitergabe von Bifidobakterien könnte man als eine Art Beispiel aus dem echten Leben nennen.)

Multiple Imago stages

(Some text that might be from a researcher's diary.) Some part of the Daodan's code aren't fully understood yet. This and the "Chrysalis group" posited hyperevolution makes us believe slowly that the Imago stage isn't the "end". Of course new environmental catastrophes can mean a threat to imagos so also a new transformation would be necessary. In that aspect we think that these cycles aren't limited. However, it would be an disadvantage to lose a fully developed adaption if situation change back then. A storage system might be involved. A candidate for that matter are pseudogenes which means inactive genes. Thus a gene can forced to become a pseudogene while 'replaced' by a new adapted one. Later "Dual Drive" checks if an older cycle should be rolled back (making the current gene inactive and reactivating the other one). An genetic overload cannot be excluded. But that must be solved by future researchers. Our visionary colleague Dr. Sandström (in memory of ReGenesis) points to something he calls "networked Omega-Chimäre" which makes use of advanced nanotechnology. Addendum: After final analysis on xx xx 205x, the suspected ability has turn out to be only our wishful thinking: A storages system for adaption hasn't been found but the idea remains as an idea for a future upgrade of the DC.            German translation ... Multiple Imago-Stadien (Ein paar Zeilen, die aus einem Tagebuch eines GV-Wissenschaftler stammen könnten.) Einige Stellen des Daodan-Codes sind noch nicht vollständig verstanden. Dies und die Hyperevolutionstheorie der „Chrysalis-Gruppe“ lässt uns vermuten, dass das Imago-Stadium nicht das Ende ist. Natürlich können neue (von ihrer Art her andere) Umweltkatastrophen eine Gefahr für den Imago darstellen. Also würde wieder eine Metamorphose notwendig sein. Aus diesem Grund glauben wir nicht, dass die Metamorphose nur einmal stattfindet. Auch wäre es unvorteilhaft einen vollständig angepasste Zustandsform zu verlieren wenn dann die Situation plötzlich wieder in alte Bedingungen annimmt. Anpassungen zu suchen, benötigt Zeit. Bereits erfahrende Anpassungen wieder aufzurufen, würden die Überlebenschancen des Imago weiter steigern. Ein Speichersystem könnte sich also noch im Code verstecken. Auf neuen Planeten und im Weltraum wäre dies dem Imago sicher hilfreich da er dort großen Temperaturschwankungen ausgesetzt ist wenn ihn der Raumanzug aus irgendwelchen Gründen nicht mehr schützen kann. Eine Komponente eines Speichersystems könnten Pseudogene darstellen. Es sind ehemalige Gene, die nicht länger exprimiert werden können. Die Daodan könnte ein Gen zu einem Pseudogen umwandeln und gleichzeitig einen funktionierenden Ersatz einbringen. Wenn eine weitere Metamorphose notwendig wird, prüft der „Dual Drive“ ob eine ältere Anpassung, die in den Pseudogenen archiviert wurde, wiederhergestellt werden kann um den Zeitaufwand für die erneute Mutationsfindung einzusparen. Dass die wachsende Größe das Genom irgendwann überlastet, kann nicht ausgeschlossen werden. Unser visionärer Kollege Dr. Sandström meint, dass dann der Komplex Mensch-Daodan weiterentwickelt werden müsste. Er nennt als ein mögliches Zukunftsmodell „die vernetzte Omega-Chimäre“. Die Archivierung alter Anpassungen würde dann computertechnisch erfolgen. Nachtrag: Nach der abschließenden Analyse am xx xx 205x stellte die erwartete Fähigkeit sich als nur als unser Wunschdenken heraus: Ein Speichersystem für Anpassungen wurde nicht gefunden, bleibt aber eine Idee für ein zukünftiges Upgrade der DC.

Static metamorphosis

(Some text that might be from a researcher's diary.) The name still bugs us. All skills aside, also the Daodan is bounded to the laws of nature, it's not almighty. Extreme changes of the body in a short time probably requires a static state. In that aspect we might translate the full name "Daodan Chrysalis" as "code allowing metamorphoses to reach new states, each best-adapted to the new present environmental conditions" whereas "Chrysalis" could be also almost literally taken as "Chrysalis" [pupal stage of butterflies]. In this case we think it's some biological material at the body's outside to provides shelter and stability so a major metamorphosis can take place. We think that this second ability might exist still hidden inside the code. Single, fast adaptions have been reported; the existence of complete, static transformations still needs to become proofed.            German translation ... Statische Metamorphose (Ein paar Zeilen, die aus einem Tagebuch eines GV-Wissenschaftler stammen könnten.) Der Name gibt uns immer noch zu denken. Trotz allen Fähigkeiten ist auch die Daodan an die Naturgesetze gebunden und nicht allmächtig. Extreme Umbauten des Körper in kurzer Zeit benötigen wahrscheinlich einen Ruhezustand. Bis jetzt übersetzen wir den vollen Namen "Daodan-Chrysalis" als "Code, der Metamorphosen erlaubt um neue Zustände zu erreichen, die jeweils am besten an die dann vorherrschenden Umweltbedingungen angepasst sind". Wegen der wahrscheinlich Ruhephase könnte "Chrysalis" vielleicht auch wortwörtlich verstanden werden sofern die Metamorphose ein biologisches Material aus Gründen der Stabilität und des Schutzes um die Körperoberfläche schafft. Wir denken, dass sich diese zweite Fähigkeit noch im unverstandenen Code verstecken könnte. Einzelne, schnelle Anpassungen wurden beobachtet. Die Existenz von tiefgreifenden, Ruhe benötigen Metamorphosen will noch gefunden werden.

Contamination of the ecosystem

GV's "Chrysalis" work group thinks that the Daodan will contaminate the environment sooner or later (in case it didn't already happen) because of horizontal gene transfer causing unseen threats. Hence the Daodan needs a patch. The idea was and is to protect the primer symbiont, the human host. To ensure that the microbial Daodan cells stays only at the human flora these cells need to die in absent of the primer symbiont by dissolving their genetic material with an enhanced degradosome. (Will Pandora hunt down all hosts with an original Daodan (to patch them or kill the hosts) ?) This patch solves only one part of the problem. Existing Daodans would be still a permanent danger, especially the unknown number in Syndicate 'property'. In worst case this threat had to be met on planetary scale. This would require full control over all matter and lifeforms. Related topic: bioc            German translation ... Kontamination der Umwelt GV's "Chrysalis"-Arbeitsgruppe hält es für wahrscheinlich, dass die Daodan früher oder später (falls dies nicht schon geschehen ist) die Umwelt kontaminiert: horizontaler Gentransfer könnte noch nie gesehende Gefahren entstehen lassen. Deshalb benötigt die Daodan einen Patch. Die Idee war und ist den Primär-Symbionten, den menschlichen Wirt, zu beschützen. Um sicherzustellen, dass die mikrobischen Daodan-Zellen die Normalflora nicht verlassen, müssen sie in Abwesenheit des Primär-Symbionten absterben wobei ihr genetisches Material durch ein verbessertes Degradosom zerstört wird. (Wird Pandora angeheuert um alle Original-Daodan-Wirte zu patchen oder zu eliminieren?) Der Patch löst nur ein Problem. Die bereits existeirenden Daodan-Wirte sind weiterhin einen ständige Bedrohung, besonderst die unbekannte Anzahl an Wirten des Syndikats. Im schlimmsten Fall muss die Gefahr auf planetarer Ebene bekämpft werden. Dies würde aber volle Kontrolle über alle Organismen und Materie voraussetzen. Weiterführende Themen: Biok

Future upgrades

I don't think this will happen in RS but later sequels. It's better to write it down than forgetting it again during time.

• telomere regeneration: which allows biological immortality (overpopulation problem appears)
• cyborg genes: construction genes which takes care of implants -- nothing special in comparison to our human growth genes -> Omega-Chimäre
• memory chromosome: nanoscanner collect position and properties of neurons and other relevant stuff and code these information into a new chromosome

Omega-Chimäre

• Omega-Chimäres can make use of external memory storage for different Imago stages and also knowledge.
• Long-range objective is to create a collective consciousness (via network) called Daimon.

Taking a look at real symbiosis

The word symbiosis means "living together". If the outcomes are good or not is an other question. However, in daily life symbiosis means a relationship of mutual gain.

symbiosis types by interaction	symbiosis types by utility
on metabolic level (e.g. corals; lichens)	mutualism
through behavior (e.g. flowering plants + insects, birds; ants + fungi / greenflies)	parasitism
on genetic level (e.g. virus + host organism)	interstages of mutualism and parasitism (commensalism, amensalism, etc.)

The following subsections are meant to show what real symbiosis is capable of and that it exist between very different species. Therefore those sections display combinations of the so-called kingdoms. (As a layman I still prefer the older and simpler model.) Unfortunately viruses are unranked so far.

Are viruses lifeforms?

The problem is that they are neither really dead nor alive. They are zombies so to say. They do nothing until they infect a suitable host cell and becomes active again. Living things were thought to have always an active metabolism. Then tardigrades have been found out to break that rule with their cryptobiosis ("hidden life"). In that stage their metabolism is almost too low for measures (under 0.01%). After that discovery scientists had the rethink the definition of death. The microbes' state of temporary death became some kind of extreme hibernation, namely cryptobiosis, and some Christians were happy that their religion was the sole promise again for resurrection.

A virus cannot reproduce itself without a host but that's also true for some endoparasites (parasitic organisms in other organisms). And a virus has no own metabolism but can take over the host's metabolism and organelles. In this view a virus might be a very mean and cleaver bastard but it lives.

From symbiosis to symbiogesesis.

So a virus makes the host its own body; the news are that there also exist symbiotic viruses. These have not taken over a host cell but sorta vice versa: they became fully incorporated into the host's genome. Two examples: First, the polydnavirus inside of ichneumonid (parasitic) wasps is only produced when the wasps lay eggs into a caterpillar. The virus helps the wasp eggs to survive inside the caterpillar by affecting the immune system and changing the metabolism in advantages of the wasp eggs. The second example is about us humans (and all animals with a placenta). The retrovirus ERVWE1 in our genome merge placenta cells by its produced protein "syncytin" to create a protection layer. That way the embryo keeps untouched by the mother's immune system. Otherwise it could be discovered as foreign body because of the father's genes. The retrovirus gives us an advantage compared to non-placental mammals.

The polydnavirus is still reproduced but the second virus gave up its independence to the fullest. They, the host and the virus are rather one new organism instead of two. This process of merging organisms is called symbiogenesis.

How much human DNA builds our body?

Incorporation of genetic material happened more than once. When the human genome was sequenced on a great scale, only 1.4% has been found out to encode our building material - the proteins - the rest appeared to be "junk" DNA. Today we know that 8.5% are old retroviruses (HERVs). -- This brings Agent Smith from the movie Matrix into mind when he classified humans as a virus because of certain similarities: according to him humans replicated unchecked, consume all resources, and spread to a new area (host) when one area ran out of resources. Now he would have a genetic proof you might think: our DNA is more "virus" than "human". -- Well, the old retroviruses are almost all defective so they don't matter much. Also, noncoding but function holding RNA and regulatory sequences - tools and building instructions - have been identified from the junk by now. So, yes, no need to panic, we can have a calm sleep tonight.

Fungus and plant

More than 400 million years of evolution and some plants still can't make it on their own: plant stress tolerance via fungal symbiosis All plants in natural ecosystems are thought to be symbiotic with mycorrhizal and/or endophytic fungi. Collectively, these fungi express different symbiotic lifestyles ranging from parasitism to mutualism. Analysis of Colletotrichum species indicates that individual isolates can express either parasitic or mutualistic lifestyles depending on the host genotype colonized. The endophyte colonization pattern and lifestyle expression indicate that plants can be discerned as either disease, non-disease, or non-hosts. Fitness benefits conferred by fungi expressing mutualistic lifestyles include biotic and abiotic stress tolerance, growth enhancement, and increased reproductive success. Analysis of plant–endophyte associations in high stress habitats revealed that at least some fungal endophytes confer habitat-specific stress tolerance to host plants. Without the habitat-adapted fungal endophytes, the plants are unable to survive in their native habitats. Moreover, the endophytes have a broad host range encompassing both monocots and eudicots, and confer habitat-specific stress tolerance to both plant groups. source: - http://jxb.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/59/5/1109 - (mirror) http://dl.dropbox.com/u/139715/OniGalore/RS_T_Sources/1109.full.pdf            German translation ... Mehr als 400 Millionen Jahre Evolution und manche Pflanzen können immer noch nicht alleine auskommen: Stressresistenz von Pflanzen via Pilzsymbiose Es wird angenommen, dass alle Pflanzen in natürlichen Ökosystemen Symbiosen mit Mykorrhizapilzen und/oder endophytischen Pilzen eingehen. In Anwesenheit der Pflanze entfalten diese Pilze symbiotische Lebensstile von Parasitismus bis Mutualismus. Die Analyse von Glomerella(Colletotrichum)-Arten zeigt, dass einzelne isolierte Pilze entweder parasitäre oder mutuale Lebensstile entfalten können, abhängig von dem besiedelten Genotyp des Wirts. Das endophyte Besiedlungsmuster und die Ausprägung des Lebensstils zeigen, dass Pflanzen entweder als krank, nicht-krank oder Nicht-Wirt wahrgenommen werden können. Von Pilzen übertragende Fitness-Profite bringen mutuale Lebensstile zum Ausdruck, was biotische und abiotische Stresstoleranz, Wachstumsverstärkung, und erhöhte Fortpflanzungschancen mit einschließt. Die Analyse von innerpflanzlichen Gemeinschaften in hochbelastenden Lebensräumen offenbart, dass zumindest manche endophytische Pilze lebensraumspezifische Stresstoleranz den Wirtspflanzen verleihen. Diese Pflanzen wären ohne die lebensraumangepassten endophytischen Pilze nicht im Stande in ihren natürlichen Lebensraumen zu überleben. Außerdem haben die Endophyten eine breite Wirtsauswahl, die sowohl einkeimblättrigen als auch dreifurchenpollen-zweikeimblättrige Pflanzen umfasst, und daher lebensraumspezifische Stresstoleranz auf beide Pflanzengruppen überträgt.

Virus, fungus and plant

A Virus in a Fungus in a Plant: Three-Way Symbiosis Required for Thermal Tolerance A mutualistic association between a fungal endophyte and a tropical panic grass allows both organisms to grow at high soil temperatures. We characterized a virus from this fungus that is involved in the mutualistic interaction. Fungal isolates cured of the virus are unable to confer heat tolerance, but heat tolerance is restored after the virus is reintroduced. The virus-infected fungus confers heat tolerance not only to its native monocot host but also to a eudicot host, which suggests that the underlying mechanism involves pathways conserved between these two groups of plants. source: - http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/abstract/315/5811/513 - http://www.rcn.montana.edu/pubs/pdf/2007/science%202007.pdf            German translation ... Ein Virus in einem Pilz in einer Pflanze: Drei-Wege-Symbiose benötigt für Hitzetoleranz Eine mutuale Gemeinschaft von einem endophytischen Pilz und einer tropischen Rutenhirse (Panicum virgatum) erlaubt beiden Organismen bei hohen Bodentemperaturen zu wachsen. Wir charakterisierten ein Virus von diesem Pilz, der an der mutualen Interaktion beteiligt ist. Isolierte Pilze, die vom Virus geheilt wurden, waren unfähig Hitzetoleranz zu übertragen, jedoch wurde die Hitzetoleranz nach der Rückeinführung des Virus wiederhergestellt. Der virusinfizierte Pilz übertrug Hitzetoleranz nicht nur an seinen natürlichen einkeimblättrige Wirt sondern auch an ein dreifurchenpollen-zweikeimblättrigen Wirt, was nahelegt, dass die zugrundeliegenden Mechanismen zwischen den beiden Pflanzengruppen zu finden sind.

Bioc

"Bioc" is an abbreviation for its nickname bio crystal. The name was given due to many borrowed mechanisms from living ("bio") systems and one of the prototypes macroscopic appearances is a crystal. The bioc is a research project of Silver Village (SV) which is again financed by WCG's Aeronautics and Space Administration (formerly known as NASA). The project involves nanorobots for terraforming other planets. During high peaks of the environmental crisis an idea arose to repurpose the bots. They should be used to filter out the toxic substances from the environment of the own planet. After the Big Bang WCG politics demanded also its assignment to eliminate genetic material of Daodans in the wild. Originally the bioc should be ASA's tool to find, analyze and eventually manipulate matter as well as extraterrestrial microbial life forms. Now it's going to be WCG last instrument against toxic air, Daodan threats and Syndicate actions... The biological aspects of the research were outsourced to the sister facility Green Village (GV). A few different versions of bioc prototypes were produced there before the complex became partially destroyed. To allow self-awareness the bots form sensor systems and neural networks (like SLD do) whereby some tactical "nodes" use additional organs (for GPS localization, etc). These nodes allow humans to control the bot collective. The nodes are created when the bot population reached a critical mass. To prevent the Daodan's continuing contamination and reconquering of already cleaned areas the bots needs to cloak all lifeforms at first, analyzing them, and then killing all separated microbial Daodan cells. This event is code named "silver dawn". It's planed that all bots on and inside of organism will destroyed themselves while the subterranean nodes will remain for sure for economic purposes. However, some are worried that the responsible people will succumb to the tremendous power and let remain the bots inside the organisms especially humans. But just as well hackers could succeed in taking over the system. The WCG will think twice if they want to unleash the bots into the world. Silver Dawn could change everything - to the good or to the bad.            German translation ... "Biok" ist eine Abkürzung für seinen Nicknamen "Biokristall". Der Name lehnt an Mechanismen der belebten Natur ("bio") an sowie der makroskopischen Gestalten einiger Zelltypen" der Prototypen, die wie ein Kristalle aussehen. Der Biok ist ein Forschungsprojekt von Silver Dawn, einer Einrichtung, die wiederum von der WKR's Aeronautics and Space Administration (ASA), der ehemaligen NASA, finanziert wird. Das Projekt umfasst selbstreplizierende, semi-autonome Nanoroboter für das Terraforming anderer Planeten. Nach wiederkehrenden Rekordwerten der Giftkonzentrationen in der Atmosphäre, Boden und Gewässer kam die Idee auf die Nanoroboter etwas umzufunktionieren. Sie sollten die giftigen Subtanzen aus der Umwelt des eigenen Planeten filtern. Nach dem Big Bang forderten WCG-Politiker auch den Einsatz der Nanobots zur Eliminierung von Daodan-Genmaterial in der freien Wildbahn. Ursprüngliche sollte der Biok ein Werkzeug der ASA sein Materie wie auch extraterrestrisch-mikrobiologisches Leben zu finden, zu analysieren und letztendlich auch zu manipulieren. Nun würde es das letzte Mittel der WCG gegen toxische Luft, Daodan-DNA, und Syndikat-Aktionen sein... Zur Erschaffung einer Selbstwahrnehmung formen die Bots Sensorsysteme und neuronaler Netzwerke (wie SLD es tun) wobei einige taktischer Knotenpunkte mit weitere Organe gebildet werden (z. B. Seismische Ortungssystem und GPS-Receiver). Diese Knoten erlaubt aber auch Kontrolle über das Bot-kollektiv von Seiten des Menschen. Die Knoten werden erst gebildet wenn eine kritische Masse im Bot-Kollektiv erreicht wurde. Um zu verhindern, dass die Daodan die Umwelt mit ihrer DNA kontaminiert oder rückerobert, müssen die Bots alles Lebensformen einschließen, sie analysieren, und dann alle losgelösten mikrobielle Daodan-Zellen. Dem Ereignis wurde der Codename "Silver Dawn" gegeben. Es ist geplant, dass alle Bots, die verschonten Organismen wieder verlassen und insbesondere nur die Unterirdischen Knoten für zukünftige ökonomische und ökologische Zwecke zurückbleiben. Allerdings gibt es einige Befürchtungen, dass die Verantwortlichen der ungeheuren Macht erliegen könnten und die Bots nicht wieder aus den Organismen abziehen. Genauso gut könnten es auch Hacker geben, die das System unter ihre Kontrolle bringen. Die WCG wird sich zweimal überlegen ob sie die Bots wirklich auf die Welt loslassen will. Silver Dawn könnte Alles verändern - zum Gutem wie auch zum Schlechten.

Comparing DC and Bioc

Daodan Chrysalis	Bioc
passive, defensive, protective, analyzing harmful stimuli, flexible guidelines: - observe the own organism - identify harmful influences - adapt to those influences (idea based on "negative utilitarianism") Survival by adapting own organism. -> Give up / loss of self-control. Mirrors a possible new behavior. (Based on Hasegawa's mindset.)	active, aggressive, possessive, analyzing all matter, somewhat inflexible guidelines: - observe the environment - identify types of matter - make resources available (idea based on "utilitarianism") Survival by adapting the environment. -> Total control. Mirrors old human behavior.

The hybrid

Synthesis? The behavior of both - DC and bioc - are extreme. And extremes tend to not last very long therefore a sythesis might be needed. How new guidlines could look like: Analyzing threats: Adapt to harmful stimuli if limits become exceeded. Analyzing resources: Adapt to new energy sources if favorable source is unavailable. Defense against or cooperation with other organisms. (developing immunity or integration) Process of fusion: Bioc invades Daodan biomass. Bioc identifies useful matter and agglomerate it. Daodan identifies Bioc as harmful stilumi and creates protections. [...]* Rettung durch genetische Schnittstelle? Emergente Struktur. Rettung durch informationelle Schnittstelle? Die NASA sucht nach Ressourcen und Organismen. Es ist bekannt dass tief in unserem Planeten Mikroorganisen leben, also wurde der Bioc so konstruiert das er sie erkennen kann. "Durch seine Bauarbeit wird die Planetenkruste umgeflügt, wir wollen keine potentielle Entdeckungen zerstören. (Wie bei Bauarbeit, wo Archäologen manchmal die Zerstörung von Artefakte beklagen.) Das Schutzprogamm für andere Organismen ist in der ausgebrochenen Version des Bioc noch nicht enthalten. Ab einer/m bestimmten Masse/Volumen entwickelt der Bioc seine höheren Organe mit denen sich diese künstliche Lebensform updaten lässt. *So kann die Fusion doch noch stattfinden.

[...]

SLD

Simulated Life Doll

Speculation about brain components

first generation

[...]

second generation

SLDs might use nanospintronics components. They feature:

• higher energy efficiency - no electric current needed, less energy used
• faster components - no electric charge is transported and thus no thermal problems appears which allows clock speed up to 10,000 GHz
• smaller components - e.g. the OR gate (actual iron-atom gate counts aprox. 3nm), these kind of components can be smaller than todays semiconductor
• non-volatile memory - information doesn't become lost when power is turned off because they are stored magnetically (that way also the boot process of computer would become significate faster)
• and nanospintronics would also allow hybrid components for calculation and memory (these information were adapted from here (mirror))

That's the point which is especially interessting because of the analogy to biological components. Also biological brains uses one type of components for two things - the nerons store and process information.

Are SLDs alive?

Let's see at the following points to discuss this topic.

• "The SLD project is an attempt to recreate human physiology with artificial materials."
• SLD are classified as androids.

The TCTF and the Syndicate's language has more weight on the technical side...

Konoko: "I don't know if they programmed fear into her but if they didn't she's probably figured it out on her own by now."

08_28_02 Muro: "Curious. Why bother programming you to feel pain so intensely?"

09_31_08 Shinatama: "I am an SLD, an android programmed with your brain engrams"

... while The SLD scientists seem also to be more open for psychological aspects.

"SLDs are individuals in many respects."

"This core personality is then given a chance to develop a unique neurolattice while experiencing accelerated streaming sensory feeds."

"Most SLDs have to spend at least three months in the senseloop, which we have come to think of as their psychological womb."

• Emergence - new properties, behaviors, etc. of a system which the single parts not feature. Also commonly known under the phrase: "more than the sum of its parts". Two examples: gas has a temperature but not the single molecules, a brain has a mind but single neurons don't.

If they really recreated human physiology how can they rule out a new emerged mind? Why would it be a bare simulated one? Also, the TCTF was really surprised that Shinatama developed an own will.

"[...] an unprecedented degree of free will in the android [...]"

Maybe the TCTF argued that a SLD use just "programs" (because the hardware is not biological but artificial) and that programs aren't enough to create a mind. That's a pretty similar thinking to John Searle's Chinese Room. I wonder if a collection of interacting programs can show emergence.

What's the purpose of SLDs?

I don't think it's a desirable goal to create an android that can just feel pain, breath, sweat, and eat* and ... So you are saying it can produce artificial shit, eh? Is that everything you were able to accomplished after spending our research budget of 100 million dollar? Of course the real deal must be something else.

We have to ask why they didn't imitate another life form. Why not a bacteria, a plant, or an animal?

Side note: SLD are made of "artificial materials" and "micromechanical fabrication cells" and thus the basis is very unlikely to be DNA.

So the SLD project wasn't about immune systems, metabolisms, and not primarily about somatic functions. What's the big difference between humans and other life forms on earth? In all modesty it seems that the human mind is our biggest and most interesting difference. And it's still a mystery in Oni's story as well as in reality.

• SLD scientist: "One thing we still cannot do is create an artificial system that adequately simulates the processes of the human mind."

• Turing: "I do not wish to give the impression that I think there is no mystery about consciousness. There is, for instance, something of a paradox connected with any attempt to localise it."

So the solution seems to somewhat (if not entirely) copy an already existing brain.

In Oni "brain engrams" gave the SLD androids a mind and that way they could be a tool to study intelligence in an mechanical environment.

With the obtained data, the mind doesn't need to become reinvented but analyzed. After the phase of analysis a true artificial intelligence could be designed.

Another side note: SLD brain engrams involves coping of brain information and that looks very similar to what is called mind uploading. That again is thought to be an approach to AIs. Ergo, in Oni AIs might be near although the Syndicate developed Deadly Brains. DB would be obsolete if AIs would already exist. (Or maybe AIs are not only much more difficult to construct but much more expensive as well...)

However, the abilities* claimed in the manual could be requirements for the SLD brain/mind to work normally because it simply awaits some body functions.

Their food could be raw material for regeneration and a compounds of hydrogen and oxygen from which they can transform chemical energy to electric current. Their sweat then could be pure water from the reaction chemical reaction from inside the fuel cell.

Related background story

Oni's storyline seems to be the time where the SLD technology almost reached its final development stage. Shinatama appears to be fully functioning and also her mind seems not much different compared to humans mind. This has a logical consequence to the "Mukade = Hasegawa + Mukades's brain engrams" (RS) theory: 17 years ago (plus minus few years) Mukade and Hasegawa needed an absolute expert of the SLD technology working with them together to archive the brain merging. SLD technology draws on brain engrams because scientists couldn't create intelligences on their own yet. The modularity of the human mind and the complex interaction of the parts were limiting the success of very own attempts. So, merging brain engrams to a biological brain would have been still impossible. Instead they created an SLD from two donor brains, an "ego hybrida". The chance for success was unknown but in the end it worked.

The presence of the expert Pensatore could also explain the early creation of Mukade's android army (well, in case they are actually androids).

Mind upload

At that time it happened that Mukade and Pensatore talked about Shinto and Buddhism. (One of the topic was that the human soul and that in Shinto knows multiple mitama can form one souls: ichirei shikon concept.) This came from Mukade's side. His Shinobi philosophy was influenced by a small degree. But he mentioned enough to awake Pensatore's interest. He felt that there were similarities with the meme theory. Pensatore entered a new path. From that time on he understood the brain as a collection of memes running on biological hardware. His new goal was to create a digital mind that could run not in a robot brain but on common servers. Eventually he uploaded his own mind.

Shinatama's escape

[...] Shintama could have uploaded her mind to the internet with the help of Pensatore. I guess this can continue with Owldreamer's stuff.

Heavy weapons

Vacuum bomb Auto aiming weapons (like CIWS) Rail gun Gatling guns Metal Storm (hypothetical) laser-induced plasma beam in tempests (src) BEC + pyroelectric fusion