Bacteriophage phi X174 DNA a message from extraterrestrial intelligence? (1979)

To all the comments about how the answer is no: I agree, and the reason I posted this is not because of the answer to the question, but because the premise and reasoning are very interesting to read.

Also, I got this link in a comment in the following thread: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=8675078. Thanks `jonmrodriguez!

Here is the link to the actual journal article.

Absolutely disgusting that it is so obfuscated and so difficult to acquire. Information is free if we all help make it available to everyone:

https://mega.co.nz/#!O1ok1L4T!e06uUlxvYkRf0JVgpf1dvnQWQrhlSM...

From the abstract: "No significant patterns have been observed".

So I'd say the answer is "no".

It's an interesting premise but one that's almost impossible to verify. DNA would inevitably evolve in the billions of years of adaptation, rendering the message incomprehensible. Even with all relevant techniques (probability analysis, error correcting codes, ...), it's at best guess work. Despite the problems with implementation, it's still a very interesting idea that has a few good reasons supporting its logic. Any advanced life form that reaches a new planet will almost certainly analyze the planet for life and it's genetic makeup. I'm not sure we'll be able to validate or completely dismiss the idea until we explore other planets.

The funny part of the 1979 paper is that its Fig 3 of NA codes just looks like QR code of 2014:

http://i.imgur.com/AR0OhAF.png

If there's a way to access this article from the link you submitted, I'm not seeing it. If there isn't a way, I wonder why you submitted it at all.

You know what would be interesting? Doing this on our own DNA. What if that 0.1% difference between us and chimpanzees, was caused by such a capsule injected into a chimp by an extraterrestrial intelligence, and our key to interstellar travel, Dyson sphere, etc. has been hiding within us all along?

Would make a cool movie.

you should add "(1979)" to the title.

When a headline ends with a question mark the answer is always no.

I didn't click on the link but I'm pretty sure the answer is "No".

I find the premise offensive. It's exactly the same as evolution-denying creationists: the idea that something is so complex that it couldn't be created by evolution because that would imply some degree of randomness, or whatever misunderstanding.