The “Wow! signal” of the terrestrial genetic code

Abstract

It has been repeatedly proposed to expand the scope for SETI, and one of the suggested alternatives to radio is the biological media. Genomic DNA is already used on Earth to store nonbiological information. Though smaller in capacity, but stronger in noise immunity is the genetic code. The code is a flexible mapping between codons and amino acids, and this flexibility allows modifying the code artificially. But once fixed, the code might stay unchanged over cosmological timescales; in fact, it is the most durable construct known. Therefore it represents an exceptionally reliable storage for an intelligent signature, if that conforms to biological and thermodynamic requirements. As the actual scenario for the origin of terrestrial life is far from being settled, the proposal that it might have been seeded intentionally cannot be ruled out. A statistically strong intelligent-like "signal" in the genetic code is then a testable consequence of such scenario. Here we show that the terrestrial code displays a thorough precision-type orderliness matching the criteria to be considered an informational signal. Simple arrangements of the code reveal an ensemble of arithmetical and ideographical patterns of the same symbolic language. Accurate and systematic, these underlying patterns appear as a product of precision logic and nontrivial computing rather than of stochastic processes (the null hypothesis that they are due to chance coupled with presumable evolutionary pathways is rejected with P-value < 10 -13 ). The patterns are profound to the extent that the code mapping itself is uniquely deduced from their algebraic representation. The signal displays readily recognizable hallmarks of artificiality, among which are the symbol of zero, the privileged decimal syntax and semantical symmetries. Besides, extraction of the signal involves logically straightforward but abstract operations, making the patterns essentially irreducible to any natural origin. Plausible way of embedding the signal into the code and possible interpretation of its content are discussed. Overall, while the code is nearly optimized biologically, its limited capacity is used extremely efficiently to store non-biological information.

Harmony of Genetic Code

“…11 "As the actual scenario for the origin of terrestrial life is far from being settled, the proposal that it might have been seeded intentionally cannot be ruled out." ( shCherbak and Makukov, 2013 Table 11. The number of atoms within amino acid side chains and their sums appear to be balance solutions; within three columns there are 15 + 57 + 4 = 76; and within two columns there are 39 + 37 = 76.…”

On the origin of synthetic life: attribution of output to a particular algorithm

“…It seems that in general a search for signs of engineering in biological (genomic) information of any unattributed biological sample is just as reasonable as SETI search of astronomical data. In particular with any samples acquired from extraterrestrial sources such Biological SETI [60] should be a recommended first step.…”

“…By analogy with the SETI approach a search for artificiality and cognitive universals could take place instead, with statistical abnormalities and non-randomness being used to detect languagelike patterns [67,68]. To avoid ambiguity it is desirable to find patterns which are 1) highly statistically significant and 2) in addition to exhibiting hallmarks of artificiality such as "symbol of zero, the privileged decimal syntax and semantical symmetries" are inconsistent in principal with any natural process be it Darwinian or Lamarckian evolution [60].…”

Steps to a science of biosemiotics

“…There has even been bizarre speculation that a 'message' might actually have been incorporated into the genetic code by ancient aliens in the form of highly improbable mathematical symmetries among codons and amino acids (e.g. Shcherbak and Makukov 2013).…”