ANGLVD3TH t1_jbp2nf9 wrote on March 10, 2023 at 5:10 PM

Reply to comment by Jale89 in I just learned that the known shortest DNA in an “organism” is about 1700 base pairs in a certain virus. Is there a minimum amount of “code” required for an organism (or virus) to function in any capacity? by mcbergstedt

I've heard some think it's best to define an infected cell as the living virus, treating virions as reproductive material. I don't know how widespread this idea is, but I thought it was an elegant way to define them as living.

ANGLVD3TH t1_j2cyybr wrote on December 31, 2022 at 9:07 AM

Reply to comment by DroolingIguana in TIL Frankenstein did not have a hunchback assistant called Igor in either Mary Shelley's novel or the original Universal and Hammer films. The character is a pastiche of multiple characters across several movies. by BringsHomeBones

Victor made a superstrong/superintelligent abomination without any of the experience one needs to harness either, and no desire to nurture it. The monster only turns out as such because his father was also one. Anyone with experience with kids knows how cruel they can be, imagine a toddler suddenly gained 100 IQ points and the body of a professional weightlifter. Things would quickly spiral out of control without a guiding hand.