Human Genome Project Information
QUESTION: What is the significance of the Human Genome Project information?ANSWER:One point of agreement on the significance of the human genome project information is that it is profound. Also, all agree that the identifying three billion letters that spell out the DNA in the human genome blueprint that makes us human is an awesome accomplishment. Some have compared it to the development of the periodic table. Others have compared it with the invention of the wheel.
In June of 2000 in a joint video address with Tony Blair at a press conference that marked the official completion of the project, Bill Clinton told an astonished world: "It is now conceivable that our children's children will know the term cancer only as a constellation of stars." Such an accomplishment would certainly be very significant. Anything that could be done with the human genome project information to cure disease either after it appears, or better yet before it appears, would be phenomenal.
Although progress has been made, experts agreed at a 2004 conference that even if the initial goals are accomplished, they are the very small tip of a very big iceberg. Tony White, who is the founder of a company called Celera, arguably did more than anyone to drive the sequencing effort, admits that progress has been slower than some expected. Speaking of all the hype around the completion of the project, he said, "I think what they failed to do at the time was accurately describe how long it would take. Instead of describing it as a first step in a journey of a million miles it was described as a destination and I think everyone was done a disservice by not clarifying that."
Although the technical use or the human genome project information to cure disease is extremely significant, drawing correct conclusions about our origins is far more profound! Did we evolve or were we created by an intelligent creator? The type of information that is discovered through the human genome project is extremely significant information relative to answering that question. However, most of the discussion and articles either ignore this question or assume that random evolution occurred and try to interpret genetic coding through evolutionary eyes regardless of whether evolution is the best explanation for the evidence or not. Some of these articles have titles or subjects as follows:
- Ancestor's DNA code reconstructed
- Genome of ancient fish could reveal evolutionary mysteries
- Ancient mammal's DNA code rebuilt
- The Y-chromosome is vital in the study of human evolution
The US Department of Energy and the National Institute of Health devoted 3% to 5% of their annual Human Genome Project budget toward studying the ethical, legal and social issues relating to the genetic information. None of the budget was spent on identifying the significance of the information in relationship to an objective conclusion of our origin, the age-old profound question. A naturalistic random evolutionary scenario is assumed and the profound evidence to the contrary is ignored and not discussed.
The molecular DNA that represents the human genome totals two meters long and has a width of two billionths of a meter. It has over three billion code letters. If DNA were as wide as railroad tracks, the human genome would be a million miles long. To store the data of the human genome on a computer would require 10,000 floppy disks.
German scientist, Werner Gitt, had the correct conclusion summarized in the title of his book, "In the Beginning was Information." Although DNA is a chemical, information is completely separate from the media upon which it is written. The Human Genome Project stored the same information in a computer format that is on the human genome DNA molecules. The same message can be written in print, writing, Morse Code, or with smoke signals, etc. The information is independent from the media upon which it is written. Although chemicals can form naturally, information can only come from intelligence. Intelligence is not a natural phenomenon.
Not only the incredible amount of information in the human genome points to an intelligent creator, but also the entire life system that can read the code, make all necessary chemicals, perform all the life functions, and give us consciousness. We are just beginning to understand how we are incredibly designed. We need to give God the glory and thank Him that He created us in His image.
