<nettime> [Fwd: Engineered Corn Communicates, Crunches Numbers]

[Bruce Sterling <bruces@well.com>]

     [headited @ nettime]

From: futurefeedforward@futurefeedforward.com
Date: Sun, 08 Apr 2001 11:16:48 -0700
To: <bruces@well.com>
Subject: Engineered Corn Communicates, Crunches Numbers


January 14, 2047

Engineered Corn Communicates, Crunches Numbers

LINCOLN, NE--A team of researchers at the University of Nebraska announced
this week the successful growth and testing of a new strain of corn endowed
with rudimentary computational abilities.  The strain, to be marketed by
University of Nebraska sponsor Monsanto under the brand name SmartCorn,
makes use of principles of distributed, networked computation to
communicate information about the health and condition of the plant and to
solve computation-intensive problems.  "Our goals with SmartCorn were
twofold," notes Monsanto VP of Corn and Pomegranates Leslie Studebaker,
"first, to help growers gather information about their plants, and second,
to generate surplus computational cycles that growers could sell on the
open market.  I'm happy to say that these recent results indicate that
we've found the solution we were looking for."

     SmartCorn makes use of "genetic" or "DNA" computation in which
genetically planned biologic processes function in computer-like ways to
solve problems and to generate and follow algorithms.  "Basically,
SmartCorn includes an additional set of chromosomes responsible for
development of computational organelles and structures," explains Nebraska
Professor of Bioinformatics Jules Gasse.  "In conjunction with additional
modifications to the traditional NovaLink genome, this genetic material
gives SmartCorn notable computational power."

     In addition to its computer power, SmartCorn is also equipped with
networking functionality.  Each stalk dynamically generates "micropollens"
that encode information, and tag it with a destination and origin address
tied to a stalk-identifying signature composed of a series of genetic
polymorphisms.  The leaves of each plant "route" information by duplicating
and spreading micropollens addressed to other plants, and absorbing and
processing instructions and data that match their genetically encoded
address.

     "We call SmartCorn a smart crop/dumb network solution," notes
Professor Gasse.  "We were willing to sacrifice efficiency on the
networking side just to get access to the phenomenal computational power
involved.  Imagine all of the cornfields in the Midwest functioning as one
giant super-computer.  We would probably be able to discover a new prime
number every growing season!"

     Growers can communicate with their SmartCorn crops through a
pollen-generating interface box that connects to a computer through a
standard USB2 port.  Using special software, growers can "harvest" the
excess processor cycles generated by the crop and auction them off through
an automated exchange.

     More importantly, growers can also gather information about the health
of the crop, and send instructions into the field, including instructions
for individual plants.  "One of the interactive instruction sets we're
looking at will connect SmartCorn to the irrigation controls so individual
plants can request water as-needed," explains Professor Gasse.  "The
increase in yield and efficiency alone would be spectacular."

     Contacted about the SmartCorn announcement, FDA officials confirmed
that the new plant is undergoing fast-track testing for human
consumption-grade use.  "We're very confident on Federal approval,"
indicates Monsanto VP Studebaker.  "To be frank, we paid more attention to
our focus groups, who all rated SmartCorn at least as tasty as NovaLink,
and, on average, more flavorful than AuntMableSupreme.  That's the kind of
approval we're looking for."

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