08 November 2007

DNA origami: Paul Rothemund on TED.com

Paul Rothemund compares his work to "casting a spell" -- and it does seem akin to magic. By writing a set of instructions, he can cause bits of DNA to fold themselves into a smiley face, a star, a triangle. Sure, it's a stunt, but it's also a fascinating window into the possibility of self-assembly at the smallest of scales. In other words: today a smiley face, tomorrow a micro-microprocessor. (Recorded March 2007 in Monterey, California. Duration: 05:11.)

Watch Paul Rothemund's talk on TED.com, where you can download it, rate it, comment on it and find other talks and performances.

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Discuss Blog Post

TEDBlog Reader – November 17 2007

I loved "Godel, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid". Been a long time since I read it. Thanks for the reminder, Paulo.
Paulo Pinheiro – November 17 2007

Wow! Amazing, fantastic! This reminds me of Hofstadter GEB!