Symbols of Power: Adinkras and the Nature of Reality. By S. James Gates Physicists have long sought to describe the universe in terms of equations. Now, James Gates explains how research on a class of geometric symbols known as adinkras could lead to fresh insights into the theory of supersymmetry — and perhaps even the very nature of reality. Complex ideas, complex shapes Adinkras — geometric objects that encode mathematical relationships between supersymmetric particles — are named after symbols that represent wise sayings in West African culture. By Encoding Messages in Glowing Proteins, Scientists Turn E. Coli Into Invisible Ink. It's an innovation fit for a Cold War spy novel: a means to transmit secret messages via microbe.
Dubbed steganography by printed arrays of microbes (yup: SPAM), the technique involves encoding messages in the colors of glowing bacteria, which can be later unlocked with antibiotics. That's not to say this is the first time a secret or hidden message has been encoded into a living molecule. But the method is quite simple, requiring no gene sequencing equipment, microscopes, or other scarce and expensive laboratory gear to extract the coded message.
Neuroscience. Archaelogy. Plants. Resources/Research Tools. Animals. Astronomy. Medicine. History. Psychology.