TightWind is written by Kyle Baxter. Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish.

A project called ENCODE has made a breakthrough for understanding how DNA works. Scientists have discovered that a large portion of the human genome that was previously thought to be of little purpose is actually very important. These bits act as “switches” to turn other genes on and off:

So, for example, a number of sites in the genome that appear relevant to Crohn’s disease—an inflammation of the digestive tract—are not associated with any known protein-making gene. But the parts list says those regions contain, or are close to, a particular kind of genetic switch turned on and off in various types of immune cell. This should help researchers focus on the specific immune-system problems that underlie the disease.

Fascinating, and a reminder how little we truly know about the universe, both micro and macro. I find it useful to remember that obvious truths from past centuries of our history are, now, considered completely and utterly ludicrous, and what seemed ludicrous then—or just wasn’t even thought about—are now obvious truths. Our understanding of the universe has grown significantly in the past few centuries, but it is a very humble understanding indeed.