by Speiser, Zvi
As Tom turned his chair, his ankle touched the computer tower, adjacent to the side of the desk. He leaped from his seat, calling out, “The computer’s warm!”
Steve’s vacant expression indicated that he had no idea what all the fuss was about.
“I power down the computer every evening. It should be completely cold. Someone turned it on during the night, and it stayed on for a while!” Tom called out, sitting down in front of the computer once more while Steve dragged over a chair and sat down beside him.
A quick inspection revealed that the burglar had been familiar with the lab’s password, and had accessed current reports detailing experiments in the longevity-enhancement project, as well as the resilience-to-change project. The Ronnie study had additional unique protections, and Tom was certain the burglar hadn’t managed to access it. These steps exhausted Tom’s computer skills. A computer expert would be required for a more in-depth inspection and a determination of which files, if any, had been copied.
Tom got up, with Steve following, and hurried to find Rick, who was watching the male police officer photographing the body in ultraviolet light.
The detective looked up at Tom, asking, “Well?”
“The intruder turned on my computer. It was on for a while, since it was still pretty warm. I found out that the intruder used the general lab password, and therefore was able to access the latest reports on two topics the lab has been researching lately. I’m not an expert on computers, so I don’t know if he copied any files.”
“The computer’s coming with us,” the detective barked out. “It’ll be a cinch for the computer experts at headquarters to hack it.”
“It’s absolutely prohibited to remove computers from the labs,” Steve said.
Rick turned to him, his expression amused, whispering, “Don’t worry.”
***
Around six a.m., the police precinct was a dimly lit, bleak, ominous place. Rick sat Tom down in an interrogation room, leading Steve to an adjacent one.
The room resembled the interrogation cells he had seen in movies: it was small and its walls bare, having shed any paint ages ago. Here and there, he saw stains and dark splashes—perhaps the blood of people being interrogated, splattered during a vicious questioning? The recently washed concrete floor could have easily concealed any atrocities that had taken place within the room. It was certainly not a place in which Tom wanted to find himself. A simple wooden table and two rough chairs completed the sparse, intimidating scenery.
Tom sat down in one of the chairs, awaiting the arrival of the investigator who, for some reason, was taking his time. The minutes ticked by, his tension increasing with each one. Why were they late? What had they found in the lab that might embarrass him? Had he failed to lock the door to the lab when he had left? His fatigue got the best of him, and he laid his head down on the table and fell asleep.
***
A bang upon the table, and the resulting shock of impact, woke him into a state of panic.
Detective Heller, who looked as if hadn’t slept for the last three nights, was sitting opposite him, and with no preliminaries, immediately began the interrogation.
“I’m dead on my feet. I’ve just questioned Steve, the head of security. I’m not a scientist, but I have to understand the details of the case sufficiently to allow me to investigate it. Please tell me exactly what you’re researching in the lab. Of course, anything you say here is being recorded,” he said, leaning back in his chair.
“I’ll do my best,” Tom began. “I’ll try to keep it short and not to overdo it with complex explanations.” Briefly, he debated whether to mention the Ronnie research, but immediately decided to avoid any reference to it. The intruder hadn’t touched the files pertaining to this study, and there was no point sharing the information with Rick.
“Well, the lab I run is conducting two studies in the field of biology. One is a purely academic study funded by the university, and the other is applied research funded by a group of scientists who have raised a large sum of money for this purpose. Naturally, the budget for academic studies is very limited, and there are plenty of applications competing over every research grant.”
“Yeah, I know what you mean,” Rick interrupted him. “My cousin Larry works for IBM, at one of their non-applied, basic research departments. Although it’s essentially a commercial company, it invests a lot of money in pure research. He also complains about the constant battles over acquiring research budgets that can fund expensive lab equipment and first-class researcher salaries. By the way, at what time in the evening exactly did you leave the lab on your way home?”
“It was after eight p.m.,” Tom replied, startled. Up until now, he had assumed the detective was genuinely interested in the scientific aspects of his research. Apparently, he only sees the scientific lecture as background noise for thinking about the case, he thought, disappointed. On the other hand, Rick wasn’t a scientist, and it was hard to expect him to show interest in such specialized research, especially when he was in charge of a murder investigation.
I’d better start with the human longevity-enhancement project, Tom decided. Rick was too tired to deal with a highly theoretical study such as the change-resiliency project. It would be better to direct the remaining dregs of his alertness toward a study that would certainly be of interest to any human being, and which apparently interested the murderous intruder as well.
“Many studies have been conducted for decades now in a field that people find so alluring and important. After all, everyone thinks life’s too short, and we all want to live for as many years as we can. It’s undoubtedly a very popular subject, and its commercial potential is boundless. Therefore, many labs and research institutes throughout the world have been looking into it for decades now. Our approach differs from the mainstream one, and only a handful of research institutes share it. Most of the labs all over the world dealing with this field focus on ways to prevent the shortening of telomeres, which are the DNA sequences at the ends of chromosomes, and which shorten with every cell division. Can I assume you know what DNA is?”
“Of course. The science shows on TV are my favorites,” Rick replied.
“Excellent,” Tom said. “The working hypothesis is that the shorter the telomeres are, the more the cell’s ability to divide diminishes, impeding the ability of the body’s tissues to rejuvenate, and therefore leading to aging and death. The assumption of a correlation between the length of the telomeres and longevity hasn’t changed for several decades now, although it has ebbed every now and then. Lately, the number of scientists who believe in the essential importance of telomeres is nearly equal to the number of those who have been researching other directions.
“The group of scientists funding this project has distributed it among several different labs, each of which is carrying out a part of the whole. We don’t know who the other labs are or what, exactly, they’re investigating. The confidentiality is at a level that’s hard to even imagine. We don’t even know what the overall framework of the research is. Judging by our part of it, it’s a series of means of preventing cell damage and mutations caused by factors such as free radicals and various kinds of radiation, as well as natural mutations that stem directly from the complex process of constantly replicating DNA, and so forth.”
“I understand,” Rick said, “that we’re talking about quite a lot of money here. An effective process will generate billions for the company that successfully develops it. That’s definitely significant motivation for industrial espionage. In view of that, and of your familiarity with the market, it’s important that you prepare a list of institutes and people with a potential interest in this research, as soon as possible. A list like that could be an initial lead in our investigation. By the way, were you at the lab all day, or did you have any meetings or other errands anywhere else?”
“Other than leaving for lunch and one m
eeting in the conference room with Mike and Lise, I was in the lab all day,” Tom replied.
“Great,” Rick responded, scrawling a few words in his notebook.
“The other research that the lab’s involved in is theoretical at this stage, although we’re hoping it will yield some applicable aspects in the future. I’m sure you know that DNA is replicated from generation to generation with imperfect accuracy, meaning that occasionally, replication mistakes result in mutations. Do you have any idea how many replication errors occur in a single cell on a single day?”
“There are lots of cells in the human body.” Rick started thinking out loud.
Despite his tiredness, the detective actually was listening, Tom reflected.
“If there were a lot of errors, we couldn’t survive. I’d estimate that there are very few replication errors. I’d say just a few within a person’s lifespan. Because any error could develop into a serious disease, right? By the way, where and with whom did you have lunch?”
Tom was stunned. He found himself beginning to alter his preconceptions regarding the intelligence level of police officers. Despite the long, sleepless night he’d experienced, Rick was managing to listen to his explanations, respond with comments that reflected his understanding, and ask pertinent questions, while at the same time, keeping in mind the investigation itself; he was, without a doubt, a talented person. Apparently, Tom thought, he had a list of questions that he’d prepared in advance and was going to sprinkle them throughout Tom’s explanation. This was a unique approach to a police investigation. Perhaps he should be more detailed in his explanations. Although Rick was not a scientist and definitely wasn’t a biologist, his alertness and sharp mind merited respect. And like every scientist asked about his work, Tom was enjoying the interest Rick was exhibiting in his research.
With a quick smile, Tom replied, “If every error developed into a serious disease, life wouldn’t exist in its current form. Most replication errors have no effect whatsoever. You’re going to find this hard to believe, but the actual number is about one million errors in every single body cell in one day!”
“How do we even survive?” Rick asked, perplexed. “That’s an astronomical number of mistakes, and since there are trillions of cells in the human body, you’re talking about trillions of errors in just one day. It’s unbelievable that we’re even alive.”
“You’re being optimistic, Rick,” Tom replied. “There are dozens of trillions of cells in the human body. Just to remind you, a trillion is a thousand billion, so the number of errors is indeed astronomical. But as I’ve already mentioned, most of the errors are negligible and don’t affect the organism’s life in any way.”
Rick’s obvious impatience caused Tom to pause from his lecture.
“I’m losing you,” Rick said. “You scientists tell us that DNA is the code according to which we’re constructed, meaning it is the blueprint detailing our composition. But it’s hard for me to imagine a blueprint for building a computer, for example, containing billions of errors, yet the computer constructed according to it still working pretty well for a hundred years, like the human body. Something here seems inappropriate.”
“That is indeed an excellent scientific inquiry,” Tom responded. “But let’s start with investigative matters. I ate alone at the Department of Architecture’s cafeteria. They have an excellent, appealing entrée of green peas with quinoa and red peppers—you should try it some time. That’s what I often do. I actually eat only one dish that’s not too heavy, finish pretty quickly, and go back to work, while my colleagues eat several courses, and tend to be sleepy when they go back to work. It seems like a waste of time to me, and I don’t want to rush the others to finish their meals.
“Back to science. Well, the blueprint for the computer was designed by engineers who envisioned the finished computer and planned every detail so it would contribute to its ultimate performance, while keeping costs to a minimum. With that kind of approach, the absence of any detail or any less-than-optimal function would harm the entire system. That’s not true for biological systems, which have developed over four billion years of evolution, starting with the first replicating molecule and the first prokaryotic cell with no nucleus, when the only force driving evolution was survival. There was no guiding hand here, unless you believe in a divine Creator who bothered to design each creature separately.”
“I’m too exhausted to embark on an endless argument about the intentions of the divine Creator, if He even exists. As a cop who’s encountered unbelievable amounts of evil every day of his life, I have a problem with an omnipotent Creator who’s supposed to provide his flock with a good life, but lets evil run wild and often win, too.”
“To get back to the research,” Tom continued, “as I’ve explained, the force directing the evolutionary development of life is survival of the strongest or the fittest. The engine supplying the array of alternatives for evolution’s selection is random replication errors and random mutations in sex cells. Most of them have no effect whatsoever, while most of the remaining ones cause changes that decrease the organism’s compatibility with its environment, and therefore its survival rates, at which point evolution weeds them out and they disappear from the genome. Only a tiny portion of them enhance the organism’s compatibility with its environment and increase its survival rates. That’s how the amazing compatibility develops between organisms and their environment. And, through a slow and gradual process, this is also how new species evolve.”
“Right, I’ve seen quite a few science shows on TV that explain the theory of evolution,” Rick said. “Look, it’s late and we’re both tired. I’d prefer that you focus on the topic of your research, and less on general theory. By the way, did you run into any acquaintances when you had lunch at the cafeteria?”
“Just a minute,” Tom retorted, glowering. “Am I being interrogated here? What’s with all these little questions? I thought you wanted to understand my work at the lab to an extent that would help you hone in on the killer’s possible motives. I didn’t think my trustworthiness was under question.”
“Don’t get me wrong,” Rick replied soothingly. “An experienced investigator learns a lot from seemingly trivial questions. Regardless of your trustworthiness, I don’t know you, and it’s exactly such mundane questions that help me formulate an opinion about you as a person and not just as an academic researcher. But if it bothers you, I’ll avoid those kinds of questions.”
“No, no, keep investigating as you see fit. I can deal with your methods. To answer your question, Mike and Lise nodded hello to me on their way to the table. I remember that seemed a bit odd to me. I didn’t think there was any sort of relationship between them, you know? They’re so different from one another. Anyway, I was happy to see them talking. And I spent some time on more general theories only as background for our specific research, to establish a baseline with you—no more than that. I felt it was a necessary introduction. Anyway, I’ll try to focus mainly on the essential issues.
“For decades now, we’ve known that the great majority of the human genome, more than 95 percent, doesn’t code for protein production. Over time, it was discovered that a certain portion of the genetic material that doesn’t code for protein production serves to control the genes, so that the same gene will produce different proteins in the presence of various controls. All that notwithstanding, most of the genome apparently fulfills no function in our lives. Those parts of the genome are also called junk DNA.”
“What did you say?” Rick cut him short. “How is that possible? You’re telling me that most of the genome is junk? I really don’t buy that.”
“I didn’t say that most of the genome was junk; I said that most of the human genome apparently doesn’t fulfill a function in our lives. You’ve probably heard that the genome contains the code for producing the various proteins that make up our body. It turns out that most of the genome is composed
of the remains of genes and their controls that have been involved in the production of proteins in the past. These leftovers don’t code for proteins at all. These are the remains of genes that stopped functioning at some point in the evolution process, but the replication mechanisms—the ribosomes—continue to tirelessly replicate them and pass them on from generation to generation. Obviously, negative mutations in parts of the DNA that are crucial to our existence won’t survive at all, and in contrast, any kind of mutations in the junk DNA will pile up and accumulate because they don’t affect the life of the organism.”
Rick responded, “I knew, probably from one of those science shows on TV, that part of human DNA is unnecessary and doesn’t contribute anything to our lives, but I didn’t think it was the majority of the genome. How long have we been dragging these DNA remnants with us?”
“Apparently since the beginning of life on Earth. Part of this DNA apparently served the first life forms on the planet—replicating organic molecules and unicellular organisms with no nuclei.”
Despite his fatigue, Tom felt pleased. The hard part of the explanation was behind him; it appeared that Rick, curious by nature, knew quite a bit about DNA. Apparently, the science programs on TV were watched by a broad variety of people, and were clear enough to bring scientific innovations in numerous fields into the homes of viewers who were not scientists. Now that he had explained the background of his work to Rick, all that remained was to clarify the specifics.
“In my PhD thesis, I studied DNA sequences that don’t code for proteins in the human body and that haven’t changed over long periods of time. Science is familiar with millions of sequences conserved to various degrees, most of them originating in fish and mammals. There are hundreds of completely conserved sequences that are identical in humans and in fish. These sequences are adjacent to genes that are active and that code for proteins, and therefore we assume that they control these genes’ activity, and are essential for that reason. We’ve detected identical conserved sequences in the human genome in all of the human races with a length of at least five hundred nucleotides that don’t code for proteins. To the best of our understanding, these sequences don’t fulfill any active role, and yet they’re both long and completely conserved. We compared these sequences among different and relatively isolated human populations, and although their entire vicinity has changed, these sequences are identical among all the human races we tested.
