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FROM WATER MEMORY TO that it might be an artifact, but it was under new approach to biology. We hope it will DIGITAL BIOLOGY no circumstances fraudulent. be useful to all, scientists or not, who find by Dr Jacques Benveniste From a scientific standpoint, we dismiss it hard to "make the leap". Indeed, is it DigiBio, Paris, France © 1998/99 all of this, for the history of science has _ possible to believe that the specific activity already shown us that the more a discovery _ of biologically active molecules (e.g., hist- ur principal mission is to bring a _ runs counter to intuition and "good" com- amine, caffeine, nicotine, adrenalin), not to clear and irrefutable answer to the mon sense, the more its acceptance is long mention the immunological signature of a controversy over our observations and difficult. virus or bacterium, can be recorded and of what has come to be known as "the From the first high-dilution experiments digitised using a computer sound card, just memory of water" phenomenon, that is: in 1984 to the present, thousands of experi- _ like an ordinary sound? Imagine the per- * that water is capable of carrying molec- ments have been done, enriching and con- _ plexity of Archimedes confronted with a ular information (biological messages); and _ siderably consolidating our initial knowl- _ telephone and being told that by using it he * that it is possible to transmit and edge. Up to now, we must observe that not could be heard on the other side of the amplify this information, as can be done a single flaw has been discovered in these _ world, were we not to explain the nature of for sounds and music. experiments and that no valid counter- sound waves or their translation into elec- We consider the indicators and the stakes tromagnetism. to be such that it would be irresponsible not . Life depends on signals exchanged to bring forth the earliest possible In biology, the words among molecules. For example, when you explanation. "molecular signal" are used very §f get angry, adrenalin "tells" its receptor, and a H it alone (as a faithful molecule, it talks to History of Digital Biology Research often; yet, if you ask even the no other), to make your heart beat faster, to Dr Jacques Benveniste is at the origin of most eminent biologists what contract superficial blood vessels, etc. this work. Doctor of Medicine, former the physical nature of this In biology, the words "molecular signal" Resident of the Paris hospital system, signal is. they seem not even to are used very often; yet, if you ask even the Research Director at the French National ; 4 most eminent biologists what the physical Institute for Medical Research, and known understand the question and nature of this signal is, they seem not even worldwide as a specialist in the mecha- stare at you wide-eyed. to understand the question and stare at you nisms of allergy and inflammation, he dis- wide-eyed. In fact, they've cooked up a tinguished himself in 1971 by his discovery rigorously Cartesian physics all their of PAF (platelet activating factor), a media- experiments have ever been proposed. own—as far removed as possible from the tor implicated in the mechanisms involved Furthermore, these experimental obser- _ realities of contemporary physics—accord- in these pathologies (for example, asthma). vations, far from opposing currently ing to which simple contact (Descartes' In 1984, while working on hypersensi- accepted biological theories, can be inte- laws of impact, quickly disproved by tive (allergic) systems, by chance he _ grated as an extension to them. Huygens) between two coalescent struc- brought to light the so-called high-dilution Finally, the probability that we are in the _ tures creates energy, thus constituting an phenomenon, which was picked up by the _ presence of an artifact and that our work exchange of information. For many years, media and labelled "the memory of water". _ has been erroneous for the past 15 years is _ I believed and recited this catechism with- The phenomenon referred to involves diminishing day by day, and we are more _ out realising its absurdity, just as mankind diluting a substance in water toa degree and more convinced that we have brought did not realise the absurdity of the belief where the final solution contains only to light a phenomenon essential to biology _ that the Sun circles the Earth. water molecules. With the hypersensitive and to life. The truth, based on facts, is very simple. systems he was using, however, he On this basis, DigiBio's object is to It does not require any "collapse of the observed that this highly diluted solution become the essential actor in the scientific physical or chemical worlds". That mole- initiated a reaction as if the initial mole- and industrial developments which will cules vibrate, we have known for decades. cules were still present in the water. Water emerge from this research. Every atom of every molecule and every kept a trace of the molecules present at the intermolecular bond—the bridge that links beginning of the dilutions. Understanding Digital Biology the atoms—emits a group of specific fre- International scientific reaction was Explaining digital biology is impossible quencies. Specific frequencies of simple or undoubtedly a match for the implications without explaining its principle. The pur- complex molecules are detected at dis- of this discovery: incredulity, even pose of this text is not to report experimen- _ tances of billions of light-years, thanks to rumours of fraud, though an investigation — tal results; rather, to try to explain to lay- _ radio-telescopes. made by experts came to the conclusion men, in the simplest terms, this radically ts describe these frequencies FROM WATER MEMORY TO DIGITAL BIOLOGY by Dr Jacques Benveniste DigiBio, Paris, France © 1998/99 Understanding Digital Biology Explaining digital biology is impossible without explaining its principle. The pur- pose of this text is not to report experimen- tal results; rather, to try to explain to lay- men, in the simplest terms, this radically NEXUS -51 AUGUST - SEPTEMBER 1999