Nexus - 0605 - New Times Magazine-pages

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NEWSCIENCENEWSCIENCENEWSCIENCE as an essential physical characteristic of _ is not given by a resounding rendition of | modifications produce considerable func- matter, but biologists do not consider that the Marseillaise under our new flame's bal- _ tional consequences—something "structur- electromagnetic waves can play arole in cony. Neither was Brahms' lullaby played al" biologists are at a loss to explain. molecular functions themselves. We can- for soldiers charging out of the trenches. In deciding that only structures can have not find the words frequency or signal (in Composers of background music for super- an action, biologists find themselves in a the physical sense of the term) in any trea- markets or elevators are practising neu- _ pre-Newtonian world where the movement tise on molecular interactions in biology, ropsychology without knowing it. of celestial bodies is described by Ptolemy not to speak of the term electromagnetic— High-pitched, rapid sounds engender in terms of epicycles. Hence the inability use of which, at least in France, would be lightness of spirit; high-pitched, slow of contemporary biology to provide cause for excommunication of any offend- sounds engender sweetness. Sounds both answers to the major pathologies of the end ing biologist by the scientific papal office. deep and rapid awaken the fighting spirit; of this century (refer to my article in Le Like Archimedes, I would have liked to while deep, slow sounds invoke serious Monde, 22 May 1996, which has not been have had a brilliant idea in my bathtub: emotions, sadness and mourning. These challenged to date). "Eureka, the vibrations of molecules don't are fundamentally cerebral physico-chemi- The passage from the rigid biology of exist for them to dance the salsa ata cal phenomena, triggered by defined fre- _ structures to one of information travelling Saturday night ball; vibrations are the tools quencies. We do nothing more than this at the speed of light can be accomplished of their trade, which allow them to send when we transmit pre-recorded molecular — without a "revolution". Contrary to what is instructions to the next molecule down the _ activities to biological systems. stupidly claimed by scientific gossips, line in the cascade of events which govern 2. Biological systems function like radio recording the activity of molecules no more biological functions and probably, to implies denying their existence (after a large extent, chemical ones as all, molecule-specific electromagnetic well." Unfortunately, this was not We have recently completed very messages must come from specific the case. I followed a purely experi- simple experiments showing that molecules) than it implies denying the mental approach. . law of mass action, according to a molecule ata normally active which the effect is directly proportion - Molecular Signalling . . al to the number of molecules. One Around 1991, after eight years of concentration does not work In might as well expect a singer to disap- research, my experiments showed a medium devoid of water. pear by recording his voice! In other that we could transfer specific mole- words, we eliminate neither the light cular signals by using an amplifier Adding water is not enough to switch nor the light bulb; we only say and electromagnetic coils. In July that a wire with a current of electrons 1995, I recorded and replayed these restore activity: it must be connects the two. "informed". signals using a multimedia comput- er. A computer sound card only We are not in another electromag- netic world which we are substituting records frequencies up to about for the old molecular world. We cap- 20,000 Hz. ture, copy, transfer—and soon will In the course of several thousand experi- sets: by co-resonance. If youtune a modify—electromagnetic signals emitted ments, we have led receptors (specific to receiver to 92.6 MHz, you tune in Radio- _ by molecules in the course of their normal simple or complex molecules) to "believe" This, because the receiver and the transmit- functioning. that they are in the presence of their _ ter vibrate at the same frequency. If we favourite molecules by playing the record- change the setting a little to, say, 92.7, we The Memory of Water ed frequencies of those molecules. no longer receive Radio-This, but Radio- What about water in all this? It is the In order to arrive at this result, two oper- That instead. vehicle for information. This cannot be ations are necessary: (a) to record the 3. These advances in understanding the avoided, since there are 10,000 water mole- activity of the substance on a computer; inmost mechanism of molecular recogni- cules in the human body for every mole- and (b) to "replay" it to a biological system tion and signalling do not overturn the sci- cule of protein. There is no problem with sensitive to the same substance. Therefore, ence of biology and, even less, physics and this either: a submarine communicates there is every reason to think that when a chemistry. We have taken nothing away __ with its base via low-frequency electro- molecule itself is in the presence of its from classic descriptions, but only taken a magnetic waves, not with megahertz fre- receptor, it does the same thing: it emits step forward by adding to the present body quencies which do not penetrate water. frequencies which the receptor is capable of knowledge. This is the normal course of We have recently completed very simple of recognising. This means that: scientific progress, and there isno reason experiments showing that a molecule at a 1. A molecular signal can be efficiently for it to provoke imprecations and anathe- normally active concentration does not represented by a spectrum of frequencies ma. work in a medium devoid of water. between 20Hz and 20,000 Hz—the same We can now understand how millions of Adding water is not enough to restore range as the human voice or music. biological molecules can communicate (at activity: it must be "informed". In other For several hundred thousand years, _ the speed of light), each with its own corre- words, when molecules trigger a biological human beings have been relating sound fre- sponding molecule and it alone, the basic _ effect, they are not directly transmitting the quencies to a biological mechanism: the requirement for the functioning of biologi- signal. The final job is done by perimolec- emotions. The signal to start a love affair cal systems, and why minute chemical ular water which relays and possibly Adding water is not enough to restore activity: it must be ~£------ N “informed”. The Memory of Water What about water in all this? It is the vehicle for information. This cannot be avoided, since there are 10,000 water mole- cules in the human body for every mole- cule of protein. There is no problem with this either: a submarine communicates with its base via low-frequency electro- magnetic waves, not with megahertz fre- quencies which do not penetrate water. We have recently completed very simple experiments showing that a molecule at a normally active concentration does not work in a medium devoid of water. Adding water is not enough to restore activity: it must be "informed". In other words, when molecules trigger a biological effect, they are not directly transmitting the signal. The final job is done by perimolec- ular water which relays and possibly ma. We can now understand how millions of biological molecules can communicate (at the speed of light), each with its own corre- sponding molecule and it alone, the basic requirement for the functioning of biologi- cal systems, and why minute chemical 52 - NEXUS a medium devoid of water. AUGUST - SEPTEMBER 1999