Plot Ideas


From the DNA point of view

Over the hundreds of millenia of its "lifetime", DNA has gradually
built up a sophiticated model of the external, physical world in
general; in particular it is knowledgable in climactic changes,
geological catastrophes, and changes in the ecosphere (i.e., the
evolution of other species' DNA.  These may be confirmed directly
by occasional messenger viruses that communicate new, good ideas
from one species to another).   The basic idea is that when a
mutation is tried, it is recorded (i.e., the old state and the time
of the trial) in the DNA of the new organism which, if it lives,
can thus look back on ALL the succesful changes that have EVER
been made in its evolutionary history.  There are rarer times when
a complete covering of some space of possibilities was tried, and
all the progeny were told about that, so that if they survive
then they can deduce not only that their change was (one of) the best,
but also that (most of) the others' changes were neutral or deleterious.

Various mechanisms for using this knowledge evolved, and grew in
complexity, and in turn were capable of utilizing ever more
sophisticated feedback, which in turn caused selection to favor
organisms with better and more detailed record-keeping capabilities,...
The knowledge about ways to mutate the genome advantageously were
also (in the main) applicable to the part containing that knowledge
itself; thus DNA could try to devise new (or improve existing)
heuristics for mutation, heuristics for improving/devising
heuristics, etc.
This was limited only by the slow rate at which experiments could
be tried (i.e., one set per generation).

By today, our DNA is in command of a spectacular model of the world,
as described in the first paragraph.  In he last few generations,
however, and especally in he next few, it finds its model breaking
down.  There is heated debate (characters take the name of the
organism or epoch or greek god they evolved with) within the genome
as to the causes, remedies, ways of ascertaining more data about
this, etc.  

Several factions develop, but it seems clear that more data must
first be obtained, even at the expense of waiting a whole 20-year
generation.  As a compromise, it is decided that there will be a
LOT of variation, a widespread orthogenic mutation, in this next
generation.  Note that each individual comes to the same conclusion,
and presumes that every other one will, also, and then just uses
a random influence (the specific environment, time of conception,
etc.) to ensure that his mutation won't be the same as everyone else's.
Note that they may all use a pseudorandom number generator keyed off
absolute time of conception, or time of day of conception, and this
correleation between type of mutant and tim of conception will be
noticed by the humans involved.  At any rate, the next generation
notices a surprise: even though most of the mutants should be
superior, the viruses report virtually none of them surviving,
while the same old unchanged humans live on and multiply.  

This is almost inexplicable; they recheck their calculations.
Finally, they decide that somehow the ANIMALS themselves must
be killing off the neonatal mutants.  The idea of independent
guided action by a physical animal is almost too preposterous
for them to accept, and indeed many factions cite evidence
against this hypothesis.  The strongest suggestion is that
there is an alien presence f some kind (low Prob. that it is
within the animals themselves) in the environment, and the
DNA shoul attempt to make contact.  The notion of contact has
very few instantiations in the DNA world, though: there is
sexual reproduction (meeting another DNA and combining into a
new organism), viral newspapers, and (within a single DNA) the
running of these heuristics kept from time immemorial, a sort of
link to the past species and their wisdom.  The effectors of DNA
are few:  the morphology of the organisms produced, their rates
and patterns of development, etc.  It is finally decided that
a step shoul be taken which has always been deemed too dangerous
hitherto:  to give the animals the abilit to mutate in reatime.
NO.   
To accelerate the production of mutants -- both in degree and
frequency.  Just as the aliens revealed their presence by 
killing the fittest ones (a clear attempt at communication to
the DNA), DNA will acknowledge the communication by responding in
the most non-random fasion possible: increasing the severity of
the fitness adaptations that were most uniformly weeded out. One
faction tries an even more spectacular attempt: to cause some of
the simpler organisms to utilize the higher ones' heuristics, which
it communicates via viruses, and develop progeny which are
spectacularly advanced over their parents.  This has always been
considered too dangerous to try very much, since it could
potentially lead to bacteria which can't be combatted by their
hosts, eg.  But there are stringent warnings about population
genetics, and the balance in the ecosystem, etc., so that the
new viruses and bacteria won't kill their hosts.  In fact, one
large faction is concentrating on designing a much improved
newspaaper facility: a better messenger virus.

The DNA's expectations are that the aliens will let survive the
types hey killed last time, nd vice versa, thereby acknowledging
the DNA's acknowledgement; i.e., they will be in 2-way communication.
But once again, the mutants are destroyed, and only the unchanged few
survive.  This is very distressing.  The DNA gradually come to
accept the hitherto minority position hat the hosts themselves
are the source of the intelligence, the independent actions that have
been taken.  They are he only ones to gain from preservation of
their design as is.  

The DNA looks over its records, to try to ascertain when and how
it accidentally conferred intelligenc on the animal community.
Comaprisons are made to plants, implr animals, tc.  Gradually, it
sinks in that the size of the brain has been the source of this
phenomenon.

Two primary factions develop: this is an interesting phenomenon,
let's keep trying for communication, but do it in a way more palatable
to the inteligent species. And: we must correct our error before it's
too late, before they gain even more control than they already have
over us; let's quickly decrease brain size.

The first faction takes actions like:  dramatically increase brain
size, and make all the necessary changes simultaneously, so that
there will be few lethals (e.g., increase skull size, pelvic
size, gestation,...)   Have the amount of increment of brainsize
morphologically encoded, say by the length of fingers or the
NUMBER of toes -- something in which a lot of variation has already
been observed to be tolerated by the animals (humans).

The second faction is capable of decrementing brain size quickly,
and IQs drop about 10 points per generation.  When one of these
mates with a supr-brainy type, there is a terrific argument, and
often he result is to decide to abort the fetus and let others decide.
Thus there is a real speciation occurring, although the number of
brainies is very small (about 1%).

An extreme of the 2nd faction is the: kill them now school.  They
simply keep fetuses from developing.  They are willing to sacrifice
their species for the good ofthe ecosystem (after duly recording
their monumental sacrifice in viruses).  Thus the fertility
among the stupids is quite low, that among the brainies is fair,
and about 50% of THEIR offspring have oted for the stupid camp
anyway (actually, a high variance in intelligence, due to the
atttempt to communiate).
The DNA has produced distributions of IQ which are a nonrandom
as it can imagine.  
It may tie in reerences to sequences like the rimes and prfect
numbers, e, pi, etc.

For the first time, now, the DNA perceives that its internal
history is in conflict with what it's being told by the viruses.
Either the aliens are altering the viruses -- the best way to
communicate of course -- or (horrors) are somehow tampering
with the memories of the DNA.  The stories the virsues tell
are not plasant ones. Some have been synthesized abiologically
-- which is the hottest news.  Some have had to adapt even more
rapidly than ever before (this might go into he initial data set).
Most viruses claim a longer absolute time (a later date) than the
internal DNA registers.  That is, as if somehow the humans of the
20th century were being artificially grown in the 23rd or 24th.
The conclusion is that the human race has opted for prservation
of the old genome.  They are stupid and narrowminded, not very
interested in communication fter all.  The 2nd factioners were
right.  Thus the word goes out to the brainies: best give up,
guys, this animal we created is not intrested in talking.
Don't give him any more control; let's quickly wrest it back.

Then here are even lower fertility rates, more deaths, more
stupids produced.  A group of brainies which has isolated
itself from viruses finds its DNA becoming very suspicious and woried
at the lack of communication going on. It goes off on its own and
creates viruses and sends them forth to gather news, but finds
that there is nothing to talk with but its own species.  This
violates some of its most fundamental heuristics, and it
deduces that its animals are somehow being isolated from the
rest of the world.  It concludes that it has the responsibility
to rediversify the world, and the offspring come out in various
SPECIES (presumably until the new viruses say that the balance is
restored)...

In one person, a set of new heuristics is implanted, which explain
the notions of culture (or perhaps this comes about very sloly
and painfully), emotions, human intelligence, the material world,
etc.  The DNA is willing to acknowledge the worth and validity of
these rules, and comes to terms with them.  It excises the ones
that appear to be counter-ecological, and makes notes to the
effect that if the next generation comes in with a new set of
rules, omitting those ons, then it is to be honored.  Apparently
the hmans get this message, the next added rule set is pure
ecology, and in return the DNA passes the word to its fellows to
stop harassing the species; it has promised to behave.  The
next generation contains rules which are clear warnings of the
immediate destruction of the species if the viruses ever report
any funny business going on.

From the humans' point of view: