I am keen at looking for nature examples in dealing with various problems. Thus gives me inspiration for creating interesting but natural solutions that are simple and the kind that you an never believe haven’t been created before. Nature’s order has been used to create models of human behavior and of economies as a whole.
I started thinking about nature examples of blockchain-like solutions. The first that came to mind was DNA. And if DNA has similar rules to those of blockchain, why is this interesting? Because lots of times nature has better solutions than humans.
Let’s look at the characteristics of blockchain:
- Ledger & set of rules
- Everyone keeps their own copy
- Used for smart contracts / agreements
- Immutable: widely disseminated but cannot be unilaterally changed by anyone
- Consensus needed for any update
Now let’s look at the DNA. Is DNA a database/ledger? Can be viewed as such. Does it represent a set of rules? Absolutely. Does each cell keep its copy of the DNA? Yes. Is it used to consult on behavior of the cells? I would say so, when they replicate for instance. Is it immutable? Meaning will mutations occur without anyone noticing? Can cells decide to alter the DNA’s rules unilaterally or do the majority of the DNA ecosystem participants needs to agree before the rules are changed? That part I am not sure about. I would say OVER TIME, throughout the course of evolution, it would definitely be up to a majority of the organisms’ cells to evolve into forms that are more beneficial to survival. So seems like yes, DNA is a good example of blockchain. Would love to hear everyone’s comments.