--- title: "Elon Musk Speculates About Storing All Human DNA in Database" description: "In the early 2000s, scientists from the Human Genome Project announced a breakthrough: they sequenced the complete human reference genome, including all three billion DNA letter, a scientific undertaking likened to humanity going to the Moon at the time. While the reference genome has come under question as of late, with scientists adding more than […]" date: "2022-05-25" modified: "2022-05-25" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/neoscope/elon-musk-human-dna-database" categories: - "DNA" - "Elon Musk" - "Future Society" - "Genetics" - "Health & Medicine" - "The Industrialists" tags: - "dna" - "elon musk" - "human genome" --- # Elon Musk Speculates About Storing All Human DNA in Database ![]() *\Image: Getty Images/Futurism\* In the early 2000s, scientists from the Human Genome Project announced a breakthrough: they had [sequenced the complete human reference genome](), including all three billion DNA letter, a scientific undertaking [likened at the time]() to landing astronauts on the Moon. While the reference genome has come under question as of late, with scientists [adding more than two million additional variants](), it still doesn't take a whole lot of space to store the entire sequence on a traditional computer. And now, Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk is [once again]() weighing in on an issue outside his expertise, [arguing]() that one could "fit the DNA sequences of all humans alive today in a fairly small data storage system" — a vaguely terrifying thought coming from the richest man in the world, as if he didn't already [have enough fires to put out]() and problems to solve. According to *MIT Technology Review* senior editor Antonio Regalado, who engaged with Musk over the question, the storage size of a single human genome could end up being [in the neighborhood of 100 gigabytes](). Dogecoin co-creator Billy Markin, one of Musk's closest Twitter pen pals, [immediately pointed out]() the potentially hair-raising implications of holding all of humanity's DNA sequences in a small room. "And it'll be used for good, right?" Natalie Portman's Padmé Amidala from "Star Wars Episode II" asks in [a meme]() posted by Markin. "And it'll be used for good, right?" she repeats, looking chagrined. At least, that's one interpretation of Musk's comment. The billionaire CEO could also be simply pointing out how surprisingly small the cumulative data of all humans' DNA could turn out to be given the vast commonalities between them. "One could simply have a few reference human genomes and simply code each individual with a lossless compression delta!" [Musk mused](). In simpler terms, why store common DNA information twice if one could reference the data shared by multiple human genomes? Sure, it's an eyebrow-raising comment from the likes of Musk. Collecting the DNA sequences of all living humans walking this Earth in one place could end in a disaster of unperceivable proportions if that data were to ever land in the wrong hands or be used for nefarious purposes. But we'll have to err on the side of caution and assume that Musk was just thinking out loud. We'd certainly be better off if not. **More on Elon Musk:** *[Tesla Investors Getting Tired of Elon Musk's "Circus Show"]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()