<h2>Dance With the Dead</h2>
Startups that sequence your DNA to help piece together your ancestry have a new target market, according to a <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2019/03/dna-tests-for-envelopes-have-a-price/583636/">story</a> in The Atlantic: your long-dead ancestors, who may have inadvertently left behind genetic material when they licked stamps and envelopes.
&#8220;Maybe our ancestors did not realize it,&#8221; MyHeritage founder Gilad Japhet said at an industry conference last year, according to The Atlantic, but &#8220;when they were licking those stamps and the envelope flats, they were sealing their precious DNA for you forever.&#8221;
<h2>Mausoleum</h2>
MyHeritage, which is the third&#8211;largest DNA testing company behind 23andMe and AncestryDNA, is one of several companies interested in mining genetic data from the long dead — an intriguing yet vaguely troubling example of how big data stands to pick apart the past as well as the present.
Japhet has even said that the DNA of famous historical figures, including Winston Churchill and Albert Einstein, &#8220;is coming to MyHeritage very, very soon,&#8221; according to The Atlantic — though a spokesperson for the company declined to comment to the magazine on when those historical figures&#8217; profiles will be available on the site.
<h2>DNA-Okay</h2>
Analyzing old DNA is much more complex than a fresh swab, according to The Atlantic — meaning that not every old envelope can be mined for genetic material.
&#8220;We have to improve our results if it’s something we can commercially sustain,&#8221; Joscelyn McBain, the founder of Totheletter DNA, another company experimenting with the service, told The Atlantic.
READ MORE: <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2019/03/dna-tests-for-envelopes-have-a-price/583636/">Is DNA Left on Envelopes Fair Game for Testing?</a> [The Atlantic]
More on DNA testing: <a href="https://futurism.com/dna-testing-data-fbi">This DNA Testing Company Gave Its Data to the FBI</a>

One company says it plans to sequence the DNA of historical figures, including Winston Churchill and Albert Einstein.

DNA ancestry startups have a new target market: the long-dead

Family Plot

Ancestry startups that sequence your DNA have a new target market, according to a story in The Atlantic: your long-dead relatives.

DNA Ancestry Startups Have a New Target Market: The Long-Dead

"When they were licking those stamps... they were sealing their precious DNA for you forever."

From humble, Cold War origins to the first Moon landing and beyond. Here’s how America’s space agency got to tackling some wild projects.

Here's how America's space agency got to tackling some wild projects.

60 years and counting: Here's what NASA has in store for the coming decades

Off World

From NASA's humble, Cold War origins to the first Moon landing and beyond. Here's how America's space agency got to tackling some wild projects.

60 Years and Counting: Here's What NASA Has in Store for the Coming Decades

60 Years and Counting: Here’s What NASA Has in Store for the Coming Decades

<h2>Recreating DNA</h2>
Recreating a deceased person or animal&#8217;s DNA has required that DNA be extracted from the remains of the individual, but a new study has shown that may not be the only way. The DNA of a man who died nearly 200 years ago has been <a href="https://www.newscientist.com/article/2158594-dna-of-man-who-died-in-1827-recreated-from-his-living-relatives/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">recreated from his living descendants</a> rather than his physical remains — something that has never been done before.
<a href="https://www.decode.com/management/">deCODE Genetics</a> a biopharmaceutical company in Iceland, achieved this feat by taking DNA samples from 182 Icelandic descendants of<a href="http://www.press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/M/bo21936305.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> Hans Jonatan,</a> a man who is quite an icon in Iceland, most well known for having <a href="http://www.press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/M/bo21936305.html">freed himself from slavery</a> in a heroic series of seemingly impossible events.
It was the unique circumstances of Hans Jonatan&#8217;s life that made it possible for his DNA to be recreated after his death. For one, Jonatan was the first Icelandic inhabitant with African heritage. Iceland also boasts an extensive and highly detailed collection of genealogical records. The combination of Jonatan&#8217;s unique heritage and the country&#8217;s record-keeping for inhabitants&#8217; family trees made this remarkable recreation possible.
deCODE used DNA screened from 182 relatives, first reconstructing 38 percent of Jonatan&#8217;s mother Emilia&#8217;s DNA (which accounted for 19 percent of Jonatan&#8217;s). <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41588-017-0031-6" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Published in Nature Genetics</a>, this elaborate study began with a whopping 788 of Jonatan&#8217;s known descendants, but was able to be narrowed down to 182 through DNA screening against known markers.
While this is truly an amazing feat, according to Robin Allaby of the University of Warwick in the United Kingdom,  it “seems to be the sort of analysis you could only do under particular circumstances when an immigrant genome is of a very rare type.&#8221; Despite these limitations, deCODE believes the technique could have extensive applications.
<figure style="width: 779px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img class="wp-image-118845 size-large aligncenter" src="https://wp-assets.futurism.com/2018/01/hans-1200x1341.jpg" alt="The grandchild of Hans Jonatan, Lúðvík Lúðvíksson. Image Credit: Helga Tomasdottir" width="779" height="399" /><figcaption class="wp-caption-text">The grandchild of Hans Jonatan, Lúðvík Lúðvíksson. Image Credit: Helga Tomasdottir</figcaption></figure>
<h2>Historical Research</h2>
Kári Stefánsson of deCODE said that “It’s all a question of the amount of data you have. In principle, it could be done anywhere with any ancestors, but what made it easy in Iceland was that there were no other Africans.”
Allaby does believe the results of this study could give us additional avenues to explore the DNA of those who have long since passed. “It’s the sort of study that could, for instance, be used to recover genomes of explorers who had interbred with isolated native communities.&#8221;
Theoretically, a technique like this could help researchers create “virtual ancient DNA,&#8221; which would allow scientists to recreate the DNA of historical figures. Agnar Helgason of deCODE stated that “Any historic figure born after 1500 who has known descendants could be reconstructed.&#8221;
While it&#8217;s exciting, there are still major hurdles to overcome in terms of the potential future applications. The<a href="https://futurism.com/these-species-recode-their-own-genetics/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> quantity, scale, and detail of the DNA</a> from living ancestors required to recreate a person&#8217;s DNA make it impractical for use within most families. Additionally, with each new generation identifiable DNA fragments get smaller and more difficult to work with.
To that end, more immediate applications might involve repairing and filling in spaces within family trees. But if it&#8217;s honed, it could become a valuable historical tool, giving us an in-depth look at what life was like for historical figures like Jonatan. Scientists could genetically resurrect anyone, providing us with a more thorough understanding of our species both from our own personal familial perspectives and through the more macrocosmic lens of human history.

Theoretically, a technique like this could help researchers create "virtual ancient DNA," letting them recreate the DNA of historical figures.

DNA of man who died in 1827 recreated without his remains

Hard Science

The unique circumstances that defined Hans Jonatan's life made it possible for researchers to recreate his DNA almost 200 years after his death.

DNA of Man Who Died in 1827 Recreated Without His Remains

His DNA was recreated using his living relatives. It's the first time this has ever been achieved. 

People in the early 20th century were extremely hopeful.

It's 2018. Here's what people a century ago thought our lives would be like

Sci-Fi Visions

Excited by decades of life-changing innovations, futurists of the early 20th Century had some bold predictions about what life would be like in 2018. 

It's 2018. Here's What People A Century Ago Thought Our Lives Would Be Like

The futurists of the early 1900s had some radical ideas for today's society.

Does Life In 2018 Live up to What We Predicted a Century Ago?

<h2>The Lightbulb</h2>
The lightbulb moment. Its presence in the retelling of scientific discovery is universal. From cartoons to documentaries, we see depictions of scientists&#8217; eyes suddenly sparkling, a lightbulb popping up over their head, and &#8220;Eureka!&#8221; escaping their lips.
It&#8217;s a moment we are all familiar with, but what is it, really? Is there some scientific reason behind this eureka moment or is it just a trope in media? Well, both.
Some argue that it&#8217;s impossible to exactly pinpoint and record idea creation and discovery, but we can get pretty close. Using the power of modern technology, scientist have been able to <a href="http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2017/05/eureka-insight-newton-archimedes-genius-science/" target="_blank">look at brain scans </a>of a person in the midst of idea creation. They can see activity taking place in the right hemisphere, so clearly, we do have at least one way to observe creative thinking processes, even if the picture it provides is incomplete.
Also incomplete is our understanding of many of history&#8217;s biggest &#8220;A-Ha!&#8221; moments. While flashes of insight might have sparked some of the world&#8217;s greatest discoveries, it&#8217;s safe to say that many historical retellings of eureka moments have been embellished.
<iframe width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/0v86Yk14rf8?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
One moment that is questionably historically accurate is the discovery of saccharin by food scientist Constantin Fahlberg. It is said that he simply forgot to wash his hands before dinner after working in the laboratory. His meal tasted so sweet that he realized he&#8217;d gotten a mysterious substance on his hands while at work and, in the midst of a tasty &#8220;A-Ha!&#8221;, he ran back to the lab to taste everything there until he&#8217;d found the sweet source. Now, this might seem a little bit dramatic, but, as he was a food scientist, it is not all that far-fetched.
Another famous eureka moment belongs to none other than Albert Einstein.<a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/Gedankenexperiment" target="_blank"> According to a lecture in 1922</a>, while working in a patent office at the tender age of 28, Einstein was daydreaming and was suddenly struck with an idea: &#8220;If a man falls freely, he would not feel his weight. I was taken aback. This simple thought experiment made a deep impression on me. This led me to the theory of gravity.&#8221;
That theory wasn&#8217;t complete for eight more years, so the moment wasn&#8217;t so much a eureka moment as the beginning of a long train of thought and experimentation. Einstein didn&#8217;t come up with the whole thing in an instant, struck by mathematical equations in the patent office. He was, more believably, struck by a simple notion that was powerful because of how he considered it. That doesn&#8217;t stop history from perpetuating the idea that a eureka moment at work led to Einstein&#8217;s breakthrough.
<h2>The Power of Memory</h2>
<figure style="width: 360px" class="wp-caption alignright"><a href="https://futurism.com/images/the-evolution-of-human-understanding-of-the-universe-infographic/"><img src="https://wp-assets.futurism.com/2016/12/Homepage-Thumbnail-3-1.jpg" alt="The Evolution of Human Understanding of the Universe [INFOGRAPHIC]" ></a><figcaption class="wp-caption-text center"><a href="https://futurism.com/images/the-evolution-of-human-understanding-of-the-universe-infographic/" target="_blank">Click to View Full Infographic</a></figcaption></figure>
Whether caused by our faulty human memories, repeated retellings, or even deliberate exaggeration, the legacy of the eureka moment includes stories ranging from the incredible to the truly unbelievable. While it&#8217;s true that the human brain does operate in incredible and, sometimes, mysterious ways, more often than not, months, years, or even decades of thought and experimentation are necessary to reach truly revolutionary scientific conclusions.
Now, did Einstein come up with the inklings of the general theory of relativity while at work? Most likely. Did Constantin Fahlberg discover saccharin because he forgot to wash his hands?  Maybe. What&#8217;s important isn&#8217;t whether or not these things happened exactly as history tells them, but rather that people get interested in science. The story of saccharin&#8217;s discovery might not seem that appealing to some audiences, but the tale of a scientist with dirty hands tasting everything in his lab until he found the mysterious source of sweetness might be.
While science is, of course, super exciting to scientists, it is crucial that everyone get involved and interested. From understanding our own health to how the Earth moves within the galaxy, we are all a part of the scientific properties, discoveries, and theories made famous by these (often tall) tales.

Macintosh apple growing in an orchard

Are these science legends fact or fiction?

The Truth Behind the Biggest “Eureka” Moments in Science

Did Einstein really come up with his theory of relativity in a patent office?

Today’s technology is helping us preserve yesterday’s treasures.

Today's technology is helping us preserve yesterday's treasures.

History Won’t Be Forgotten Thanks to Digital Tech

We have a problem in our society. In fact, it&#8217;s more than just a societal problem—we have a global problem. Each year, more of humanity&#8217;s most treasured artifacts succumb to age and the decay of time. This point likely comes as no great surprise; after all, we are all farmilar with the scarred face of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Sphinx_of_Giza#/media/File:Great_Sphinx_of_Giza_May_2015.JPG">the Sphinx</a> and the grassy, mottled halls of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Machu_Picchu#/media/File:80_-_Machu_Picchu_-_Juin_2009_-_edit.2.jpg">Machu Picchu</a>.
However, in recent times, a new blight has started to lay siege to our historical relics: Terrorism.
In a recent interview, <a href="https://magnetical.org/">Alexy Karenowska</a>, who is the Director of Technology at The Institute for Digital Archaeology and a research fellow at Magdalen College, noted the increasing violence that is perpetrated against sites that are of important historical and cultural significance. &#8220;There is an increasing awareness in the archaeological and cultural heritage community of the dangers of various programs of systematic cultural cleansing, which we are seeing executed by various malicious and terrorist organizations across the world,&#8221; Karenowska asserts.
And in an attempt to preserve these artifacts, Karenowska and her team are turning to a rather unlikely savior: <a href="http://digitalarchaeology.org.uk/projects/">3D imaging</a>.
<h2>Making A Database of the Past</h2>
Ultimately, Karenowska has joined forces with the <a href="http://motf.ae/">Dubai Future Foundation</a>, UNESCO, and a host of other partners in order to capturing millions of 3D images of threatened objects around the globe. Their efforts, they hope, will allow them to <a href="http://digitalarchaeology.org.uk/projects/">make an open access database</a> that anyone can use—be it for research purposes or simply for enjoyment—to take a stroll through history.
&#8220;The sites that get targeted and destroyed, some of them are well documented, but many of them are not,&#8221; Karenowska notes, &#8220;so what we conceived of was a project that used stereoscopic camera technology to document sites that are at risk.&#8221; Ultimately, the images that are taken will be uploaded through the team&#8217;s web portal and added to the open-source <a href="http://digitalarchaeology.org.uk/projects/">Million Image Database</a>.
Notably, for their work, the team is enlisting an army of everyday individuals—locals that are farmilar with the area and, thus, the sites that are of cultural and historical significance to their community.
Karenowska explains how the process works: &#8220;They [the locals] essentially take photographs on cameras that we provide for stereoscopic pictures, and then they send them back to the UK for processing.&#8221;
The process is really as simple as it sounds; however, simple though it may be, it is very time consuming project, and of course, preserving all of our artifacts is a monumental challenge. But it seems that, armed with the latest technologies, Karenowska and her team are well prepared for the task—the cameras are inexpensive, lightweight, discreet, and easy-to-use. Ultimately, some 5,000 are planned to be distributed in 2016 alone.
This tech, coupled with the assistance of affiliate organizations, has allowed the Million Image Database to grow far bigger than was hoped. Karenowska states, &#8220;We are very grateful for the support of the government of the United Arab Emirates and our other partners on so many levels&#8230;their support has allowed us to extend the project well over and above what we originally anticipated.&#8221;
In the end, this unification could allow us to complete a true database of history—something that Karenowska acknowledges would have been inconceivable just a few short years ago.
<h2>Saving History With Today&#8217;s Technology</h2>
&#8220;Technology has a huge amount to offer cultural heritage preservation and the appreciation of culture&#8230;now we are able to use analytical techniques that, even just ten years ago, would have seemed like something only existing in Star Trek. We can use this technology to tell the age of the objects, their origin, the kind of material that we used in their production, and so on.&#8221;
To that end, Karenowska characterizes the work as &#8220;a technological tool for the preservation and study of cultural heritage and archaeology.&#8221;
And if technology advances in the way that Karenowska thinks it will, the database&#8217;s future use extends far beyond just academic research and visual perusing. &#8220;In the future, different technologies could be applied to the photographs using sophisticated 3D modeling for the production of virtual reality or augmented reality experiences&#8230;and it could also be used in the restoration and reconstruction of these sites.&#8221;
So this tech isn&#8217;t just letting us remember historical artifacts, it could literally allow us to bring them back to life.

Future Society

A collaboration between engineering specialists at Oxford University, the Dubai Future Foundation, UNESCO, and a host of other organizations has set out to capture millions of 3D images of threatened objects to preserve for future generations. 

/History

Family Plot

DNA Ancestry Startups Have a New Target Market: The Long-Dead

Off World

60 Years and Counting: Here’s What NASA Has in Store for the Coming Decades

Hard Science

DNA of Man Who Died in 1827 Recreated Without His Remains

Sci-Fi Visions

Does Life In 2018 Live up to What We Predicted a Century Ago?

Hard Science

The Truth Behind the Biggest “Eureka” Moments in Science

Sci-Fi Visions

History Won’t Be Forgotten Thanks to Digital Tech

Future Society

3D Imaging Is Helping Us Save History for the Future

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