> -----Original Message----- > From: Mark Tiller [mailto:mtiller at ntlworld.com] > Sent: Sunday, May 01, 2005 7:14 PM > To: dragaera at dragaera.info > Subject: Gene testing > > Hi all, > > I don't really think this represents a spoiler so I won't leave space. > > It doesn't appear that the Dragaerans have much understanding of chemistry > from what we have seen so far in the books. But if that is so, how the > heck > can they do genetic scans without that understanding? > > Cheers > > Mark The same way scientists categorize sub-atomic particles and galactic phenomena. We don't necessarily understand them, but we can observe them and categorize them anyway. Presumably Dragaerans got the concept of genetics and learned how to observe genes (or maybe just genetic markers of some sort >from the experiments) from the Jenoine and just went from there. If it turns out to be a useful line of research rather than a mere curiosity then they'll figure out the underlying mechanics of it.