On 5/2/05, Grady Brandt <gbrandt at tampabayfederal.com> wrote: > > -----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. > And here I just thought it was magic of some sort! :o) -- -C "About the most originality that any writer can hope to achieve honestly is to steal with good judgment." -- Josh Billings (1818-85), [Henry Wheeler Shaw] American humorist, essayist