[wbarmy]

Just a few years ago, the talk was about "junk" DNA and now "non coding" DNA.

One of the hard truths of evolutionary studies. What was useless yesterday becomes super important today, but the theory is still good.

Vestigial organs used to be touted as proof of evolutionary change, and were a main component of biology textbooks for many years. Then all of the vestigial organs were found out to be doing some very important things and were NOT vestigial. However, nobody ever re-looked the theory once the supports were knocked out, because the theory is more important than its sum parts.

[NativeSon]

I have no doubt about the importance of the theory or in this case, the study. The development of our knowledge & capabilities within biological sciences and genetics is staggering to consider.

I do have more than a casual concern that a lab with the tools will presumptively move on what is currently understood. And tools of the trade are more readily available now.

A century ago, a poorly constructed hypothesis or incomplete 'theory' was an embarrassment. Today? CRISPR