The Law of Fours

[mattd]

Matts law of fours

All things that interest me lately scream 4.Eg.Quantum computing in 
bio-chemistry ,an article by mark Buchanan,the question arises:might 
bio-chemistry process a quantum computation?
Its long been wondered why the 4 letter code for DNA when binary ought to 
be more efficient.
An algorithm by lov Grover suggested to apoorva Patel that the very basis 
of all life relies on quantum computers to copy its DNA and put together 
its proteins.The grover algorithm gives an exact formula for the number of 
Quantum attempts,Q,needed to find one specific element in a database of N 
things.It turns out that if N=4,then Q=1
In other words a quantum computer can distinguish between 4 distinct 
possibilities with just one attempt.
If  4 bases doubled the speed of replication it would be selected 
for.Biology exploits quantum possibilities in photosynthesis so its not to 
far fetched to wonder about quantum events in living cells.On the back page 
of my latest NS
theres some interesting stories on the creation of the first ruler.How were 
the earliest straight tools produced?
Mathematicians such as al Kempe were fascinated.The challenge to design a 
mechanism consisting of a number of rigid
links joined by simple hinges that would constrain one point to move along 
a perfect straight line.James Watt's approximate solution used just 4 
links.A mathematically accurate using 8 solved the problem in 1864.This was 
done by a french army engineer,charles-nicholas-Peaucellier.
While mathematical models that make sense are Islands in a sea of 
uncertainty,(veronica Becher,university of Buenos Aires.)and the law on the 
Island of Dr Moreu remains not to go on all fours.Four leaf clovers keep 
popping up.Cilia that resemble them,originally developed at Stanford and 
proposed for docking micro satellites by a university of washington
team can be seen at Smart materials and structures,vol 10,p 1176.
Four seasons,four horsemen,four stroke motors,Ill think of more,Im 
shure,four legs good!FORE!