So here’s my thinking on DNA. Deoxyribonucleic acid. an endless sequence of 4 not-so-simple molecules made up of hydrogen, oxygen, carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus that somehow, in some way form the basis of ALL life on the planet. Its amazing to consider variations on how these 4 molecules are put together provides the blueprint for pretty much all of our features, how tall we are, the shape of our eyes, our eye colour, how similar (or different) we are to our parents… I find it fascinating to consider what this means. In essence, every one of us is 1/2 our biological mother and 1/2 our biological father thrown together with some variations thrown in for good measure. And these variations are good as it ensures the species has enough diversity to adapt over time to changes in the environment .. but I think about where this information has come from. We know that one cell takes in nutrients, uses those atoms from our food to create proteins for us to grow and replace lost cells, create new cells etc. The two new cells are therefore made up of some old material and some new. But if we trace back that means some of our cells may still contain genetic material that was part of our parents. So here’s where things get interesting… As an individual we are the result of two people, each of them are the result of two people and each of them are two people and on it goes back into the traces of history… So if we look at the maths for a second. If we assume over 5 generations before us there are 2 parents, 4 grandparents, 8 great-grandparents, 16 great-great-grandparents, 32 great-great-great-grandparents.. that’s 62 different individuals who’s DNA has filtered down to you. Now if we consider say the last 200 years… and on average there’s new generation every 25 years that blows out to 510 different individuals who’s DNA has found it’s way to you (in some small way). If we keep going back that number explodes exponentially. – So what does that mean… well if we go back even a few thousand years that number soars past the estimated number of human beings (as we know them to be) that have existed… so in theory that would suggest we don’t all come from different lineages… and it means there are more connections between us than we may have previously thought. Just think about that for a moment… it suggests we are genetically connected in some small way to perhaps every other human being on the planet (if we go back far enough). But more importantly… what does it mean for you… well in my thinking it means thousands and thousands of individuals have existed before and passed down a part of who they are throughout the generations that has been distilled into becoming the unique individual known as you. You are the culmination of all of the blending of all of who they were plus who you are. I for one find that amazing that we have inside of us the history of the human race, and whilst we are unique in our own ways, we are all connected throughout time. We are all part of the quintessential immortal human being.