From: jrochkin@cs.oberlin.edu (Jonathan Rochkind)
Date: Mon, 6 Feb 95 20:08:28 PST
To: root <cypherpunks@toad.com
Subject: Re: dna ink
Message-ID: <ab5ca280040210043eb1@[132.162.201.201]>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain


At 6:39 PM 02/06/95, root wrote:
>The blood is water soluble and many of the componants breakdown over time. By
>injecting DNA (which has lifetimes measured in millions of years) in some kind
>of matrix (ie epoxy or cyanoacetates) it becomes possible to create a modern
>'seal' similar to the wax seals of yesteryear. In the case of the old seals it
>was not the wax which provided the protection but rather the symobigy that was
>embedded in it (ie DNA).
>
>And you thought that T Rex forward from the dinosaur mailing list about DNA
>from dinosaur bones was unrelated to crypto......bwahahahahaha

Something I've been is: Why can't one of your enemies just get a piece of
your hair or fingernails or something, and make their own DNA ink our of
your DNA?  They could probably even send it to this DNA ink company, and
they'd make your enemy ink out of your own DNA without even noticing.
Doesn't seem very secure to me.

[Yeah, it's not crypto related, but I've been wondering about this since
the topic was first brought up, and am somewhat surprised that of the few
messages there were making fun of the DNA ink,  none mentioned this fact.
Is that because it's too obvious to mention, or is there something I'm not
thinking about which makes DNA ink useful after all?]