[Solar-general] Una c*gada: Hay que reemplazar el kernel por la E. Coli

[Fernando Cassia]

Wonder why we don't crash like computers? Yale explains

By Ben Coxworth <http://www.gizmag.com/author/ben-coxworth/>

*16:55 May 11, 2010*
 [image: The control network of bacterium E Coli, left, and the Linux
operating system,
right]<http://www.gizmag.com/yale-scientists-compare-bacteria-to-linux/15037/picture/114461/>

The control network of bacterium E Coli, left, and the Linux operating
system, right


Whether right or for wrong, the human brain is often compared to a computer,
and vice-versa. They both receive data, process it, store it, and output new
data. Unlike computers, however, the human brain doesn’t crash. Yes, people
have nervous breakdowns, but that has more to do with psychological stress
than with data management. Now, researchers from Yale University have
figured out why our brains succeed where computers fail.

The research team compared the genome of *E coli* bacteria with the Linux
operating system. Both of the control networks, it turns out, are arranged
in hierarchies. In *E coli*, the molecular networks are arranged in a
pyramid. A limited number of master regulatory genes sit at the top,
controlling a wide range of specialized functions beneath them.

By contrast, Linux is more like an inverted pyramid - numerous routines are
at the top, controlling a few generic functions at the bottom. This is
because software engineers save time and money by building on existing
routines, instead of starting systems from scratch. Such an approach makes
the system vulnerable to breakdowns, however, as even simple changes to a
generic routine can be very disruptive. To minimize problems, the generic
components need to be continually fine-tuned by software designers.

The Yale <http://opa.yale.edu/default.aspx> scientists noted that in a
living organism, generic components that need to be constantly updated would
not be a good survival trait. Instead, over billions of years of evolution,
the *E coli* bacteria has evolved many highly specialized modules. Together,
these modules are ready to handle most eventualities, resulting in a much
more robust network.
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