The Ignorance and Arrogance of "Junk DNA"

Spoiler alert:  If you plan to do the Sunday New York Times Crossword puzzle and haven’t done it yet, I’m about to reveal the answer to one of the clues.  It made me so disgusted that I stopped working on the puzzle.  I will go back to it when I finish writing this.

The clue is “about 98% of the human genome.”  The desired answer is “junk DNA.”  This is an outdated concept.  Decades ago, it was determined that only about 2% of the human genome actually codes for the formation of proteins.  It was assumed that was the only function for DNA, and that the rest was evolutionary detritus without purpose.  Some even saw this as support for evolutionary theory.  If some superior intellect had designed DNA, why would he have included worthless material?

The problem is that science was at that time ignorant of other significant functions of DNA.  Why anyone would assume that science has ever arrived at ultimate knowledge is beyond me.  The history of science argues otherwise.  For example, over the years there have been several models for atomic structure that were assumed to be correct.  The Plum Pudding model gave way to Dalton’s model, which gave way to Bohr’s model, which has been surpassed by the Quantum Mechanical model, which may well one day be discovered to be less than accurate.  No scientist should ever assume that they have discovered all there is to know.

Some very significant functions are now attributed to parts of the DNA molecule previously thought to have no purpose.  I am predicting that as more experimentation occurs, it will eventually be known that the situation is actually the reverse, and that at least 98% does have specific purposes.  We are presently floundering in ignorance.  If we ever know everything, there will be no reason to continue experimenting and scientific inquiry will be pointless.

Of course, I happen to believe in a creator and sustainer who is omniscient.  I believe that we have every reason to continue seeking additional knowledge, but that there is reason for great humility.  We will never know everything that God knows.  Seeking more knowledge is perfectly legitimate, as long as we never think we have acquired it all.  The more we learn, the more reason we have to stand in awe of the one who planned our world and holds it together by forces we do not yet fully comprehend.