Doom Runs on Bacteria?!

The boundless ingenuity of humanity never ceases to amaze, particularly when it comes to the digital realm. From the moment we first connected machines in a complex symphony of computations, there has been an insatiable drive to push the boundaries of what’s possible. This brings us to a fascinating, albeit slightly unorthodox, intersection of technology and biology: the concept of running the iconic video game Doom using E. coli bacteria.

Doom: A Legacy of Innovation and Adaptation

Released in 1993, Doom quickly ascended to legendary status in the video game industry, captivating players with its fast-paced action and groundbreaking graphics. Its influence continues to reverberate throughout the gaming world, But Doom’s legacy extends far beyond its entertainment value. The game’s remarkably efficient design, capable of running on even the most modest hardware of the time, has sparked a wave of creative experimentation.

Over the years, we’ve witnessed the game’s code executed on an eclectic array of devices, from ATMs and pregnancy tests to the intricate network of a blockchain. This persistent fascination with Doom’s adaptability speaks volumes about the game’s enduring appeal and the boundless possibilities that emerge when ingenuity meets technology.

A New Frontier: Doom and the Microbial World

Now, researchers at the prestigious Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) are exploring a particularly unconventional platform for running Doom: E. coli bacteria. Graduate student researcher Lauren “Ren” Ramlan, the brainchild behind this ambitious project, envisions a system where these microscopic organisms, meticulously arranged in a grid-like pattern, serve as the pixels of a rudimentary display.

By manipulating the fluorescence of these bacterial “pixels,” Ramlan proposes that it’s theoretically possible to replicate the visual output of Doom. While the concept might sound like something straight out of science fiction, early simulations suggest that it could indeed be feasible.

A Long Way to Go: Challenges and Limitations

However, we must approach this groundbreaking idea with a healthy dose of realism. While Ramlan’s research demonstrates the theoretical possibility of running Doom on E. coli, the practical implementation faces significant hurdles. The sheer time required to display even a single frame of the game using this method is substantial, making real-time gameplay an impossibility with current technology.

The simulation conducted by Ramlan revealed that it took a staggering 70 minutes for the E. coli to reach peak fluorescence, representing a single “frame” in the game. Furthermore, the bacteria required over 8 hours to return to their original state. Extrapolating these figures to the entirety of a Doom playthrough, we’re looking at a timescale that stretches well beyond the realm of practicality.

The allure of running Doom on bacteria lies not so much in its immediate feasibility, but in the audacious questions it poses about the future of computing and the very nature of life itself. As we continue to blur the lines between the digital and biological, who knows what other extraordinary feats of technological ingenuity await us on the horizon?