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In the Fictional Universe of the Science Fiction TV Show '' Stargate SG-1 '', the DNA Resequencer was a device used by the Ancients to artificially Evolve People into an extremely advanced state.1 If used enough, it could give users supernatural abilities,2 and eventually even Ascend a subject. It may be the reason why some Ancients have been shown to posses the abilities of Telekinesis , Telepathy , super-human senses and strength,3 supernatural health and self healing,4 perfect memories, and the power to heal by touch. The show has implied that many more, (if not all), Ancients had these abilities. It also may be one of the ways that some of the Ancients Ascended .5 (May require scrolling) The show explained that the device worked by realigning a subject's DNA and upgrading their Brain activity. With the use of the machine, dormant area of the brain activate, upgrading the user's abilities. In the episode " Prophecy ", Samantha Carter stated that after Jonas Quinn used the device, the neurons in his brain were five times more densely packed.6 In Stargate, the DNA Resequencer has been part of several key plotlines.7 In several other instances in science fiction, genetic and neural upgrades are administered to enhance an individual's abilities but none to the degree of Stargate. Fiction usually explains their upgrades using the "10% myth"; the saying that humans use 10% of their brains, and if more parts are activated a person will gain superhuman abilities and increased intellect. However, the most widely accepted modern scientific theories - contrary to popular belief - state the 10% myth to be false. This substantially minimizes any chance of using this concept for any practical application. See Human Brain for more detail. THE DNA RESEQUENCER IN THE STARGATE UNIVERSE Uses In Stargate SG-1 the DNA resequencer has various uses, after scanning a subject's physiology, using green lasers, 8it can perform a multitude of tasks, both beneficial and harmful. Among other uses, the device was stated or shown to advance people's development, increase their neurological capabilities, improve their Health , or to provide them with the Ancient Technology Activation Gene . One character, Nirriti, also be used the device to make people into Biological Time Bomb s. The main, and most useful, purpose for the device in the Stargate universe however was to advance humans, giving them extraordinary abilities, and eventually Ascend them. Advancing and Ascending Humans In the Stargate universe, the Urban Legend that the typical human brain is usually between 5 and 10 percent active at any given moment is true. The Ancients, in contrast, were more advanced and had brains that were at least 80-90 percent active. The DNA Resequencer may have been a factor responsible for this. The alterations made by the machine evolve a human (or Ancient) to a state closer to that of Ascension . Before ascension, as the user's brain evolved, their intelligence increased. The user also obtained supernatural abilities. The machine gives users increased health and self healing, a perfect memory, Telekinesis , Telepathy , the power to Heal by touch, super human Senses , and super-human strength. In the case of Jonas Quinn , it gave him Precognition . This may be the reason why many, if not all Ancients had these abilities. Several have demonstrated use of such abilities, but it is not known whether all Ancients possessed them. Once the machine evolves someone to a state where their brain is 90% active, they ascend. Many, if not all, Ancients already had astoundingly high mental capability and were able to ascend without the machine. If all Ancients were capable of Ascending without the machine's functionality, the only uses for it would be those listed below. Otherwise, some may have used the machine to Ascend.9 Other uses Besides making super-advanced humans and ascending people, the machine was shown to have other uses. It can be used to give people the Ancient Technology Activation Gene . The machine can also be used to repair any biological flaws in a person. This may be one reason why the Ancients were shown to have had almost completely perfect health (excepting the plague they suffered in the Milky Way). Other contributing factors to their health could be their Healing Device introduced in season 7, or just their extreme state of evolution. However, many Ancients were evolved so far that they could ascend without the machine. Another, more destructive use of the machine is liquification of a person. More specifically, a time can be set within one's DNA by the machine for a person's body to turn into water. Additional Factors
Plotlines in which the DNA Resequencer appeared The device appeared twice in the show. The first time, in the episode " Metamorphosis ", the Goa'uld Nirrti had found the device and was trying to create a more advanced host for herself.13 (Includes data on the DNA resequencer) The second time, in the episode Prototype , SG-1 discovered that Anubis was working with the device, but couldn’t figure out why.14 (Includes Data on the DNA resequencer) Nirrti's Use In the episode " Metamorphosis ", the Goa'uld , Nirriti , who SG-1 Stargate Command had encountered several times previously in the series, somehow obtained a DNA Resequencer, and used it to manipulate the DNA of people living in a nearby village in an attempt to create more advanced humans. She eventually wanted to take procure the most advanced host possible. (At that point in the series, the Goa'uld were not aware of ascension thus, she was not aware of it.) In her experimenting she planted time bombs in many of the people. She used the machine to give one man telekinesis. Another was given telepathy. Samantha Carter commented that she could have given other powers to other of the people. She eventually wanted to take a host with all the powers the machine could provide her with, or modify her current host to those standards. Once SG-1 was captured by the advanced beings Niriti created, Niriti began experimenting on them. After experimenting on Jonas Quinn, she concluded she could make Jonas many times more powerful than anyone else she had experimented on. The reason for Jonas's advanced level was never stated, however, one year later in the series, in Season 7 , in the episode Homecoming , Anubis commented that Jonas's physiology merited further experimentation. Whatever the reason for Jonas's advanced state, the show implied that Niriti probably intended to take him as her host.15DVD extra - Directors Commentary on the Stargate SG-1 episode Metamorphosis Afterwards, SG-1 convinced the genetically altered people that Niriti was not actually trying to help them. A rebellion was incited. The telekinetic man choked Niriti to death. The telepathic man, who had obtained the necessary knowledge from Niriti to operate the DNA resequencer restored his people to their original state. The device was soon after destroyed. Anubis's Use Later on in the series, midway through Season 9 , In the episode " Prototype " the writers decided to bring back the DNA Resequencer. In the show, a second device was discovered by SG-1, along with an advanced Human/Goa'uld-hybrid clone of Anubis, Khalek . The scene where the device was found was set in a lab comprised of Ancient architecture. There, it seemed that Anubis produced a clone, with virtually every characteristic of himself, even his personality and memories.1617 (Includes Data on the DNA resequencer) He then used the DNA resequencer to give him extremely advanced abilities. The show does not make it clear why Anubis created Khalek or whether he intended for him to ascend.18 (Includes Data on the DNA resequencer) However, several characters discussed this uncertainty. The most plausible explanation in this discussion came when Teal'c commented that Anubis may have been trying to create a servant even more powerful than the Kull Warrior s. (A supersolider Introduced earlier in Season 7)19 If this is the case it makes no sense to give him the personality traits of Anubis, for he would probably be disloyal and evil (this is the opposite of the perfectly programmed Kull Warriors). Nevertheless, Khalek was so advanced that the Tau’ri were worried that he could ascend at any moment.20 (Includes Data on how he used the DNA Resequencer) and super-human strength. After Khalek was found by SG-1 in the lab described earlier, he was captured and taken prisoner in the SGC . Extreme security measures were taken to prevent him from escaping. Guards were posted; force fields were erected, and a component of the DNA Resequencer was hooked up to monitor his physiology. Colonel Mitchel called this component the "Ascendometer." Other characters liked this name.) 21 Eventually Khalek attempted to escape. In his escape attempt he caused damage to the SGC, and killed several guards. However, Despite using every power the DNA Resequencer gave him he was still killed in the attempt. Despite all his powers, the writers clearly did not make him invincible. The DNA Resequencer used to advance Khalek was captured by earth. They later used information gathered on the device and on Khalek to create a weapon to fight the Priors; an ultrasonic pulse which disables a Prior's abilities. (See below)22 Comparison with new concepts introduced in Season 9 In Season 9 of Stargate SG-1 once the ", Samantha Carter, Doctor Lee, and other characters were able to use data on Khalek and the DNA Resequencer to create a weapon to disable a Prior. (See above section) Despite the physiological similarities between the Priors and DNA Resequencer users, Priors are not upgraded by technology. The Ori themselves, as shown in " Origin ", can actually turn a human into a Prior almost instantly without the aid for any (visible) technology.25 The Priors' abilities seem to be amplified by their staffs, whereas DNA Resequencer user's abilities are purely biological. The show does not make it clear how much of the Priors' abilities are biological as opposed to technological. Many of their more advanced abilities, (the ones that surpass DNA Resequencer users), also appear to emanate from their staffs; for example, when a Prior induces a healing wave, the wave appears to originate from his staff,2627 however this may be done unintentionally through visual effects, and may not be the intention of the writers. In conclusion, season 9 makes the Priors seem more powerful than the most advanced non-ascended humans created by the DNA resequencer, albeit using their staff.28 OTHER FICTIONAL EXAMPLES OF GENETIC ADVANCEMENT
''Although the people in these shows were biologically enhanced significantly, none of the upgrades come close to the level of those performed by the DNA Resequencer in Stargate.'' THE MAKING OF THE DNA RESEQUENCER According to the DVD Director 's commentary of the episode Metamorphosis, the device in actuality consists of three components. Two of these components are Physical , but the third is Computer generated. Firstly, on the floor rests a pedestal. The actor would stand on that pedestal. This would draw attention to the actor using the device, and was also away to show that they were using it. Above the user, was the second component, an orange globe. This globe appeared to be the technological part of the device. Later on, in the editing process, the third component was added. Emanating from the globe, is a computer generated energy field which appears to paralyze the user. Additionally, computer generated representations of DNA surround the user. It should be noted that the color scheme of the DNA surrounding the user was different when Jonas Quinn was in the machine. This is further indication that he is special in the Stargate universe. (See the above section)DVD extra - Directors Commentary on the Stargate SG-1 episode Metamorphosis THE PLAUSIBILITY OF THE CONCEPT OF THE DNA RESEQUENCER IN THE REAL WORLD In the real world, people have made livings off of trying to convince people that they have telekinetic abilities. Other people insist that they are psychic, and form businesses offering precognitive visions. Often times they explain their abilities with the 10 percent myth; that is, insisting that since they can use more than 10 percent of their brains and that they have special abilities.29 Although Stargate agrees with these people and shows it to an extreme, science does not. One study shows that people use almost every part of their brain, just not at once. For some activities people use some parts of their brain, yet for other activities they use different parts. There is little spare room.30 Another study insists that the myth is true in that we only use 10 percent of our brains, however, since we have no idea what the rest of the brain is for it is non-sense to try and guess, especially without evidence.31 All in all, despite the scientific implausibility of it, the makers of Stargate chose to amplify the abilities of the rest of the brain to the nth degree. SEE ALSO EPISODES ''The following are the episodes refrenced as primary sources in this article. (In chronological order)'' Episodes Where the DNA Resequencer appeared on screen
Episodes used for supporting data and analysis
REFERENCES EXTERNAL LINKS
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