Paul Rothemund talks about his special skill: DNA origami. By writing a set of instructions — which he compares to “casting a spell” — he can cause bits of DNA to arrange themselves as a smiley face, a star, a triangle. Sure, it’s a stunt, but it’s also a fascinating window into the world of self-assembly at the smallest of scales. In other words: today a smiley face, tomorrow a micro-microprocessor.

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