about

Welcome to my open research site!

My name is Gemma Danks and I have a background in artificial intelligence and genomics. This is the place where I organise, document and share my open research projects, how I work on them and what I learn in the process. It combines an open science lab book with a knowledge base of tutorials, tips and advice that I hope will be useful to others.

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technology

Exoplanet technosignatures

The discovery of a technologically advanced civilisation elsewhere in the universe would be monumental and the repercussions would extend millenia into the future as humanity (or its biological or technological descendants) embarks on interstellar travel. I have chosen this topic as my next research focus and I will be documenting my journey towards making a contribution to the field.

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research process

How to choose a research topic

The main value of research comes from sharing it with others. I also want to share the process so I am documenting every step in the research cycle - starting with how I decide what to work on.

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Recent Posts

AI misuse: pathogenic DNA

1 minute read

Biotechnology has now advanced to the stage where it is not only possible to synthesise a DNA sequence of your choice in the lab, but to mail-order it from c...

Exoplanet biosignatures

6 minute read

In the last few decades we have discovered that Earth-like planets are common around other stars and many of these planets are likely to be habitable, i.e. o...

Recognising AI sentience

6 minute read

Right now the most advanced artificial intelligence is unaware of its existence and has no capacity to feel anything. It is based purely on a series of matri...

Technosignatures

6 minute read

Technosignatures are signals that indicate the existence of technology (i.e. artifacts created from the practical application of scientific knowledge) – eith...