Azurity

I posted this in AskScience a while back but got no replies:

I'm a molecular biologist, not an engineer, but I've usually heard of DNA referred to as a "digital code" that can be represented with A's, C's, T's, and G's for the four nucleic acids. This makes sense for our understanding and organization, but DNA is not literally a "digital code" in our cells, right? Is there such a thing? For all intents and purposes, DNA is "read" by transcription/replication enzyme machinery based on the physical structure of the bases, matching corresponding purines and pyrimidines, and thus it's truly "analog" isn't it? They're not reading letters, they're "feeling" the shape of the bases, yes? I liken it to a needle "feeling" the grooves of a record and sounding a G sharp, not reading some "digital notation", hence the classical distinction between analog and digital music storage. Here's the context: I think intelligent design proponents usually argue that DNA is a "digital code" to play into the "digital=not natural, therefore designer". They then go on to describe DNA as a "language" complete with "syntax, grammar, punctuation" etc, which is arguable for other reasons. So, is DNA literally digital or analog?

Thanks for the response! That's my thinking as well. I talk with creationists on and off on internet forums and I try to think of myself as a mellow, patient evolutionist. I love referencing and explaining primary literature so that people can understand it. I don't try to downplay Christianity at all, just defend evolutionary science. I've taken a few glances at your blog, but how would you describe the situation these days, about creationism in America? What are your goals, when you talk with creationists? I've been entertaining the idea of starting a blog to correct misconceptions in biology and comment on current events in education policy but I am unsure of its exact mission and how to frame it for a diverse audience.