Human Genetic Code: 1.5GB Of Data, Trillions Of Cells

We fill our lives with data-toting gadgets, but don't often stop to think about our body in relation to the data it holds. Extensive research has been performed to determine how powerful the human brain is, for example, but sometimes a simple explanation is the best way to grasp the complexity of our existence.

Over on YouTube, Veritasium has posted a new video that crunches the numbers, ushering in an estimation of how much data a human's genetic code comprises with a brief discussion of binary and language at the same time.

The human body contains about 40 trillion cells, and each of them contain the person's entire genetic code. How much data is that? The entire genetic code is 1.5 gigabytes, which, when multiplied by the number of cells in the body, comes out to about 60 zettabytes of data — that's 60 followed by 21 zeroes).

We won't spoil the rest for you, but the folks behind the video go into detail about what this represents, and the degree to which each person is genetically similar. Hit up the video above for all the details.

VIA: Gizmodo