In "The Swarm", Frank Schätzing introduced the concept of an superior intelligent maritime race made of one-cellular life forms, that is capable to transport knowledge and experience by genetic manipulation comparable to the principle outlined in this article; the novel also focusses on the different morals coming from the fact that this lifeform survives and developes by simple chemical activation of "killing triggers" in the DNA once the swarm finds a single cell not being up to date with the code's most actual status - cell's with older levels of knowledge in the swarm' s cells simply die. In the novel, this of course brings apocalyptic problems for mankind having messed up the environment of this species for so long, since the "alien(s?)" do not know no moral value in differing between life and death, living cells and killing people - such values are just human projections that beyond human culture have no meaning at all. Like with many of his ideas, Schätzing was basing with his conception of an alien race on real sciences, and his novel is presenting one of the most alien "aliens" that I ever have read about in Science Fiction - without being that much science fiction at all.
As it sometimes is the case, Science Fiction once again maybe is ahead of science (Jules Verne can sing a song of this...)
Very good and exciting science- and envrionment-thriller. It almost minimises the apokalypse in Emmerich's "Independance Day".
