Sequencing the Human Genome
Proving that biology is an information technology.
Explore this event on the interactive timeline →The Human Genome Project successfully mapped the entire human genetic code. When the project was 1% complete after seven years, critics claimed it would take centuries to finish. Kurzweil famously argued that because 1% is only 7 doublings away from 100%, it was actually almost done.
Key Numbers
- Cost of First Genome (2003)
- $2.7 Billion
- Cost per Genome (2025)
- < $200
Verified Facts
- Kurzweil was exactly right: the exponential growth of computing power applied to gene sequencing caused the project to finish years ahead of schedule.
- It cost $2.7 billion to sequence the first human genome. Today, thanks to the Law of Accelerating Returns, you can sequence a genome for under $200 in a few hours.
- This proved Kurzweil's core thesis: any technology that becomes an "information technology" immediately jumps onto an exponential growth curve.