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Why scientists renamed genes after spreadsheet mix-ups

A spreadsheet can mistake an identifier for something else: a code loses its leading zeros, or a gene symbol becomes a date. Researchers documented the scientific consequences, and naming guidelines changed. Explore how automatic interpretation can corrupt data that looks like ordinary text.

3–5 min

Questions you could explore

  • When is software "helping" by guessing a data type, and when is it destroying information?
  • Why did changing human gene symbols prove easier than changing how researchers use spreadsheets?

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Computers and AI

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Why can a damaged QR code still work?

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How does a website name become an internet address?

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Same emoji, different picture

The same emoji can arrive with a different expression or style from the one you saw when sending it. Unicode identifies characters and sequences, while software platforms choose artwork and decide what their versions support.

2–3 min

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