Having deciphered the genetic code, scientists discovered that only 2% of DNA carries information about proteins. What then are the remaining 98% needed for? At first, geneticists decided that it was garbage, trash. However, quite recently it became clear that everything is much more complicated, and it is these “junk” areas of DNA that determine the complexity of the human body, its possible diseases, and even the rate of aging! Here are the keys to understanding evolution and the essence of life itself. Today, many scientists in various laboratories around the world are trying to penetrate the secrets of “junk” DNA, this dark matter of our genome. Their latest results can be found in a fascinating book by English geneticist Nessa Carey.