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A Craigslist ad thoug​ht to be covert advertising or “viral marketing for the upcoming Fantastic Four movie” is actually an experimental post that evolved into a form of performance art, according to the NASA scientist who created it.

The listing, called “Being Framed Need Genetic Engineering Help,” was posted from the perspective of a billionaire in trouble on San Francisco’s “creative gigs” page on Wednesday. 

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The author was purportedly seeking someone with skills in DNA forensics, robotics, and coding to help hack his genes to avoid being matched with DNA planted at the scene of a crime. The listing also had physical requirements for “custom built suit,” which led some to think it was related to an action hero movie.

As it gained t​raction online, the general consensus was that it may be a viral campaign. But Josiah Zayner, the bioengineering scientist and research fellow at NASA Ames Research Center who created it, said it is just one of ​his forays into “speculative science.”

“I was thinking, if somebody was accused of the crime, how could they fake...