Tiny pieces of DNA code in specific locations can produce massive effects on an organism. We see in this photograph the power of that code - causing the intense production of a pigment protein which makes these maize kernels appear dark purple. This is the result of a random event that inserted ~1000 bases of "junk DNA" nearby a gene, which changed the normal program leading to a new observable trait. Using molecular biology and genetics, we can harness this diversity to understand how and why these apparently random events happen and to develop new traits in agriculture.