A very complete review article especially for George. Please note all the ifs ands and buts:-http://www.the-scientist.com/?articles.view/articleNo/39252/title/RNA-World-2-0/-So far intelligent design has not gotten very far
Abiogenesis
by David Turell , Thursday, March 06, 2014, 18:10 (3915 days ago) @ David Turell
A very complete review article especially for George. Please note all the ifs ands and buts: > > http://www.the-scientist.com/?articles.view/articleNo/39252/title/RNA-World-2-0/http://... > So far intelligent design has not gotten very far:-It is wonderful to watch intelligent design at work, proving?:-http://www.the-scientist.com/?articles.view/articleNo/39217/title/Matthew-Powner--Origin-Solver/-Remember, we have no idea how life started, only man's manipulations with improbable 'natural' chance events.
Abiogenesis
by romansh , Saturday, April 26, 2014, 23:57 (3864 days ago) @ David Turell
Interesting aricle in the New Scientist
Abiogenesis
by David Turell , Sunday, April 27, 2014, 01:53 (3864 days ago) @ romansh
Romansh: Interesting aricle in the New Scientist-Thank you for spotting the article, which I had not seen. I'm with Szostak's objections and Powner's comment:-"There is one big problem, however. "For origins of life, it is important to understand where the source molecules come from," Powner says. No one has yet shown that such substances could form spontaneously in the early oceans."- One has to start with carbon and other elements in an inorganic state. Where are the membranes and the enzymes that are needed? This started with various lab mediums and worked backward. The results are always presented with such hope and enthusiasm. But the article offers some hints to be followed up.
Abiogenesis; no oxygen problem
by David Turell , Monday, July 28, 2014, 01:34 (3772 days ago) @ David Turell
The Earth had essentially no oxygen until 2.4 million years ago, yet life started at 3.4-3.6 byo:-http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg22329792.700-oxygen-oasis-for-early-life-found-in-ancient-rock.html#.U9BChNIg_Vg-We need oxygen. Having anaerobic bacteria first to make oxygen sounds lilke preplanning rather than chance.
Abiogenesis: most insane suggestion yet
by David Turell , Tuesday, September 23, 2014, 05:50 (3715 days ago) @ David Turell
edited by dhw, Tuesday, September 23, 2014, 07:57
Just play the odds with monomers:-http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg22329872.900-chances-of-first-life-improved-by-weighted-dice.html#.VByL79ItDVg-Don't worry about chirality, essential amino acids, accurate replication, etc., etc., etc. Just snap your fingers and roll the dice.
Abiogenesis: life by electric shock
by David Turell , Tuesday, September 23, 2014, 19:46 (3714 days ago) @ David Turell
Not much hope here:-"Other researchers in prebiotic chemistry are not entirely convinced by the findings. Jeffrey Bada of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography in the US, a pioneer in the field, says: ‘This paper might be an advance in water-based ab initio molecular dynamic calculations, but this does not in my opinion advance the field of prebiotic chemistry in a major way. At best the synthesis pathway proposed in this paper would be only a minor contributor to the overall amino acid yield.' "Nir Goldman, of the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in the US, says that the work does provide ‘new insights into the idea that electrical discharges, for example lightning, could have played a role in the formation of prebiotic molecules on early Earth'. Goldman adds, however: ‘One criticism is that the authors chose to use a somewhat reduced or hydrogen-rich mixture in their study, whereas the atmosphere on early Earth is thought to have been carbon dioxide rich, which could entail very different chemistry in the presence of an electric field. Similar studies on a more realistic prebiotic mixture could yield interesting predictions for future experiments.'"-http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/new-steps-shown-toward-creation-of-life-by-electric-charge/?WT.mc_id=SA_EVO_20140923
Abiogenesis: chirality
by David Turell , Friday, September 26, 2014, 21:08 (3711 days ago) @ David Turell
Achieving left and right handedness for life. Use electrons with handedness:-http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/weak-nuclear-force-shown-to-give-asymmetry-to-biochemistry-of-life/?WT.mc_id=SA_DD_20140926-Filled with coulda, woulda, mighta processes. No real answer. As usual the headline is much more positive than the story.
Abiogenesis: space molecules
by David Turell , Saturday, September 27, 2014, 15:39 (3710 days ago) @ David Turell
Still struggling to explain where organic chemistry came from. Again note the headline does not fit the findings. This finding is not a life molecule, that is, an amino acid,but a look-alike. Handedness, who knows? Origin of life research goes nowhere, but hope springs eternal:-http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/09/140926213634.htm
Abiogenesis: DNA rides in space
by David Turell , Monday, December 01, 2014, 15:12 (3645 days ago) @ David Turell
Some DNA on the outside of a rocket survived space and worked afterward. Is this a new theory that DNA arrived from space? Whew! http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/11/141126144150.htm-Hope springs eternal.