Abiogenesis (Origins)

by David Turell , Tuesday, August 09, 2011, 20:07 (4855 days ago) @ broken_cynic


> > David: Nice use of big words, going nowhere. Non-life is very different than living material. They are entirely dissimilar. 
> 
> How are they different? Ok, that's too broad and is generally what you were getting at with the rest of your paragraph, so how about this: can you put your finger on the crux of the difference?-Matt has covered this today with a very well-explined entry.-> Er, what? Funny, I thought that all life on this planet got its energy (directly or indirectly) from the sun... -Plant and animal organisms injest material or chemicals and then make their own internal energy. Of course the original energy is from the sun. I hope the above comment of yours was serious.-
> > > But it's true that we haven't seen life re-evolving from simple chemicals now, and there's a good reason for that: this planet is now crawling with life everywhere, and life's building blocks that form nowadays don't last long — they're lunch.-Pure supposition. No experimental proof of the assertion. -> 
> > David: And another problem is that even if a brilliant scientist makes a form of life in his lab from inorganic matter, what has he really proven? Intelligent design can make life! And we won't even know if that's how it really happened.
> 
> You are right, it certainly wouldn't mean that 'it happened exactly this way.' It simply demonstrates (proves is a sticky word) that such things are feasible given the chemistry that was available. (Again, meaning the basic materials and rules, not necessarily that we had the starting conditions correct.) It would be a small, but significant step.
> 
> > David: My conclusion: the odds against chance are truly astronomical, approaching infinity. I respect your opinion that chance did it. But you have to respect my choice based on my knowledge of biochemisty and genetics that life appears to be a supernatural miracle. 
> 
> Choice? Is a considered opinion really something you can choose to adopt or not? -Of course I can choose what to believe, just as you do.-> If someone is more knowledgeable than I or has simply turned a phrase well, I will borrow (with attribution) at will.-Fair enough, in this case if the statement is backed up by science.-> I do not trust my own brain. When my own conclusions and understandings run hard up against well-supported disagreements, investigation is called for.-Absolutely agreed with.