Emergence of Life: Are We a Chance Mixing of Chemicals?

[wolram]

if we are the only inteligent life forms in the universe
were we a chance mixing of chemicals ,in an ideal place
for "life" to emerge.

 

[chroot]

We certainly weren't a freak chemical accident -- the building blocks of organic life are everyhere. There are amino acids in giant clouds in interstellar space and on cometary bodies. Methane, carbon dioxide, water, and other basic chemicals (which can be assembled into many organic molecules) are abundant in our solar system and in many others.

Many kinds of complex organic molecules, like DNA, are self-organizing. Once a single molecule forms, it catalyzes many others to form. A bath of water and amino acids and sugars will spontaneously form (random) sequences of DNA in the presence of some initial piece. Many of these self-organizing systems are known.

The evolution of cell walls and nucleation and so on are obviously not well known, but lipid bubbles (soap bubbles) are ubiquitious, and so are photosensitive organic chemicals.

The bottom line is that I feel there is nothing spectacular about biogenesis -- it's simply the result of organic molecules seeking their lowest energy states. The amazing complexity of carbon chemistry is the reason we're alive.

There's also a lot of evidence of coevolution -- mitochondria, viral DNA in exons in our genome, etc. Life didn't emerge whole, or complete... it grew in fits and starts.

I'd like to know more about the state of the science of biology -- has any real progress been made in the study of biogenesis recently?

- Warren

 

[Rader]

Originally posted by wolram
if we are the only inteligent life forms in the universe
were we a chance mixing of chemicals ,in an ideal place
for "life" to emerge.

Do not count on it. The greatest discovery will not be finding life on other worlds but finding life with more than four bases, ACDT the basic building blocks of us.

 

[Rader]

Originally posted by chroot
We certainly weren't a freak chemical accident -- the building blocks of organic life are everyhere. There are amino acids in giant clouds in interstellar space and on cometary bodies. Methane, carbon dioxide, water, and other basic chemicals (which can be assembled into many organic molecules) are abundant in our solar system and in many others.

Many kinds of complex organic molecules, like DNA, are self-organizing. Once a single molecule forms, it catalyzes many others to form. A bath of water and amino acids and sugars will spontaneously form (random) sequences of DNA in the presence of some initial piece. Many of these self-organizing systems are known.

The evolution of cell walls and nucleation and so on are obviously not well known, but lipid bubbles (soap bubbles) are ubiquitious, and so are photosensitive organic chemicals.

The bottom line is that I feel there is nothing spectacular about biogenesis -- it's simply the result of organic molecules seeking their lowest energy states. The amazing complexity of carbon chemistry is the reason we're alive.

There's also a lot of evidence of coevolution -- mitochondria, viral DNA in exons in our genome, etc. Life didn't emerge whole, or complete... it grew in fits and starts.

I'd like to know more about the state of the science of biology -- has any real progress been made in the study of biogenesis recently?

- Warren

Everyone is always missing the point. We know how it was done, when it was done but not why it was done. The why it was done, is embeded in inert primordial matter by the creator. How else could nothing know how to organize itself into intellegent conscious beings to ask these donkey questions.

If you want the proofs read Raul O. Leguizamon, Book title in spanish> En torno al origen de la vida which means The cause of the origen of life. ISBN 987-1036-09-4

 

[chroot]

Originally posted by Rader
The why it was done, is embeded in inert primordial matter by the creator.

You just reminded me, there IS a reason I stay out of philosophical discussion. I can't stand the idiocy.

- Warren

 

[EvilPoet]

Homo blennus

the idiocy

"There is nothing in the world that can
give a man a sense of the infinite like
human stupidity." -Unknown

 

[Rader]

Originally posted by chroot
You just reminded me, there IS a reason I stay out of philosophical discussion. I can't stand the idiocy.

- Warren

If that was the case why are you here, just curious?

 

[Eh]

As long as we keep Santa Claus out of the discussion, there is nothing necessarily idiotic about philosophy.

 

[Guybrush Threepwood]

Originally posted by Eh
As long as we keep Santa Claus out of the discussion, there is nothing necessarily idiotic about philosophy.

why? maybe Santa created all life just to have someone to deliver gifts to...