THE ORIGINOF LIFE

Robert C.Newman

The Goal: What is Life?

Minimally, a self‑reproducing materialsystem

From Christian perspective, may be more complex, butneed not be.

Alternative Proposals for the Originof Life

1.Life has always existed.

2. Life arose by supernatural intervention.

3. Life arose by purely natural means.

Major Scenarios for NaturalisticOrigin

1. Organic Soup Model

Reducingatmosphere needed (no free oxygen, etc.)

Energysource to break atm molecules: ultraviolet, lightning, volcanism

Organicmolecules produced when broken molecules recombine

Organicsoup develops

Macromoleculesformed in organic soup

Reproducingmacromolecules formed

Cellsformed

2. Clay as Matrix Model

Organicmolecules

Clayas template and/or protection

Macromoleculesform on clay

Reproducingmacromolecules

Clayphased out

Cellsformed

Some Problems for These Models

1. Organic Soup

Oxygenin early atmosphere due to photodissociation of H₂O

Weaksoup

Wateropposes polymerization

Competingreactions

Handednessof life molecules (amino acids left-handed, sugars right-handed)

Randomness=> organization?

2. Clay

Farless research here so far

Competingreactions still a problem

Handednessof life molecules still a problem

Disposalof clay (switching horses in midst of stream?)

Randomness=> organization?

The Problem of Randomness ProducingOrder

Isit really true that if you give enough monkeys enough time, they willeventually type the Encyclopaedia Britannica? How many monkeys? How muchtime?

1. Monkeys Typing the text "ENCYCLOPAEDIABRITTANICA"

at3 char/sec on 33-key typewriter

3x 10³⁶ combinations

3x 10²⁸ monkey‑years

Canbe done by 1.5 billion billion monkeys in 20 billion yrs

2. Formation of a Particular 100‑Link AminoAcid

10¹³⁰combinations

Underassumptions given, 3 x 10⁴ combs/sec

Takes5 x 10³⁷ years within Hubble radius

So1 chance in 10²⁸ in age of universe

3. Van Neumann's Self‑Reproducing Automaton

80x400body cells w/ tail of 150,000 cells

At21 bits/body cell + 1 bit/tail cell

750,000bits => 150,000 letter‑word!

=>10 to the 250,000th combinations

4. Langton's Self‑Reproducing Automaton

Muchsimpler, but nearly trivial

Body:86 non‑zero cells in one of 7 states

7to the 86th = 4.8 x 10⁷² combinations

Plustransition rules: 190 specifying one of 7 states:

7to the 190th = 2 x 10¹⁶⁰

Bothtogether: 10 to the 233rd combinations

Conclusions

Naturalistic origin a matter of faith with many.

Life looks too organized to be explained withoutDesigner.

Bibliography

Denton,Michael. Evolution: a theory incrisis. Bethesda, MD: Adler and Adler,1986. See esp. chapter 11.

Gange,Robert. Origins and destiny: ascientist examines God's handiwork. Waco, TX: Word Books, 1986. See esp. chap. 9.

Kemeny. "Man Viewed as a Machine" in Mathematicsin the modern world: readings from Scientific American. San Francisco: W.H. Freeman and Co., 1968. See chap. 50.

Langton,Christopher G. "Self‑Reproductionin Cellular Automata," Physica 10D (1984), 135‑144.

Pitman,Michael. Adam and evolution. London: Rider, 1984. Distributedin the U.S. by Baker Book House. See esp. chap. 9.

Shapiro,Robert. Origins: a skeptic'sguide to the creation of life on earth. New York: Summit Books, 1986.

Taylor, GordonRattray. The great evolutionmystery. New York: Harper and Row, 1983.  See esp. chap. 11.

Thaxton,Charles B., Walter L. Bradley and Roger L. Olsen. The mystery of life's origin: reassessing current theories. New York: Philosophical Library, 1984.

Von Neumann,John. Theory of self‑reproducingautomata. Urbana, IL: Univ of Illinois Press,1966.