Second Law of Thermodynamics shows that a spontaneous process cannot also revert spontaneously. This is because spontaneous processes always increase the system’s entropy. A uniform gas in a chamber will accumulate in a corner only with external intervention and spontaneous chemical reactions can only revert if external work energy is applied. Current models of entropy […]
Despite lack of observational basis, Darwin proposed Universal Common Descent (UCD) saying: “Therefore I should infer from analogy that probably all the organic beings which have ever lived on this earth have descended from some one primordial form, into which life was first breathed“. He also said elsewhere (referring to UCD): “…the littlest creature (or […]
Darwin’s “warm little pond” was first mentioned in 1871, years after his “On the Origin of Species” where he said: “probably all the organic beings which have ever lived on this earth have descended from some one primordial form, into which life was first breathed”. To this, “…by the Creator” was added in later editions. […]
Not quite news, but new enough to some of us, Jack Szostak from Harvard Medical School is “trying to build a synthetic cellular system that undergoes Darwinian evolution” to shut up once and for all the creationists and Intelligent Design proponents out there. Well, Good Luck with that! Szostak is of course driven by his […]
Life is everywhere around us, so abiogenesis should be a breeze. The environment is great for life, and we have access to all the [material] building blocks, including simple atoms, simple and complex molecules, full body parts, and “almost alive” (the recently dead) full bodies. We’re endowed with the human brain, the most advanced entity […]
JCV-syn3.0 is a new, 473 genes, organism developed by genetic manipulations as part of the Minimal Genome Project. JCV-syn3.0 is less complex than the 525 genes Mycoplasma genitalium – the least complex natural organism known. Contrary to some inflated claims to “synthetic life” and “created life”, the team has not created life out of non-living […]
Once again, water was confirmed on Mars generating a significant level of excitement especially in conjunction with the newly released movie “The Martian”. The reason for the excitement is the possibility of life: either Mars may one day become a human outpost or, even more sensational, the discovery of native Mars life forms. This second […]
Evolution is defined as (a) “Changes in gene frequencies in populations” or (b) “The process through which the characteristics of organisms change over successive generations, by means of genetic variation and natural selection” or (c) “Evolution is Common Descent”. However, (a) is too broad as every newborn changes the gene frequency in a population, (b) […]