“The American people will never knowingly adopt Socialism. But under the name of ‘liberalism’ they will adopt every fragment of the Socialist program, until one day America will be a Socialist nation, without knowing how it happened.”

Socialist Party presidential candidate Norman Thomas


Tuesday, December 16, 2008

The mystery of the origin of life, solved by a couple of Finns.....almost

A couple of goobers from Finland have decided they know how life started from inanimate, primordial nothingness and evolved into sentient beings....there's just one problem with their method....

In a recent study called “Why did life emerge?”, two scientists, son and father Arto Annila of the University of Helsinki and Erkki Annila of the Finnish Forest Research Institute, offer some insight into the general driving force of life’s origins in terms of thermodynamics. As they explain, all organisms are composed of molecules that assemble together via numerous chemical reactions. Just as heat flows from hot to cold, these molecules obey the universal tendency to diminish energy differences, so that the most likely chemical reactions are those in which energy flows “downhill” toward a stationary state, or chemical equilibrium.

So far so good. But then trouble comes.....as trouble is wont to do.....

Although the researchers don’t speculate on the specific chemical reactions that created life, they explain that the molecules involved most likely underwent a series of more and more complex reactions to minimize mutual energy differences between matter on Earth and with respect to high-energy radiation from Sun. The process eventually advanced so far that it cumulated into such sophisticated functional structures that could be called living.

You could also call Abe Vigoda "living", but that doesn't make it so.

“The most important idea in our study is that there is no distinction between animate and inanimate,” Arto Annila told PhysOrg.com. “Processes of life are, in their principles, no different from any other natural processes.”

I've been in biological research science for 30 years, and the terms "don't speculate" and "most likely underwent...reactions" aren't exactly scientific in nature. Basically what they're saying is a miracle occured that we cannot describe, define, or explain but, we essentially know how life started. Further more, as athiests, we know that we are no different than snail darters, Papaya trees, or Canadians. We just took different evolutionary pathways.

Here are Arto and Errki discussing their findings.

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

I dont understand how people can be athiests. Obviously there is something more out there. If there's not, then how did the universe appear and why is there one to begin with, why not just emptiness? Not even emptiness, just not even existence? We are obviously here because something bigger put us here. I dont know why people keep trying to prove that we are just here and thats that, no matter how much we discover there will always be another question. I mean we should try to discover as much as we can but dont try and tell me there's not a greater being.

Anonymous said...

The existence of a higher being means that we are held to some standards of behavior. Many people don't want to be held to any standards. So they deny the existence of an omnipotent authority because that releases them from the perils of judgement.

Carlos, if you and I are wrong, then we just die and become dirt...no big whup. But if atheists are wrong, they end up burning in the black, fiery abyss of hell for all eternity. Kind of a no-brainer if you ask me.

Anonymous said...

Might as well be on the safe side right?

Anonymous said...

We atheists understand why people believe in god.

To me it's probably the best proof he/she/it doesn't exist.

Anonymous said...

Capt., please explain this proof.

Anonymous said...

Voltaire says it better than me:

If God did not exist, it would be necessary to invent him.

Anonymous said...

@capt. america,

So you think that it's in humans' evolved nature to need the presence of an intelligent, controlling being? We need to believe that we are not alone and that someone is watching over us?

Dude, what if you're wrong?

Anonymous said...

Yes.

Yes.

And your last question proofs my point exactly. Couldn't have put it better myself.

Anonymous said...

Capt where did the universe come from though? Do you not think there has to be something more than this?

Tracie said...

Ed - I think Capt thinks you are saying your only reason for believing is because you're afraid not to.

Capt - As an atheist, you don't understand. Experiencing God the way a Christian can is kind of like having children - you really don't get it until you've experienced it.

Anonymous said...

"Experiencing God the way a Christian can is kind of like having children - you really don't get it until you've experienced it."

This goes for people of all religions of course. But they can't all be right. Which proofs Voltaire.

I say they're all wrong. Which proofs Voltaire again.