Phosphorus plays a crucial role in life chemistry. Phosphates serve as the backbone for all nucleic acids and are the major repository of chemical energy for metabolism. The human body contains about 11,000 parts per million of phosphorus by weight.
Prebiotic Chemistry9th International Society for the Study of the Origins of Life Meeting
Summary by Fuz Rana & Hugh Ross
A Fork in the Road, Part 1 of 2
Posted by Fazale ‘Fuz’ Rana, Ph.D. No Good Options for the Origin of LifeA Fork in the Road, Part 2 of 2
Posted by Fazale ‘Fuz’ Rana, Ph.D. No Good Options for the Origin of LifeAsk Not For Whom the Bell Tolls
Posted by Fazale ‘Fuz’ Rana, Ph.D. Reflections on Stanley Miller's Death and LifeAstrology: Help, Hoax, or Harm?
by Hugh Ross, Ph.D. To unravel any possible confusion over what astrology is, I would like to begin by establishing what it is not. First, astrology is not science, though a number of its adherents claim it to be. How can I make such a strong statement? Consider the following points: Biology Textbooks Get It Wrong on Life’s Origin
Posted by Fazale ‘Fuz’ Rana, Ph.D. Chemist Stanley L. Miller died in late May (March 7, 1930 - May 20, 2007). Biotic Borders: Cell Membranes Under Scrutiny
By Fazale R. Rana Although the Piscataqua River forms a natural boundary between Maine and New Hampshire, these two states have disputed the exact location of their border for the last 260 years. Maine contends that the state line runs through the middle of the Piscataqua River. New Hampshire maintains that the boundary lies on the river’s north shore. Blind Faith Fuels Origin-of-life Quest: A Report on ISSOL '99
by Fazale Rana The biological community’s mindlock on a natural-process origin of life seems to hold, but its irrationality becomes increasingly obvious with time. Hugh Ross and I made this observation as we spent time recently among some of the most distinguished scholars in the origin-of-life ranks at the combined 12th International Conference on the Origin of Life and the 9th ISSOL (International Society for the Study of the Origin of Life) meeting at the University of California, San Diego.
Carbon Monoxide Kills Hopes for Primordial Soup
By Fuz Rana, Ph.D. Carbon monoxide (CO), a toxic gas that quickly causes death, is the ironic focus of a recent attempt by some researchers to resuscitate ailing naturalistic explanations for life’s origin. However, at the latest pulse check, that attempt appears vain. Carbon Monoxide Kills Hopes for Priomordial Soup
By Fuz Rana, Ph.D. Carbon monoxide (CO), a toxic gas that quickly causes death, is the ironic focus of a recent attempt by some researchers to resuscitate ailing naturalistic explanations for life’s origin. However, at the latest pulse check, that attempt appears vain.
Do Humans and Chimps Belong In The Same Genus?
Fazale (Fuz) Rana, Ph.D. A recent scientific study created a stir by asserting that humans and chimpanzees belong to the same genus.1 Morris Goodman, an evolutionary biologist from Wayne State University, and his research team generated this excitement when they compared human and chimpanzee genes.2 Does the Probability for ETI = 1?
12/3/2007 Earlier this fall (September 25) I had a three-minute debate on Mancow’s Morning Madhouse, a nationally syndicated radio show, on the topic “Is there scientific evidence for intelligent life in the universe?” My debate opponent was Amir Aczel, a nationally known mathematician and best-selling author. Explanation for Origin-of-Life’s Molecular Handedness is Insoluble
Posted by Fazale ‘Fuz’ Rana, Ph.D. Another Mechanism to Explain Origin of Homochirality Questioned Grave Concern about Metabolism First Origin-of-Life Scenarios
Posted by Fazale ‘Fuz’ Rana, Ph.D. Metabolic Cycles on Early Earth Deemed Implausible by Famous Origin-of-Life Researcher Ideal Biomarker
by Hugh Ross Astrobiology still ranks as the only data-free discipline in science. Part of the problem is that in their search for signs of present or past existing life beyond planet Earth, astrobiologists have been attempting to detect biomarker molecules that already are known to yield ambiguous results. Interstellar Rocks Miss the Mark
4/1/2001 Where, when, and how did life originate? Answers to these questions prove more elusive than ever to the science community—specifically to those who demand a naturalistic answer. Is Life Possible on a Moon?
12/10/2007 A team of American astronomers recently announced the discovery of the first known planet outside our solar system to spend its entire orbit within the “habitable zone.”1 When astronomers talk about a habitable zone for a planet they simply mean that the planet is orbiting within that distance from its star where surface liquid water would be possible–assuming the atmosphere of the planet is fine-tuned so as to trap the just right amount of heat from the planet’s star. Life on Titan?
by Hugh Ross Members of the Cassini-Huygens mission to Saturn’s moons have published the first of their findings from the second close flyby by the planetary probe of Saturn’s largest moon, Titan. They announced that they had found evidence that Titan might possess a liquid water ocean below several tens of kilometers of surface ice Mars: Evidence for E.T. or Confirmation of Design?
A review of the data by Dr. Hugh Ross Interest in the highly publicized Martian meteorite, ALH84001, still runs high. Ordinarily I would be thrilled to see science news make headlines for months on end. But in this case, I see a serious distortion of science and tabloid-like treatment in reputable news media; signs of the times, perhaps. Miller-Urey Redo
Posted by Fazale ‘Fuz’ Rana, Ph.D. Discovery of Old Lab Vials Erupts New Interest in a Famous Origin-of-Life Experiment Natural Nucleobase Synthesis?
by Hugh Ross The replicating molecules of life (DNA and RNA) are composed of different nucleobase molecules linked together by phosphates and five-carbon sugars.
Natural Sugar Synthesis?
by Hugh Ross Compulsory features for the replicating molecules of life (DNA and RNA) include five-carbon sugars, namely deoxyribose for DNA and ribose for RNA. These sugars form the backbone of DNA and RNA. Thus, for a naturalistic explanation for the origin of life to become a possibility, some nonbiological source of five-carbon sugars must be found. Origin-of-Life Predictions Face Off: Evolution vs. Biblical Creation
By Dr. Fazale Rana When addressing the challenges that naturalistic origin-of-life scenarios present to their faith, Christians often point to the many problems facing origin-of-life researchers. But just pointing out the problems with the evolutionary origin-of-life models has alienated secular scientists, and has, in fact, driven many scientists away from Christ. Photosynthesis Is Not Enough
9/22/2008 After the first appearance of life on Earth, the Great Oxygenation Event marked the biggest chemical transformation of the planet. This event occurred approximately 2.4 billion years ago. The oxygen content of Earth’s atmosphere rose from just one thousandth of a percent (10-5) of its present level (about 21 percent of the total volume of the atmosphere) to several percent of its present level. Pieces of the RNA World, Part 1 (of 2)
New Research Rescues RNA World Scenario for Origin of Life, Or Does It? Sometimes bad things happen in life and the best we can do is pick up the pieces and move on. Recently a team of Italian biochemists did just that, literally. These researchers claimed to have discovered a solution to a serious problem confronting the RNA world hypothesis, one of the leading evolutionary explanations for the origin of life. Pieces of the RNA World, Part 2 (of 2)
New Research Rescues RNA World Scenario for Origin of Life, Or Does It? When you're gambling and losing, one quick way to turn your fortunes around (or make matters even worse for yourself) is to... Rescuing the RNA World?, Part 1 (of 2)
I remember watching Dudley Do-Right on Saturday mornings as a kid. A member of the... Rescuing the RNA World?, Part 2 (of 2)
Last week I mentioned how much I enjoyed watching Dudley Do-Right on... Sea Vents Closed as Life-Origin Site
By Fazale R. Rana A mile and a half down, beyond the reach of sunlight, volcanic geysers spew 400°C water into the oceans. Life teems around these deep, hidden vents—pink sea cucumbers, eyeless shrimp, tubeworms, and more—creating underwater communities. Search for Reservoirs of the Building Blocks of Life
by Hugh Ross Less than a two-hour drive from Reasons To Believe’s headquarters is an amusement park called Legoland, where one can gaze at amazingly complex structures built from a rather small set of simple building blocks called Legos. Even the simplest life-form is orders of magnitude more complicated than anything on display at Legoland. Nevertheless, like the Legoland structures, life molecules are assemblages of a relatively small set of comparatively simple molecules. Stanley Miller and His Experiments
Some time back, we were recoding a series of new episodes for our podcast I Didn't Know That!. (This is the program where members of the RTB scholar team answer your email questions.) One of the queries directed... The Oxygen–Antioxidant Paradox
by Hugh Ross The oxygen-antioxidant paradox seriously challenges all naturalistic models attempting to explain the history of life on Earth. Consequently, confirming its validity would do much to establish a biblical creation model. The results of a recent test have provided that validity. Through the Glass Darkly
Posted by Fazale ‘Fuz’ Rana, Ph.D. Mechanism to Explain Origin of Homochirality Questioned Too Much Sulfur
10/6/2008 Recent studies conducted on Venus and Mars illustrate just how carefully fine-tuned a planet’s abundance of sulfur must be for life to be possible. Sulfur plays a crucial role in life chemistry. This fact became personal for me a year ago when I was diagnosed as sulfur deficient. Many protein functions crucially depend on sulfur. Fortunately, most agricultural soils contain plenty of sulfur that vegetables, like onions and garlic, readily absorb. Water, Water, Everywhere…
By Hugh Ross, Ph.D. Without water life is impossible. Without "drinkable" (liquid) water, life is still impossible. The problem with water in the universe is perhaps best depicted in Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s epic poem, The Rime of the Ancient Mariner: "Water, water every where / Nor any drop to drink." Why We Need to Return to the Moon
5/28/2007 I vividly recall sitting up all night with a dozen other astronomy students as we watched live on television the first men walk on the moon. The Apollo missions were more than just television spectaculars, however. The Apollo program helped us solve the mystery of the moon’s origin and helped establish how amazingly designed the moon is for the support of advanced life on Earth. Our books The Creator and the Cosmos and Origins of Life tell the story. Prebiotic ChemistryPrebiotic Chemistry |