James Tour & Stephen Meyer Bring Clarity to the Origin of Life Debate (Ep. 1)

[Valin]

Jul 19, 2023

 

Have scientists created life from non-life? Is chemical evolution a plausible theory for the origin of the first life on earth? Welcome to the first in a series of four conversations between philosopher of science Dr. Stephen Meyer and chemist @DrJamesTour on the many challenges faced by origin of life researchers.

In Episode 1, Meyer and Tour critique the work of origin of life researcher Steve Benner. Along the way, they discuss the basic definition of life, the RNA world hypothesis, the problem with hands-on chemistry, and why the challenges facing origin of life research increase every year as our understanding of the cell grows. “What is being simulated is the need for intelligent agency to move simple chemicals in a life-friendly direction,” says Meyer, and researchers “seem utterly blind to the role of their own hand, their own mind, in achieving the results that they get, such as they are.”

(Snip)

[Valin]

Jul 26, 2023

Two-thirds of the public currently believe scientists have produced simple single-celled life in a lab. But is that true? Here we continue a four-part conversation series between philosopher of science Dr. Stephen Meyer, author of Signature in the Cell: DNA and the Evidence for Intelligent Design, and @DrJamesTour, a world-leading synthetic organic chemist at Rice University.

In Part 2, Dr. Meyer and Dr. Tour discuss the work and claims of origin of life researcher Lee Cronin. They begin with a review of the four classes of molecules before critiquing Cronin’s foremose reaction experiments and his claims to have found a process that’s analogous to cell division. Tour also discusses the importance of chirality, as well as how amino acids behave in aqueous solutions. Turns out that “warm little pond” story we’ve been told for many years is chemically implausible. The discussion rounds out with a reminder of the information problem, something Meyer writes about at length in his book Signature in the Cell. Have prebiotic chemists made any progress on the sequence specificity problem? None whatsoever, says Dr. Tour.

(Snip)

[Valin]

Aug 2, 2023

Have scientists made life in a laboratory? Two-thirds of the public think the answer is yes. What do you think? This episode of the ID The Future podcast is the third of four conversations between philosopher of science Dr. Stephen Meyer, author of Signature in the Cell: DNA and the Evidence for Intelligent Design, and @DRJamesTour, a world-leading synthetic organic chemist at Rice University.

In Part 3, Meyer and Tour continue their critique of the claims of chemist Lee Cronin, including his experiments on the formose reaction, autocatalysis, his attempts to conjure up lipids in oil, and more. Along the way, Tour explains how he got into the debate in the first place, providing some background on his interactions with YouTuber "Professor" Dave Farina and how it led him to call out experts in the field. Tour and Meyer are careful to remind us just what life is and what it takes to build it. And on several occasions, you’ll enjoy Meyer’s insight into the big picture. These simulation experiments, says Meyer “are actually showing the difficulty of making life-relevant molecules…via an undirected process.” In other words, origin of life researchers are doing sophisticated chemistry with multi-million dollar equipment that can only be done in a modern lab. In the process, they’re showing us just how implausible chemical evolutionary theories actually are.

CONTEXT

(Snip)

[Valin]

Aug 23, 2023

When scientists claim they have simulated early earth chemistry to create life from non-life, are they being honest? Enjoy the fourth and final installment in a series of conversations between philosopher of science Dr. Stephen Meyer, author of Signature in the Cell: DNA and the Evidence for Intelligent Design, and @DrJamesTour, a world-leading synthetic organic chemist at Rice University.

In Part 4, Meyer and Tour evaluate the work of chemist Bruce Lipshutz; specifically his work designing surfactant molecules that enable amide/peptide bonds. By itself, Lipshutz’s work developing synthetic techniques for doing chemistry in water is interesting and has value. But for those tempted to think that his work validates chemical evolutionary theories of the origin of life, Tour has bad news. Peptides don’t form in aqueous environments like water. A realistic prebiotic environment would not be capable of producing the reactions necessary to form proteins. And Lipshutz acknowledges this. In their conversation, Tour and Meyer discuss how Lipshutz applies hands-on chemistry that bears no resemblance to the likely conditions of a prebiotic earth. If anything, the work of Lipshutz and others in origin of life research is actually simulating the need for intelligent agency to move simple chemicals in a life-friendly direction. Says Meyer, “Even the modest movement they get towards life seems to be intelligently designed at each step of the way, and even the vocabulary will sometimes reveal that: ribozyme engineer, designer surfactants. Very curious!”

CONTEXT

(Snip)

_______________________________________________________________

My Commet

"I am a HUGE fan for  James Tour! That said he blew it in his "debate" with Dave Farina. I minute Farina called hm a liar Jame should have demanded the moderator (what a bad joke he was) have Farina apologize. When we wouldn't (couldn't name calling is what he does) James should  have walked off and told Farina "You'll  be hearing from my lawyers. But then James Tour is a MUCH NICER person than I. James Tour when in expecting a Debate. Dave Farina went in wanting an (on line) Flame War.

Farina's major problem is James Tour is a Christian. He represents THE WORST on Atheism On Line.
/rant #736,912