Printer Friendly Version

Basic Worldview:
102 Atheism vs. Theism


Not Theories, Unsubstantiated Hypotheses 4

Prelude: "Atheism/Theism" vs. "Science, the Bible, & Creation"
Atheism: Introduction and Charges
Charge 1, Deduction and Induction
Charge 2, Question 1
Charge 2, Questions 2 and 3
Charge 2, Summary and Question 4
Charges 3 and 4, Definitions
Empirical Evidence
Scientists Acting as Mechanisms, Article 1
Scientists Acting as Mechanisms, Article 2
Scientists Acting as Mechanisms, Article 3
Occam's Razor and Conclusions
Footnote 1
Footnote 2 and 3
Proof of Life
Not Theories, Unsubstantiated Hypotheses 1
Not Theories, Unsubstantiated Hypotheses 2
Not Theories, Unsubstantiated Hypotheses 3
Not Theories, Unsubstantiated Hypotheses 4
Scientists: Life on Earth Imported from Outer Space
Atheisms Circle of Reasons
Is God a White Crow?



(Continued...)

16) "If there were lipidlike molecules on the early Earth," says Deamer, "there must have been membranes that would have predated life. They would have been just hanging around there as little bubbles until something came along to inhabit them." These bubbles might have engulfed early molecules that had the crude ability to replicate. The liposomes would thus be able to protect them from their harsh surroundings and concentrate them so that they could react (and evolve) quickly and efficiently. - Discover article

NOTE: Although it remains an "if" whether or not lipidlike molecules were around on the early earth, the author concludes that if they were, they would have functioned as membranes protecting early cells.

17) When he returned to Davis, Deamer pursued the "membrane first" hypothesis, experimenting with mixtures of three compounds researchers believed existed on the early Earth: fatty acids, glycerol, and phosphates. - Discover article

NOTE: Speculation of what compounds may or may not have existed on early earth form the basis of these experiments.

18) It seemed reasonable to think that these pools could have been the cradle for genetic molecules, and it was likely that liposomes would have sloshed into the pools as well. "All this organic stuff is accumulating on early beaches," Deamer says, "and the sun is heating and drying it, and lots of natural experiments are taking place that I'm trying to re-create in the laboratory." - Discover article

NOTE: The first sentence is phrased in such a way as to clearly indicate the speculative nature of the comment. Despite this, the second sentence conveys a sort of narrative certainty for these events.

19) One substance they have isolated is nonanoic acid, a chain of nine carbons, and they've managed to form membranes with it. Yet their membranes fall apart sooner than the ones formed from Deamer's original stew, which suggests that the true membrane formers are probably still hidden. - Discover article

NOTE: This statement demonstrates the failure of the compounds mentioned to form a sufficient membrane. Thus, the researchers are still left without any idea what their speculative early membranes could have been formed from. Despite this, they remain confident that some form of primitive membranes must have been available.

20) PAHs are unpleasant stuff--you can find them coming out of almost any tailpipe--but they may have made life possible on early Earth. - Discover article

21) It's possible, Deamer thinks, that in a similar manner PAHs could have supplied energy to early cells. - Discover article

NOTE: Concerning what may have provided energy for the hypothetical proto-cells, the author can only offer speculations about PAH's, both in regard to their availability and their capacity to fill this need.

As can amply be seen from the quotes above, the modern scientific view that life originated from unintelligent forces is mostly unfounded speculation. And the confidence that modern scientists, Atheists, and Agnostics have in this winding, ever-growing stack of untested hypothetical speculations is likewise completely unfounded. In fact, as these quotations show from the scientific community's own words and language, the strength of the "life from unintelligent forces" hypothesis is mainly derived from the presumed and prejudicial prohibition of the hypothesis that life came from intelligent agency.

When taken together with our article on, "Atheism's Circle of Reason," the above quotes serve to confirm that the modern scientific view on the origin of life begins with the assumption that life can come from unintelligent causes and concludes the same without any empirical support. In between their initial presumption and their circular conclusion is just a string of unsubstantiated hypotheses.


Sources

http://www.americanscientist.org/articles/95articles/cdeduve.html
September-October 1995
The Beginnings of Life on Earth
by Christian de Duve

http://www.discover.com/archive/index.html
First Cell
By Carl Zimmer