Difference between revisions of "Abiogenesis"

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(→‎About: actually, let's distinguish between "abiogenesis" and "creation of life".)
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[[page type::article]]
 
[[page type::article]]
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[[thing type::question]]
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[[thing type::process]]
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[[type::existential]]
 
 
[[category:teach the controversy]]
 
[[category:teach the controversy]]
 
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</hide>
 
==About==
 
==About==
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[[Abiogenesis]] refers to the process (as yet unobserved) by which non-living matter first became arranged into living [[organism]]s. The event in which abiogenesis first occurred on [[Earth]] is more commonly referred to as the [[creation of life]].
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[[Abiogenesis]] refers to any process by which non-living matter becomes arranged into living [[organism]]s.
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==Related==
 +
The hypothesized event in which abiogenesis first occurred on [[Earth]] is called [[Terran abiogenesis]]
 
==Science==
 
==Science==
 
The predominant [[scientific theory]] regarding the nature of this process involves [[wikipedia:self-organization|self-organization]], simple self-replicating molecules becoming gradually more complex, and processes much like those seen in [[evolution]].
 
The predominant [[scientific theory]] regarding the nature of this process involves [[wikipedia:self-organization|self-organization]], simple self-replicating molecules becoming gradually more complex, and processes much like those seen in [[evolution]].
  
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Although it is ''consistent with'' the theory of evolution, it is not ''part of'' that theory. Despite this, lack of supporting evidence for a scientific theory of abiogenesis is often used as an argument against the (vastly better-established) scientific theory of evolution.
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Although it is ''consistent with'' the [[theory of evolution]], neither abiogenesis in general (nor Terran abiogenesis in particular) is part of that theory. Despite this, lack of rigorous evidence for abiogenesis is often used as an argument [[anti-Darwinism|against]] evolution and in favor of vague mythological origin stories with no supporting evidence whatsoever.
 
==Mythology==
 
==Mythology==
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Most mythologies include a story explaining the origins of non-supernatural life; these stories typically involve the existence of some supernatural life-form ("gods" such as Thor, or a monotheistic "[[God]]"), although in some cases the story is more that "[[it just happened]]".
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While most mythologies include a story explaining the [[Terran genesis|origins of (non-supernatural) life on Earth]], none have so far proposed a general theory of abiogenesis. Presumably whatever mythological beings or processes first gave rise to life on Earth could also give rise to life on other planets, but this is rarely discussed in the scripture of traditional religions -- presumably because the idea of planets as large solid bodies with atmospheres was not known of when the vast majority of scripture was first written.
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Norse mythology, for example, says that the first two organisms were Ymir (a "frost giant") and a snow-white cow, both of whom [[it just happened|happened]] to emerge from Ginungagap, the great swirling of frost at the beginning of the universe.
 
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===Creationism===
 
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The predominant mythologies of the industrial and information ages, the [[Abrahamic]] [[monotheism]]s ([[Christianity]], [[Islam]], and [[Judaism]]), all hold that a supernatural being called "[[God]]" created everything, including [[creation of the universe|the universe]], [[creation of Earth|the Earth]], [[creation of life|life]], and [[creation of humans|humanity]].
 
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In the face of scientific evidence showing more credible explanations for these events, modern Abrahamists tend to argue that while it is still literally true that God created all of these things, his role remains hidden from observation in that he is the reason why the laws of physics work as they do and the direct cause of key events not yet observed, such as the first organism (or the first self-replicating molecule).
 
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Many Abrahamists, however, insist that [[scripture]] (the [[Bible]], the [[Qur'an]], or the [[Torah]]) must be taken [[Biblical literalism|literally]]. Where such insistence clearly violates the available evidence, these beliefs are called [[creationism]].
 
  
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Christian creationists hold that the creation of life is accurately described in the Biblical [[Book of Genesis]], with [[God]] literally creating the first animals and humans from raw materials. (Presumably Jewish creationists would agree with this, insofar as the Book of Genesis is also found in the Jewish ''Torah''. Fortunately, there do not seem to be very many Jewish creationists; [[Jewish fundamentalist]]s seem to focus more on other issues.)
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Any theory which explains the origin of life by hypothesizing supernatural beings [[pockets the question]], of course, of the origin of ''those'' beings &ndash; which would be a far more difficult question.
 
==Links==
 
==Links==
 
===Reference===
 
===Reference===
 
* {{wikipedia}}
 
* {{wikipedia}}
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* {{conservapedia}} rephrases dicionary.com's entry on [http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/spontaneous+generation spontaneous generation] so that they can describe it as "discredited"
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* {{conservapedia}} [[conflate]]s abiogenesis with [[spontaneous generation]] so that they can describe it as "discredited". They are not the same thing, however.
 
* {{rationalwiki}}
 
* {{rationalwiki}}
 
* '''TalkOrigins Archive''':
 
* '''TalkOrigins Archive''':
 
** [http://www.talkorigins.org/faqs/abioprob/ Abiogenesis FAQs]: Articles on the Origin of Life
 
** [http://www.talkorigins.org/faqs/abioprob/ Abiogenesis FAQs]: Articles on the Origin of Life
 
*** [http://www.talkorigins.org/faqs/abioprob/originoflife.html The Origin of Life] by Albrecht Moritz
 
*** [http://www.talkorigins.org/faqs/abioprob/originoflife.html The Origin of Life] by Albrecht Moritz

Latest revision as of 21:49, 1 March 2015

About

Abiogenesis refers to any process by which non-living matter becomes arranged into living organisms.

Related

The hypothesized event in which abiogenesis first occurred on Earth is called Terran abiogenesis

Science

The predominant scientific theory regarding the nature of this process involves self-organization, simple self-replicating molecules becoming gradually more complex, and processes much like those seen in evolution.

Although it is consistent with the theory of evolution, neither abiogenesis in general (nor Terran abiogenesis in particular) is part of that theory. Despite this, lack of rigorous evidence for abiogenesis is often used as an argument against evolution and in favor of vague mythological origin stories with no supporting evidence whatsoever.

Mythology

While most mythologies include a story explaining the origins of (non-supernatural) life on Earth, none have so far proposed a general theory of abiogenesis. Presumably whatever mythological beings or processes first gave rise to life on Earth could also give rise to life on other planets, but this is rarely discussed in the scripture of traditional religions -- presumably because the idea of planets as large solid bodies with atmospheres was not known of when the vast majority of scripture was first written.

Any theory which explains the origin of life by hypothesizing supernatural beings pockets the question, of course, of the origin of those beings – which would be a far more difficult question.

Links

Reference

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