The REAL Questions of Evolution

Well, the conflict between evolution and creationism has made the media again. This time I saw a brief article on the BBC web site. In reality, this is mostly an issue in the US. Although, it's probable that there are many religious countries were it is not an issue and evolution just isn't taught.

Of course, the creationists, or "Intelligent Design" proponents, as they are now called, have many poorly researched arguments to try and discount evolution. I constantly find it interesting how much work they will do to discount the simplest and best supported explanation of speciation. Instead they continue to argue that organisms are too complex and therefore there must be a creator ... a being even more complex ?!!?! to control everything. The illogic somehow escapes most of them.

Not only is the ID position inherently illogical but, little known to most of the general public, the evolution position is supported by much scientific experimentation, expecially over the last decade. Not only can evolution of microorganisms be observed in the laboratory, but the fundamental molecular mechanisms of evolution are being harnessed to create new molecular species in a technique called 'directed evolution'. Directed evolution is directly analogous to evolution in that it uses rounds of mutation and selection to arrive at a species most suited to the environment. In the case of directed evolution the environment is controlled by scientists.

But, my real point today is not to dis' the IDers or to extole the virtues of directed evolution, but rather to comment that I believe there is only one real question (with a few sub-parts) facing evolution and when (and I mean when) that question is answered there will be little the creationists will have to argue about.

That question is the same that causes the greated weakness and hence is often the focus of attacks by creationists. Namely, how to go from inorganic to organic -- or, more precisely (since the early Earth at least had carbon and nitrogen), how to go from non-replicating to self-replicating. When this question is solved there will be little and creationists can do but to resort to a "trust the good book" position, as it would be clear that any other question would fall in place in a matter of time.

How to go from non-replicating to self-replicating?
This is the fundamental question remaining to evolution. But, as I mentioned, there are several sub-questions that will also have to be answered in the meantime. And those answers should also prove most interesting.

1) What set of conditions are necessary for this evolution?
Undoubtedly this should be a chemical transition with some selective pressure. However, is there a broad or narrow set of conditions? Reducing or oxidizing environment? Or either? Learning the answer to this question is a very important step on the way to the big question.

2) What conditions existed on pre-biotic earth?
The answer to this, factored together with the answer to (1) will allow us to determine whether it is possible that life actually arose on Earth or was carried here from somewhere else. Organic molecules have been detected in space and thus it may be possible that the conditions for the formation of early life may have arose in a foreign environment, either more extreme or more benign than Earth.

3) What is the mechanism for this transformation?
This question, presumable, will be at least 90% answered with the answers to the first two. The answer to this question is one of fundamental curiosity and significance to the origin of life itself. In addition, it could very well open doors to many other possibilities. Perhaps the knowledge could be used for seeding other worlds (as ours could have been?). This may also allow us to postulate on the likeliness of alternate forms of life.

I have laid the questions out in the order I think they should be approaches. We are nearing (if not already at) the stage where combinatorial techniques and directed evolution can be used in an attempt to determine the broad or narrow set of conditions that may be necessary for the transition to self-replication. All that is needed now is the will and desire.

Studies of the universe have suggested which elements and small molecules are, and likely were, common in a primitive solar system. Using these chemicals and a broad range of conditions (imagination should be the only limit at the first stage) creation of self-replicating system should be possible in some context. From there the conditions could be narrowed and hypotheses explored on the development and evolution of Earth-like life.

In all, the answers to these questions could be the greatest advance we make in the understanding of ourselves, life, and where we come from. And they are answered that I believe are within our ability to find.

Void Surfer