Re: What is Life?


<TomHendricks474@xxxxxx> wrote in message
news:d9ksl6$233v$1@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> g:
> It is difficult, I know, to look at a living cell today
and try to
>
> back up from it to a "first cell." That you are trying is
a good
>
> thing. Some of the difficulty lies in the fact -- or what
I am
>
> persuaded is a fact -- that we cannot have certainty
beyond
>
> some level as to what is going on in a living cell today.
That
>
> is, we cannot examine it closely enough to see what is
happening
>
> without disrupting what we are looking at (the
Schrödinger's cat
>
> dilemma).
> Tom:
> The question of the OOL is all uncertainty IMO. It's
definitely
> a new path. I don't think we should know for a certainty
yet.
> It's too early and there is too many paths yet to try
before
> we discover the correct one. Not knowing for certain now
> just means we don't know now. Later we may or may not.
> What is impossible today may become possible or even
> probable tomorrow. I tend to think we will learn how
> life began, and within our lifetimes.

There are indeed too many paths to consider and I doubt
there is a single unique one. This complexity problem is
daunting, and it not only necessitates determining the
complete list of parts and their function, but the myriad
possible interactions between aal of them! I think it will
take many human lifetimes to even catalog and outline _all_
the parts and functions of the simplest lifeforms, let alone
potential interactions thereof (dependent also on where the
line is drawn in defining "life".)


> You are right to caution those of us with scenarios to
make sure
> we are explicit in stating the hypothesis side when
> appropo and the fact side when studies are presented.
> And civility always helps. Also perhaps this
> saying - you can't reason with the unreasonable -
> pertains at times LOL

Stating hypotheses with all necessary pertinent assumptions
is the never-ending problem in all the sciences. Everyone
fails in this from amateurs to Nobelists--it's one of the
biggest problems in teaching I believe...clear, simple
language in describing/
designing models, scenarios, and even metaphors, would
certainly help also. I doubt it will change much in the near
future. ...tonyC


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