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To: Mark Felton
Why do molecules frolicking in the soup wish to reproduce and live at all? There must be a "life force", if you like, that drives the molecules to expend energy in the direction of reproduction.

You are a few hundred years behind. The details of biochemistry and metabolism are pretty well understood at this point. There is no need to invoke any kind of mysterious "life force" to explain biological systems.

And there is no "wishing" of any kind. A molecule that can "reproduce" is simply catalyzing copies of itself and be overrepresented in a pool of other molecules (isnt this self evident?). Get enough of these replicators to band together and you have the beginnings of a metabolism and "life".

25 posted on 02/10/2006 3:21:32 PM PST by RightWingNilla
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To: RightWingNilla

Get enough of these replicators to band together and you have the beginnings of a metabolism and "life".

They were a formidable foe to the Goa 'ulds.


45 posted on 02/10/2006 8:41:43 PM PST by moog
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