--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "PaliGap" <compost...@...> wrote: > > > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "Hugo" > <richardhughes103@> wrote: > > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "yifuxero" > <yifuxero@> wrote: > > > > http://www.thebigview.com/spacetime/questions.html > > > > > > > "Physics does not concern itself with issues outside > its own domain. For example, the subjects of biology, > life, and chemistry, as well as the phenomena of mind > and consciousness cannot be explained in physical terms" > > > > Biology, chemistry and therefore life can, indeed > > are, explained in physical terms. > > Is that so? I'm not sure that's the case is it? How > DOES the inanimate become "life"?
Good question. Chemistry explains the functioning of DNA, which is the interface between the organic and the inorganic, looked at one way it's life the other it's chemistry and how it works is becoming very well understood. But not perfectly as you point out. Ribosomes, the bits of cells that transcribe the genetic code into other molecules, have recently been found to be self-assembling. Which is pretty amazing, a major piece of the jigsaw. It isn't finished yet but the picture can be discerned. Finding out that the bits that make DNA actually make themselves is good progress. And in Darwins centenary year too! Pretty cool to go from bacteria to animals capable of discussing themselves in only a billion years. Mind you it was something like a massive global deep- freeze three billion years ago that forced the change from bacteria into multi-celled life. Otherwise we might be still floating around in the primordial sea not thinking about anything at all. http://www.rsc.org/chemistryworld/News/2009/January/09010901.asp
