Re: Phil Johnson on the Second Law of Thermodynamics

From: Tedd Hadley (hadley@reliant.yxi.com)
Date: Fri Oct 27 2000 - 12:45:07 EDT

  • Next message: DNAunion@aol.com: "Re: Phil Johnson on the Second Law of Thermodynamics"

    DNAunion@aol.com writes
      in message <f7.400af1f.272afefa@aol.com>:

     <snip>
    > Experience shows us that the natural tendency IS away from the complex and
    > organized state associated with cells.
    >
    > First, let's start from the building blocks and see if we get
    > life. Take a single bacterium and rupture its cell wall and
    > plasma membrabe so that its contents leak out, but remain confined
    > to the area immediately surrounding the bacterium. Those INTACT,
    > PREEXISTING ENZYMES, DNA, RIBOSOMES, MITOCHONDRIA, ETC will
    > *NOT* reform a functioning cell. And the starting point just
    > mentioned is far, far above the level of organization that OOL
    > researchers have achieved (no prebiotically plausible mechanisms
    > for the generation of enzymes, DNA, ribosomes, mitochondria,
    > etc.).
       
       Given an energy-efficient tendency in life to evolve multiple
       dependencies among parts, as well as tendencies to lose structures
       or mechanisms that are not essential to current functioning, I
       would think that the individual parts of any given organism are
       far more likely to "die" on their own than do anything else.

       Take, for example, many kinds of symbiosis. Prior to the
       symbiotic relationship, the two organisms are able to function
       independently. After the relationship has been in existence
       for any significant length of time, however, the symbiotes will
       die if seperated. Dependencies have evolved and preexisting
       structures vital for independent existence have been lost or
       diminished.



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