Seafloor Chemistry:

[Yo Mama]

Seafloor Chemistry: Life's building blocks made inorganically

http://www.sciencenews.org/articles/20080202/fob1.asp



Hydrocarbons in the fluids spewing from a set of hydrothermal vents on the seafloor of the central Atlantic were produced by inorganic chemical reactions within the ocean crust, scientists suggest. The finding holds possibly profound implications for the origins of life.

Well, I don't know how profound the implications of the origins of life are, when most people who understand evolution and evolutionary biology already understand and accept abiogenesis as the beginnings of life on earth, but having apparent actual PROOF of abiogenesis (of a sort) in the modern sea floor does put another nail in the coffin of ID.

Excellent article, I'd love to hear discussion on this.

[Bitchkoma]

I like it. It's like this other hypothesis:

New hypothesis for origin of life proposed (http://www.physorg.com/news115988029.html) Life may have begun in the protected spaces inside of layers of the mineral mica, in ancient oceans, according to a new hypothesis.
The hypothesis was developed by Helen Hansma, a research scientist with the University of California, Santa Barbara and a program director at the National Science Foundation. Hansma will present her findings at a press briefing on Tues., Dec. 4, at the annual meeting of the American Society for Cell Biology in Washington, D.C.

The Hansma mica hypothesis proposes that the narrow confined spaces between the thin layers of mica could have provided exactly the right conditions for the rise of the first biomolecules –– effectively creating cells without membranes. The separation of the layers would have also provided the isolation needed for Darwinian evolution.

What fascinates me very much about the above hypothesis is the fact that it involves mica. Why mica? Mica forms clay.

I don't know what the Christian or Jewish Adam story says, but in my religion, apparently Adam was crafted from clay. Now how about that?

[Yo Mama]

Oh, great, another way for theists to go, See? The Bible IS scientific. LMAO

[Bitchkoma]

It's just me own personal interpretation. I think true Bible-thumpers will vigorously/vehemently deny it. Heck, as a matter of fact, I doubt there are many others in my religion who saw the connection with the article I posted. Although if they did, I'm sure they'd find it intriguing (or deny it as vehemently, the way fundies do).

No matter. Just bringing in an intriguing connection (at least to me it's intriguing).

[Yo Mama]

I think it's coincidental, personally. The clay metaphor refers to pottery. A potter makes his things out of clay, and so god as the potter, made his things out of clay, too.

The synchronicity is interesting, however.

[Bitchkoma]

Could be. The thing with ancient texts is that it's very difficult to determine what is literal and what is metaphorical.

[Yo Mama]

Considering they didn't have any kind of science back then, no scientific method, and no knowledge of biology, evolution, or geology, let alone chemistry (beyond brewing and dyeing) and physics, I'm confident it's safe to assume that it was metaphor.