Not Likely!
Created | Updated Sep 27, 2002
It's almost totally incredible that organic life on Earth is formed from a self-replicating molecule.
But that's how it happens. (Flat-earthers: please feel free to dispute this).
Now, here's the neat bit. Irrespective of how tiny the probability of the initial formation of a self-replicating molecule is, it only has to happen once.
Suddenly there are lots of self-replicating molecules, all self-replicating. That's all they do. Neither evolution nor deities have anything to do with this - it's just chemistry. Replicators will replicate. It's a chain reaction - exponential explosion.
If a molecule generated by the self-replicating process is inaccurate in any way, two things can happen:
1. The innaccuracy renders the molecule incapable of self-replication. No further generations of this molecule will occur.
2. The innaccuracy doesn't hamper the molecule's ability to self-replicate. Subsequent copies may therefore differ from the original prototype.
As soon as the latter case arises (and again, it only has to happen once) there is now more than one type of self-replicating molecule.
But that's how it happens. (Flat-earthers: please feel free to dispute this).
Now, here's the neat bit. Irrespective of how tiny the probability of the initial formation of a self-replicating molecule is, it only has to happen once.
Suddenly there are lots of self-replicating molecules, all self-replicating. That's all they do. Neither evolution nor deities have anything to do with this - it's just chemistry. Replicators will replicate. It's a chain reaction - exponential explosion.
If a molecule generated by the self-replicating process is inaccurate in any way, two things can happen:
1. The innaccuracy renders the molecule incapable of self-replication. No further generations of this molecule will occur.
2. The innaccuracy doesn't hamper the molecule's ability to self-replicate. Subsequent copies may therefore differ from the original prototype.
As soon as the latter case arises (and again, it only has to happen once) there is now more than one type of self-replicating molecule.
