Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84 exptools; site iham1.UUCP
Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxr!mhuxn!ihnp4!iham1!gjphw
From: gjphw@iham1.UUCP (wyant)
Newsgroups: net.origins
Subject: Re: codes,designs,creation,intelligence
Message-ID: <418@iham1.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 22-Jul-85 18:51:35 EDT
Article-I.D.: iham1.418
Posted: Mon Jul 22 18:51:35 1985
Date-Received: Thu, 25-Jul-85 05:14:52 EDT
References: <32500041@uiucdcsb> <43@uw-june>
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories
Lines: 25

>     There is the Miller experiment, which attempted to recreated the
> young Earth environment, ran an energy source through it (a spark gap), and
> ended up with amino acids, some fairly long, in only two weeks.

   There may be danger in quoting the now famous Miller experiment as an
example of abiogensis.  As I have been told, Miller's original intention
may have been to demonstrate that organic compounds could be formed from
inorganics.  At that time, most chemists felt that organic compounds could
only be formed from other organic compounds or life processes.  Miller's
experiment showed one way that organic compounds could be synthesized from
a collection of simple inorganic compounds.  If synthesis is the objective,
then the trap used to recover the organics makes sense.  The Miller experiment
has subsequently been reinterpreted to indicate a possible environment for the
early Earth.

   A more telling argument for abiogensis may be obtained from a later
demonstration of essentially the same experiment.  I am unable to provide
a suitable reference at this time.  While Miller was the first, his may
not be the best experiment for demonstrating the possibility of abiogensis.

   Don't forget about the clay formation hypothesis for abiogensis.

                            Patrick Wyant
                            AT&T Bell Laboratories (Naperville, IL)
                            *!iham1!gjphw