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From: ix415@sdcc6.UUCP (Rick Frey)
Newsgroups: net.origins
Subject: A few questions on possibilities and odds.
Message-ID: <2197@sdcc6.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 26-Aug-85 01:35:46 EDT
Article-I.D.: sdcc6.2197
Posted: Mon Aug 26 01:35:46 1985
Date-Received: Wed, 28-Aug-85 11:21:12 EDT
Organization: U.C. San Diego, Academic Computer Center
Lines: 41
Keywords: probability biochemistry organic evolution

I've been reading net.origins for the last two weeks and I must admit
that as far as structure, format and general intelligence of responses
and questions and basic respect for posters it blows away most other
newsgroups.  I'm a fairly frequent poster to net.religion (should I not
have admitted that?) so I've seen how poorly a newsgroup can be
structured and posted to, but this group is definitely one of the nicer
ones; assuming one likes to read about 250 lb. birds.

I've seen a figure floating around that I'd like to hear some sort of
comment on.  A guy with a masters in biochemistry from Michegan (I
think) gave the figure of 10^450 as the odds of life having been created
by evolution.  Supposedly this is a somewhat well known figure that
takes into account all the time alotted for the various reactions to
take place to start life off and then for the evolutionary process to
have gotten as far along as it has.  Not having access to alot of the
necessary info, I'm wondering what most biologists/chemists/??? might
have to say about this figure.

A second question this guy brought up is that the basic formulation of
amino acids and proteins is possible and has been experimentally proven,
but according to him, the next step, the polypeptide chains (forgive any
glaring errors, I'm an expert in neither biology or chemistry) are almost
impossible to account for.  Given the nature of the complexity of the
reactions (the need for a complex linking of singled handed chains in
order to carry genetic information) and the fact that most of the
reactions breakdown 10^5 times faster in water than they take place it
would seem difficult to assume organic evolution is how it actually
happened.

I freely admit that this question arises from a deficit of relevant
scientific information.  If it's a simple answer I'd like to see it. 
If it's a complex question, I'm looking for a good (i.e. accurate,
thorough), not overly technical (readable by someone without a masters 
in biochemistry) book that goes through some of the difficulties in 
organic evolution and speciation along with cosmic evolution from a 
scientific point of view (i.e. it doesn't have to jibe with Genesis).  
Does such a beast exist or would everyone like to see such a book?
   

			Rick Frey
			(...!ihnp4!sdcsvax!sdcc6!ix415)