Does the Theory of Evolution Explain the Origin of Life?

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   To answer this question, it is first necessary to understand the two assumptions on which science is based. The first is that man can accurately observe his surroundings and formulate laws to describe it (the observable axiom). The second is that every event that has happened, is happening or will happen  can be explained by math, chemistry, physics or biology (the naturalistic axiom). Science requires both axioms  to function properly.

   Within scientific circles, the theory of evolution must be true  because science has no way to disprove it. When science assumes that all events have a naturalistic explanation, it also assumes that the theory of evolution is true.  The naturalistic axiom does not allow scientists to consider the possibility that perhaps God used evolution as a tool to create life. Science simply assumes that  this possibility is  false; As a result,  scientific experiments focus on how evolution happens not whether or not the theory is true.

  The naturalistic axiom allows science to do some very interesting things. For example, science has yet to figure out how life originated. Using  the naturalistic axiom for justification, this major flaw in evolutionary  theory has been quietly swept under the rug. As a result,  today very few scientists are  involved in origins research and the  origin of life will likely remain a mystery.

  Perhaps even more interesting, science does not have a plausible explanation for how the first genes and proteins evolved. Here the scientific community  has chosen to do   something completely different. Instead of sweeping this problem under the rug, they label any scientist who conducts experiments or develops mathematical and computer  models  to look at this issue a Creationist.  This label destroys the scientific credibility of both the scientist and his (or her) ideas and findings. 

    This behavior may at first seem odd. But there is a good explanation for it.  Natural selection and chance (even given 100 trillion  years to operate) do not seem to be able to explain the evolution of the first genes and proteins. This observation threatens the very nature of science because it calls attention to the fact that the naturalistic axiom might just be a faulty assumption.  The truth is no longer  important because the  scientific establishment must preserve the axioms on which it is based. Thus, scientists who do not have faith in the naturalistic axiom are labeled  Creationists and their theories about evolution  are dismissed as cleverly disguised forms of religion.

Intelligent Design  

Intelligent design (ID theory)  is science without the naturalistic axiom. The theory still relies on the observable axiom. But it differs from science in that intelligent design does not assume that everything has a natural cause. This allows scientists to examine the evidence and if they  see something that just cannot happen, they can infer design. Intelligent design is not science - because it does not rely on the naturalistic axiom.   Intelligent design is not religion - because it does not require faith. Intelligent design is a framework of logical thinking  based on the observable axiom that can be used to analyze scientific data. This site promotes intelligent design because it is in many ways superior to the theory of evolution.

The Origin and Evolution of Life

Chemical Evolution and the Primordial Soup

   This site explores chemical evolution (often called prebiotic or abiotic evolution) and reviews many important origin of life experiments. These experiments suggest that the primordial soup ( the primitive pond in which life supposedly originated) did not exist. Chapter 11 quotes  many scientists who have reached the same conclusion. The bibliography for chapter 9 lists many excellent  articles found in scientific journals  that describe the problems  with chemical evolution and the mystery of life's origin.

The Evolution of Self Replication

  Chapters 7 and 10 use the second law of thermodynamics which is defined  in chapter 6  to show that the first living organism was not a simple self replicating RNA molecule nor was it a self replicating protein. These simple systems while appealing on paper are not robust because they do not self replicate under plausible prebiotic conditions. Thus, natural selection cannot guide their evolution. Chapter 7 explains that energy sources alone do not help explain the origin of life. Self replicating systems must also have the ability to couple  their replication to  these energy sources. If they cannot, then the second law forbids their very existence. Chapter 10 concludes that the RNA world did not exist and that the first living thing was probably a simple cell capable of synthesizing many of the chemicals it needed for replication and survival. The concept that simple  living molecules do not exist because they cannot self replicate without violating the second law of thermodynamics strongly supports intelligent design theory. True self replicators are not simple molecules. They are complex systems that contain the ability and molecular knowledge (useful information) to couple their replication to plentiful energy sources. 

Natural Selection

   Chapter 15 deals with the common misconception held by most biologists that the extreme age and size of the universe offsets the poor odds associated with the origin of life. This chapter shows that ironically natural selection limits the number of tries and that despite claims to the contrary by most astronomers life is not something we should expect to find on other planets.

  I have also written a few computer programs to model evolution.  These programs illustrate how natural selection and chance work together to create new useful information. They also show that chance not natural selection is responsible for the creation of new useful information.

Intelligent Design Books

  Much of the information on this site  has been published  in  "Intelligent Design or Evolution? Why the Origin of Life and the Evolution of Molecular Knowledge imply design."  (view book's cover). The web site contains supplemental information not found in the book. The most important supplemental information can be found in this web site's blog, the intelligent design or evolution blog.

Copyright 2005-2006 Intelligent Design Books

The Galapagos Islands

I visited the Galapagos twice last year and once this year. It offers some of the best diving in the world. Because of these trips,  this web site is loaded with pictures and movies of what I have seen there. The vast majority of the pictures and videos are from underwater marine life - everything from batfish and sea robbins to hammer heads and whale sharks. Unlike Charles Darwin,   I plan on returning and will likely visit at least once a year for the rest of my life.  So if it is not already, this web site will eventually be one of the best places on the web to see the Galapagos. Almsot every page on this web site generates a random picture from the Galapagos,  and the header of this page has links to movies, pictures  and even a Galapagos slideshow. For those with high speed internet, view Galapagos videos here.

The RNA world - self replicating molecules?

Energy sources alone do not enable self replication. The car in the bottom picture has an energy source (the powerful magnet). Yet is cannot move because the car does not have a way   to use  this energy source. If the car did move, it would be a successful implementation of a perpetual motion machine.

Without the knowledge  to couple an energy source to the process of replication,  RNA self replication  is like perpetual motion. Because perpetual motion does not exist, any true self replicating molecule (RNA or protein)   must know how to use energy sources to replicate. In other words, there is no such thing as a simple self replicating molecule. Read more about  the  RNA world  here.