If life suddenly occurred on earth why is this process no longer happening?

Question

I am kind of comfortable with the idea that seas of petrochemicals like those identified on Europa could somehow end up forming the most basic forms of life i.e. the ingredients are there. I am however fascinated by the problem that if life is an inevitable consequence of the right ingredients and an awful lot of time then why there isn't more evidence of the creation of life occuring throughout history. Could oil be less the remains of many dead animals or the breeding ground of life itself. Crackpot stuff maybe but I would like to know other peoples opinions.

Answer 1

Well I think you said it, mate. It's acombination of the right ingredients and a great deal of time. Not to mention, biosynthesis involves the formation of self-replicating populations of proteins/ nucleic acids. We reproduce this phenomena all the time in biochemistry labs. As to why this isn't observed in nature, well... life is already formed, so if you test a batch of mud and find proteins and nucleic acids, who's to say whether it formed spontaneously or whether it came from pre-existing sources like soil or microbes? In fact, there are so many microbes and invertebrates covering the face of th eearth that you'd be hard-pressed to take a sample of suitable material and NOT find life in it! The chemical process itself occurs in quantities too small to visibly observe in nature, so as a matter of practicality, it can't be done.

And as for new breeds of life forming from scratch, see Darwin. It wouldn't be able to compete with the strains of life that already exist and have evolved to high degrees of efficiency.

Answer 2

You bring up a good point, but first I'll address your question directly; the problem is that there are so few parts on Earth that are lifeless. Since you're looking for lifeless -> life, there's just not many places to look for it other than a laboratory.

Still, a lot of scientists have focused a lot of efforts on finding a second genesis, whether it's on Earth, extraterrestrial, or in a lab. The implications would be pretty big in any of those three cases.

Interesting idea re: oil. Although then you'd be describing a second genesis that's dependent on the first. And independent occurrence would be much more interesting and significant!

Answer 3

even as i trust that the universe is about 15 billion years previous, the sunlight is about 5 billion and the earth is purely somewhat youthful, the existnece of existence on earth has been round for some hundred million years and guy has been round for much better than 10000. To the better of my comprehend-how, the Bible would not placed any numbers accessible, purely the order and series wherein this stuff occured (and fairly properly too). it truly is my perception that the technique of the advent of guy in God's image turned right into a lengthy procedure which began contained in the sea and changed into achieved truly lately even as the finished product changed into endowed with a soul. This perception conforms to both the teachings of the Bible and the perception of evelution, yet similar to maximum of technological knowledge it is only a style which satisfies each of the evidentiary criteria. it will be that some medical discovery the following day will require change of this style, yet till that factor it is what i opt for. contained in the proper, it concerns little how guy got here into existence. All that concerns is that guy is fallen from grace, codemned earlier a righteous God and has been presented grace and mercy and forgivness if we commit to settle for. it truly is what's maximum significant.

Answer 4

Life is only a temporary condition. It happens everywhere. Stars in the heavens are born, life in the seas are always happening. Why question what is? What is is just temporary, and you make the best of what you are born into.
The first life on earth was an amoeba. A very basic life form . It is still happening and will for eons. Even after people are no longer here, there will be some kind of life form. Just hope it's not self distuctive like we are.

Answer 5

Life on Earth did not evolve in a 'sea of petrochemicals'
petrochemicals are a product of life.

The primordial seas contained a mixture of simpler organic chemicals that were produced from electrical discharges (lightning) or brought to earth by comets or meteors.

This process took literally billions of years and has been termed 'chemical evolution' since it occured before the first living cells appeared.

So it is wrong to say that life appeared suddenly.

Answer 6

maybe it still happens but we don't realize

the pre-life earth was not the same as it is now, in terms of environment. much more oxygen now, which is actually inhibitory to the formation of the molecules needed for life (oxidation is bad in biochemistry).

finally, if a primitive life forms now, it will probably be eaten in a matter of seconds. the first life forms had no predators. now that's not the case.

in short, the earth is not as conducive to abiogenesis as it was.

Answer 7

What are the odds that a bunch of 'pre-life' materials would be able to sit around for a very long time without being used by something?

Answer 8

There is a respected scientific theory that life first came to Earth in comets which could possibly sustain life as they are relatively damp and warm. This theory is called panspermia.

Answer 9

If you read more about scientific finding you will find that there are new species of organisms and life found everyday. Mostly in none human populated areas. So yes life is being created right in front of our eyes you just have to open them wide enough to see.

Answer 10

It is isn't happening and it never did!
The idea of abiogenesis is a fairy tale, with no scientific merit whatsover. The Urey-Miller experiment really confirmed just how impossible it is for life to arise from non-life.
http://www.creationontheweb.com/content/view/4111/

The only reason that people cling to this impossible idea is that the alternative is philosophically (religiously) unaccepteable to them. Namely Creation.