Many distinguished scientists proclaim that the universe is teeming with life, at least some of it intelligent. Biologist Christian de Duve went so far as to call life “a cosmic imperative.” Yet the science has hardly changed. We are almost as much in the dark today about the pathway from nonlife to life as Charles Darwin was when he wrote, “It is mere rubbish thinking at present of the origin of life; one might as well think of the origin of matter.”
There is no doubt that SETI—the search for extraterrestrial intelligence—has received a huge fillip from the recent discovery of hundreds of extrasolar planets. Astronomers think there could be billions of Earth-like planets in our galaxy alone. Clearly, there is no lack of habitable real estate out there. Yet because we do not know the process that transformed a mishmash of chemicals into a living cell, with all its staggering complexity, it is impossible to calculate the probability that life has actually arisen on these planets. More.
Yes, that’s the trouble. And where would one look? It’s hard to know where to look when one knows next to nothing about what to look for or where.
Davies offers an interesting suggestion: If the “easy extra-terrestrial OOL” people are correct, we should find “alien” life here on Earth too.
For that matter, why shouldn’t we find “half” life?
Note: for these purposes, devolution (viruses as former independent life) doesn’t count. Anything that is on the way out, as opposed to on the way in, doesn’t count.
Anyway, maybe there is a certain grandeur in all that loneliness.
See also: Does Moore’s Law apply to origin of life? Of course, Moore’s Law is fuelled by intelligent design. If people can live with that fact, we might be on to something here.
Devolution: Getting back to the simple life
and
What we know and don’t know about the origin of life
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Davies stated that
And indeed the probabilities for ‘simple’ life spontaneously emerging have not gotten any better since the 1960s:
Davies also states:
Although many exoplanets have been discovered, the ‘habitable real estate’ has not increased. The odds against a habitable planet spontaneously happening somewhere in the universe dwarf that 10^23 number also:
As you pointed out News, Davies goes on to suggest looking for ‘life as we do not know it’,,
I agree that we should look for ‘life as we do not know it’, but I suggest looking a little higher than the heavens and the earth for that new form of life
God, who created heaven and earth, certainly does not hide from those who sincerely seek Him.
I would think that personally hearing from the Creator of the universe would be a lot more exciting than not communicating with some little green men that in all realistic probability, given naturalism, do not even exist.
semi OT:
The fifth miracle , book of Davies about the OOL would be one of the foremost ID books, if Davies would be coherent in the conclusions of the scientific evidence he presents in such a clear and succint manner. But since he is commited to naturalism, there is a strange abyss between the amazing evidence that points to design in his book, and his strange inferences and conclusions.