Re: Life in the Lab -- Fox and the Nobel Prize

Moorad Alexanian (alexanian@uncwil.edu)
Wed, 05 May 1999 15:49:31 -0400

Much of what we know is what we assume by faith from others who know. We
cannot be experts in everything. That I am no expert in biology does not
preclude me from learning from experts, and not merely the proponents, that
life has been indeed synthesized in the lab. There surely must be a
Scientific American type of magazine that discusses such a remarkable feat.
You certainly are not an expert in physics but do know full well of all the
fundamental, breakthroughs in physics. I can see the headlines in the New
York Times: "LIFE CREATED IN A TEST-TUBE!."

I do not believe that life is unusual, but its ubiquitous presence does not
mean that people can readily go to be lab, thinker with chemicals and bring
life into being! It is easy to toss phrases like "life is simply a matter
of chemistry and organization," but to my ears that sounds as unfounded,
haughty claims--if not a nonsensical statement. Or else the terms
involved, "life" and "organization," are so defined as to make that phrase a
vacuous tautology.

Moorad

-----Original Message-----
From: Biochmborg@aol.com <Biochmborg@aol.com>
To: alexanian@uncwil.edu <alexanian@uncwil.edu>; chadwicka@swau.edu
<chadwicka@swau.edu>; evolution@calvin.edu <evolution@calvin.edu>
Cc: asa@calvin.edu <asa@calvin.edu>
Date: Tuesday, May 04, 1999 10:48 PM
Subject: Re: Life in the Lab -- Fox and the Nobel Prize

>In a message dated 5/4/99 7:08:42 AM Mountain Daylight Time,
>alexanian@uncwil.edu writes:
>
>> I am no expert in cellular biology.
>>
>
>Then why do you believe you know better than biologists whether life has
been
>synthesized in the lab?
>
>>
>> Let us assume that Fox made a
>> fundamental breakthrough in the question of creating life in the lab. A
>> seminal work like that would give rise to a whole slew of works
following
>> Fox's lead that would give rise to further breakthroughs.
>>
>
>That is exactly what is being done. Go to www.siu.edu/~protocell/ and you
>will find links to articles by scientists investigating protocells and
>doscovering new breakthroughs. One is that protocells are also
protoneurons.
>
>>
>> The scientific
>> establishment is dying to accomplish such feats and publicize it. I
>believe
>> that creating life in the lab would surpass in importance the two
>scientific
>> revolutions of this century--relativity and quantum mechanics.
>>
>
>Only if you believe that life is someone unusual or special. In fact, what
>Fox's work tells us is that life is simply a matter of chemistry and
>organization. That means that creating life in the lab is no more
spectular
>than synthesizing a protein.
>
>>
>> In addition,
>> if Fox could not get the Nobel Prize posthumously, then surely someone
else
>> would be deserving of such a prize? Who is that person?
>>
>
>no one who is still alive. Besides, Fox has so dominated the field that so
>far there is no other person who has done as much work or has made as many
>breakthoughs. And now that more people are getting involved, it may no
>longer be possible for anyone to dominate the field again.
>
>Kevin L. O'Brien