"Here's what Stanley Miller had to say about Fox's microspheres:"
Hey, what can I say? Miller and Fox are rivals; friendly rivals, but rivals
just the same. Each is promoting their own model of abiogenesis, so each is
going to find fault with the other's theory. However, from a philosophical
point of view, Miller and Bada's opinion is just that: an opinion. What
matters is whether they can support it with evidence. If not, then their
notariety gives their opinion no greater weight than the opinions of Fox and
his colleagues.
"To help in the decision, here's an abbreviated set of directions for making
proteinoids and proteinoid microspheres [kids, don't try this at home ;-)]
:"
Actaully, a little too abbreviated; a number of important steps have been
left out. In any event, the ingredients include: amino acids, water (not
stated), a rock or other dry surface to heat the mixture on (not stated),
sodium chloride in water. The conditions include: heating and drying (the
last is not stated), followed by cooling, followed by active redissolution.
The procedure would be as follows: a solution of amino acids in salt water
is deposited upon a hot (100 to 200 degrees Celsius) rock where the water
evaporates and the resulting salt-amino acid crust is cooked. After the
rock has cooled aggitated salt water redissolves the crust, which is now
composed of proteinoids, some of which form microspheres. Easy as cake;
piece of pie.
"Hey, this sounds like a reasonable prebiotic setting to me, what's your
problem Art? :-)"
And when expressed correctly, it is a reasonable prebiotic setting: salty
seas subject to seasonal cycles of drought and storm, bounded by active
volcanic plains frequently covered by fresh lava, containing concentrations
of amino acids that occasionally get cooked on fresh volcanic rock when
drought causes the shoreline to recede, only later to be redissolved when
storms cause the shoreline to resurge. Heck, this sounds like conditions we
could have today.
Kevin L. O'Brien