In defense of RNA: you know about ribozymes, right? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ribozyme Life does not really respect a code/hardware divide.

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oh_fiddlesticks 4 days ago | parent [-]

The source code of life is recorded and transmitted using physical matter.

Physics very much matters to matter.

For development of any information storage systems made of molecules, there must be a supportive development environment.

To even start the process of doing anything like what we see happening in a cell, homeostasis must be achieved first, and not inelegantly, its not good enough to have a complete cell wall if it has no ports for entry and exit of nutrients and waste product, thats also known as a coffin.

Both the walls and the gates and the information / physical systems to reliably exploit those features must be present at the same time to enable abiogenesis.

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SJC_Hacker 4 days ago | parent | next [-]

Not necessarily. The primitive cell wall could have used other mechanisms. For example simple protrusion of the membrane does not have to resulr in catastrophic collapse, if done slowly enough membrane allows substances to enter and exit and still remain intact by closing up quickly after wall is broken

If you play around with soap bubbles carefully you can observe phenomena like this.

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AllegedAlec 4 days ago | parent | prev | next [-]

Congratulations. Now go and read the literature and learn how this might've occurred. You're not the first person to raise these objections. Biologists aren't morons.

	▲	3 days ago \| parent \| next [-]
		[deleted]
	▲	oh_fiddlesticks 3 days ago \| parent \| prev [-]
		Having read a fair amount of the literature, it's not that compelling. I would encourage people to stake their life on it, let's put it that way.

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tomrod 4 days ago | parent | prev [-]

I see where you're coming from, but I think you're thinking across too far over the boundary. Quantum mechanics aren't ordinarily affected by non-sentient life, they're just primitive to the environment at the macro level.

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root_axis 4 days ago | parent [-]

Quantum mechanics has no relationship to sentience.

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parineum 4 days ago | parent | next [-]

That's a pretty strong statement considering both facts that quantum mechanics affects everything and sentience is not understood.

	▲	root_axis 3 days ago \| parent [-]
		Quantum mechanics is a well defined theory and sentience, however you define it, has nothing to do with it. Your reasoning is akin to saying "gravity affects everything so you can't rule out it has some connection to sentience". It's a meaningless statement.

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tomrod 4 days ago | parent | prev [-]

Correct. My apologies that my comment was unclear such that from my comment's content one could not distinguish particle accelerators built by sentient life and woo-woo New Age claims of "The Secret" or manifesting.