Could Blind Forces Build a Self-Replicating Molecule?

Intelligent Design the Future

Discovery Institute's Center for Science and Culture

Science, Philosophy, Astronomy, Society & Culture, Life Sciences

4 • 993 Ratings

🗓️ 10 May 2023

⏱️ 34 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

On today’s ID the Future, scientist and Stairway to Life co-author Rob Stadler and host Eric Anderson examine a recent PNAS paper on origin of life, “An RNA Polymerase Ribozyme that Synthesizes Its Own Ancestor.” A superficial look at the paper—and the paper’s title in particular—might give the impression that the laboratory findings behind the paper render the blind evolution of the first self-replicating biological system appreciably more plausible. Not so fast, says Stadler. Listen in as he and Anderson highlight various ways the laboratory work in question is wildly unrealistic. And for a video exploring the many problems involved in blindly evolving the first self-replicator, check out a new Long Story Short animated YouTube video, created with input from Read More ›

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Transcript

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0:00.0	I D the future a podcast about evolution and intelligent design.
0:12.4	For decades the Holy Grail for origin of life researchers has been creating a
0:16.3	self-replicating molecule, some kind of polymer that can make copies of
0:20.1	itself with the idea that once that is achieved, then Darwinian evolution can step in and
0:24.6	take over to build the first living organism.
0:27.1	But just how close are we?
0:29.1	Welcome to ID the future.
0:30.1	I'm Eric Anderson, and on today's show we're joined again by one of our regular guests
0:34.0	Dr Robert Stadler to talk about the origin of life and this effort to build a
0:38.0	self-replicating molecule.
0:40.0	Stadler received a degree in biomedical engineering from Case Western Reserve University, a
0:44.8	Masters in Electrical Engineering from MIT, and a PhD in Medical Engineering from the Harvard MIT Division
0:50.5	of Health Sciences and Technology. He has worked in the medical device industry for more than 20 years,
0:55.0	has over 140 patents, and is co-author of the book,
0:59.0	The Stairway to Life, an Origin of Life Reality Check.
1:02.0	Great to have you back on the show, Rob.
1:04.0	Hey, thanks, Eric.
1:05.0	It's a pleasure to be here.
1:06.0	Well, Rob, you sound great.
1:08.0	I know you're joining us today all the way from Krakow Poland,
1:10.0	so I appreciate you being on the show today.
1:12.6	Tell us what you're doing there.
	...

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