Posted inSingle Scoops
Thoughts on Benner’s “Life, the Universe, and the Scientific Method”
Does the neologism "definition-theory" have any value when exploring our understanding of life.
Posted inAstrobiology Life Origin of Life
Why searching for extraterrestrial life with a universal biosignature detection framework is a mistake.
A couple of weeks ago a group affiliated with NASA released a “white paper” claiming that scientists need a universal biosignature detection framework for searching for extraterrestrial life.
Unfortunately, there is a serious problem with the first part of their proposal.
Posted inAstrobiology Life on Mars Single Scoops
Benzoic acid on Mars. A 20 year old prediction come true?
Millan et al. just reported the discovery of benzoic acid in the dunes on Mars. Remarkably, benzoic acid was predicted 20 years ago to be on Mars as a product of organics falling to Mars via meteorite. And possibly ... life. Simply by understanding basic organic chemistry.
Posted inLife
Null hypothesis: the term ‘life’ is not needed in biology
Before we go any deeper in the Universal Theory of Life debate we need to examine the following null hypothesis: ‘Life’ exists only as a concept. We mistakenly assume that 'life' exists independently of our culture as a natural phenomenon, just like we did with ‘luminiferous aether’, ‘preformationist’s homunculi’, and ‘vital force’. A theory of life is as useful as a theory of ‘phlogiston’.
Posted inLife
Universal Theory of Life, a debate
A useful definition-theory of life drives research into origins and synthetic biology.