The Emergence of Life

The Emergence of Life
Date: Tuesday, February 26, 2019
Time: 5:30 pm-7:00 pm
Location: Burr and Burton Academy, Hunter Seminar Room
Fee: $15 in advance; $20 at the door

GUEST SPEAKER:

George H. Shaw

John and Jane Wold
Professor of Geology
Union College

The transition from inanimate molecular mixes to something we would agree is “alive” is one of the most profound events that have occurred on Earth (or elsewhere in the universe). Perhaps the key point is the development of a self-replicating system capable of transmitting information content useful in maintaining the integrity of the system. Based on what we know about modern living systems, two questions immediately arise. First… How do we get sufficient amounts and concentrations of essential raw materials (pre-biotic compounds) such that the formation of self-contained systems has a reasonable chance of emerging? Second… Is there anything in current living systems that may be construed as representative (or critical) to the emergence of life? The answer to the former question depends on the nature of Earth’s earliest surface environment, principally because it appears that life emerged surprisingly early in Earth’s history. The answer to the second may be found in the details of how life “works” at present, provided some “fossil” remnants remain for us to detect. This talk addresses both of these questions and provides some tentative answers (or guesses).