The Idea of Life.

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

The Vatican's position is that life happens. Where does this come from? The Bible seems to indicate life begins sometime. Does anyone know the history of this?

[The world will shine with light in our nightmare]

...Care to elaborate?

[Kingpoleon]

42*

*Binary for http://www.theonion.com/amp/26592

[°Leprechaun]

42*

*Binary for http://www.theonion.com/amp/26592

42=222, but I don't know if that is a meaningful fact

edit: nor if it has anything to do with this thread, as I don't get Kingpolean's post vis a vis the topic at hand

[TJ in Oregon]

The Vatican's position is that life happens. Where does this come from? The Bible seems to indicate life begins sometime. Does anyone know the history of this?

There are obviously many ways of interpreting this question. One is to simply point out that from the earliest days of human history it would have appeared self-evident to people that life exists. If life did not exist, they would not have had selves. One can, of course, argue that life itself is an illusion, but that argument appears to have arisen later. The consensus view now (even among non-religious people) is still that our perception of the existence of life conveys information about real phenomena and is not entirely illusory.

The next possible interpretation of the question is that it refers to the efficient causation of life (ie. how did life come about). Here there isn't so much of a consensus view. Physically, we don't have a clear accepted mechanism for much beyond the formation of simple organic molecules, which then must have somehow come together to make phospholipids, RNA, and proteins. While we do not have a definitive scientific answer for this, that does not mean the natural phenomena of the universe are incapable of leading to living things.

Typically, Catholics will (but are not required to) believe that God acted through the natural processes to create life. Some Christians (Evangelicals tend to do so more often) will opt for a more literal reading of the creation story in Genesis and argue that God specifically created life through a miracle or miracles.

The details of this question are somewhat open to debate, both within modern science and Christian circles.

[Torie]

William Bryson, in his marvelous book "A Short History about Nearly Everything," observed that there is not even a scientific theory out there as to how life began in the universe. The most popular theory about how life started on earth is panspermia, but that does not answer as to how life began in the universe - it just moves the venue.

[Blue3]

I would NOT say that the most popular theory, it's just the most memorable. The main theory is that it originated in the steaming soupy waters of early Earth from natural chemical processes that only existed when the planet was much more molten but just cool enough to allow oceans.

[Meclazine for Israel]

Time is not infinite.

At some point, the space time continuum began.

Time cannot exist without space.

Life is the perception of that space and time.

When did that first happen?

Probably some sea organism like a coral about 550 million years ago.

[Small L]

Time is not infinite.

At some point, the space time continuum began.

Time cannot exist without space.

Life is the perception of that space and time.

When did that first happen?

Probably some sea organism like a coral about 550 million years ago.

What do you mean by this? It seems like it implies I was dead when I went under to get my wisdom teeth taken out.

[Meclazine for Israel]

The dizzy heights of philosophical debate are going to be reached on the Atlas forum today.

"Mummy, is that person in the dentist's chair dead?"

"No darling, go to the Atlas forum where a detailed description of what happens on a philosophical level is described by Meclazine to the masses on what happens to their senses during anaesthesia."

Life is the ability of a being to comprehend space and time.

In a purely scientific perspective, you have senses on your body such as sight, hearing, touch, taste, and smell. Your brain puts them together into what you call perception of reality.

When you are on the dentist's chair, those senses are temporarily suspended, but like the child who thinks you are dead, you are not.

Amazing. I know.

It's a simple suspension of your senses. After your anaesthetic, your sense are restored.

When you were under at the dentist's you were probably dreaming.

But many living beings exist and respond to events over time. Bacteria > Multi-celullar organisms > Primitive sea creatures > Coral > Invertebrates > Fish > Mammals > Land Mammals > Boom (2017)!

All of those things have lived since 600 million years ago.

Bacteria have been around since over 2 billion years ago.

At one stage in the Earth's history, we were only a sea of algae producing Oxygen into the atmosphere until further life could generate.

[Small L]

The dizzy heights of philosophical debate are going to be reached on the Atlas forum today.

"Mummy, is that person in the dentist's chair dead?"

"No darling, go to the Atlas forum where a detailed description of what happens on a philosophical level is described by Meclazine to the masses on what happens to their senses during anaesthesia."

Life is the ability of a being to comprehend space and time.

In a purely scientific perspective, you have senses on your body such as sight, hearing, touch, taste, and smell. Your brain puts them together into what you call perception of reality.

When you are on the dentist's chair, those senses are temporarily suspended, but like the child who thinks you are dead, you are not.

Amazing. I know.

It's a simple suspension of your senses. After your anaesthetic, your sense are restored.

When you were under at the dentist's you were probably dreaming.

But many living beings exist and respond to events over time. Bacteria > Multi-celullar organisms > Primitive sea creatures > Coral > Invertebrates > Fish > Mammals > Land Mammals > Boom (2017)!

All of those things have lived since 600 million years ago.

Bacteria have been around since over 2 billion years ago.

At one stage in the Earth's history, we were only a sea of algae producing Oxygen into the atmosphere until further life could generate.

So bacteria comprehend space and time because they respond to it?

[Virginiá]

William Bryson, in his marvelous book "A Short History about Nearly Everything," observed that there is not even a scientific theory out there as to how life began in the universe. The most popular theory about how life started on earth is panspermia, but that does not answer as to how life began in the universe - it just moves the venue.

I put forth the idea that life began in our universe when a wormhole briefly opened up connecting us to another, yet similar universe, and in the brief moment said wormhole was open, an asteroid came hurtling through, carrying extra-universal life, which collided with a planet and thus began life in our universe.

BAM. SOLVED.

[Meclazine for Israel]

So bacteria comprehend space and time because they respond to it?

Ba = Billion years ago
Ma = Million years ago

3.8 Ba - Bacterial life with no nuclei. Simple unicellular organisms.

3.2 Ba - Photosynthesis leading to the first signs of oxygenation

2.1 Ba - Eukaryotes - complex cellular life such as Algae and Funghi

1.1 Ba - Sexual reproduction began

550 Ma - Arthropods like crabs started to appear.

510 Ma - Vertebrates started to evolve. That is, fish.

430 Ma - Ordovician mass extinction event

370 Ma - A sea vertebrate crawled onto land - evolution of Amphibians.

359 Ma - Devonian mass extinction event

320 Ma - Reptiles started to evolve.

248 Ma - Permian mass extinction event

225 Ma - Dinosaurs ruled the Earth in a high CO2 environment.

200 Ma - Triassic mass extinction event

150 Ma - Birds started to appear

130 Ma - Flowering plants made an entrance

65 Ma - Cretaceous mass extinction event

200,000 ya - Human beings evolved

The extinction events are tied to periods of oceanic anoxia and atmospheric CO2 levels.

Dinosaurs endured very high levels of CO2 during their reign spanning 160 million years. They are thought to have suffered a catastrophic atmospheric issue caused by a volcanic eruption or meteorite strike.

Humans will most likely destroy the planet before we get to our first million.

So you have to give the dinosaurs credit. Their atmospheric downfall was not of their own choosing.

As for the beginnings of life, take your pick on that timescale.

Life on Earth for bacteria started ~ 3.8Ba.

Life on Earth for animals started ~ 550Ma.

It comes down to a philosophical debate on comprehension of space and time vs reaction within space and time.

I dont think bacteria had any comprehension of space and time, but certainly, they were very cellular systems responsive to their surroundings.

So that essentially could be deemed as the original life on Earth.