Author |
Topic: Science-Sponetaneous Generation.... (Read 2338 times) |
|
Mugwump101
Junior Member
 
Gender: 
Posts: 61
|
 |
Science-Sponetaneous Generation....
« on: Jan 1st, 2004, 12:46am » |
 Quote  Modify
|
Does anyone know any examples to prove or dissaprove that Sponetaneous Generation is real? Thanks for your time....
|
|
 IP Logged |
"When I examine myself and my methods of thought, I come to the conclusion that the gift of fantasy has meant more to me than my talent for absorbing positive knowledge. "~ Albert Einstein
|
|
|
Dudidu
Full Member
Posts: 227
|
|
Re: Science-Sponetaneous Generation....
« Reply #2 on: Jan 1st, 2004, 6:43am » |
Quote Modify
|
on Jan 1st, 2004, 4:54am, towr wrote:| I don't even know what it means.. |
|
towr, sponetaneous generation is the notion that life can develop from non-life (i.e. non-living objects can give rise to living organisms).
This idea originated back in about 4th Century BC (yes,yes, Aristotle) from everyday observations (and a "strong logic" of course  ).
I know that by now you probably want an example so here's one: people observed that when meat becomes rot, "suddenly" flies appers [bigto] rotten meat generates flies.
Hope this helps...
|
|
IP Logged |
|
|
|
william wu
wu::riddles Administrator
Gender: 
Posts: 1291
|
|
Re: Science-Sponetaneous Generation....
« Reply #3 on: Jan 1st, 2004, 6:50am » |
Quote Modify
|
Spontaneous generation was a false theory that living things could be spontaneously generated from non living things. This claim was motivated by observations of living things appearing near nasty rotting things, like maggots in rotting meat. A record of the theory's disproval is described here:
http://www.accessexcellence.org/AB/BC/Spontaneous_Generation.html
I remember Redi's experiment from grade school textbooks, but the others were new to me, and pretty interesting to read about.
In retrospect the theory may seem laughable, but it seems pretty reasonable to me in an era lacking the knowledge of today's science.
edit: corrected typo
|
| « Last Edit: Jan 4th, 2004, 1:42pm by william wu » |
IP Logged |
[ wu ] : http://wuriddles.com / http://forums.wuriddles.com
|
|
|
towr
wu::riddles Moderator
Uberpuzzler
Some people are average, some are just mean.
Gender:
Posts: 13730
|
|
Re: Science-Sponetaneous Generation....
« Reply #4 on: Jan 1st, 2004, 11:03am » |
Quote Modify
|
Ach so..
Then, the inevitable question arises. If life can never spontaniously devellop from non-living matter, where does it come from?
Personally I feel that, though rare, selforganising molecules may spontaneously spark life under certain circumstances.. (like in primeordeal soup)
|
|
IP Logged |
Wikipedia, Google, Mathworld, Integer sequence DB
|
|
|
Mugwump101
Junior Member
Gender:
Posts: 61
|
|
Re: Science-Sponetaneous Generation....
« Reply #5 on: Jan 2nd, 2004, 8:37pm » |
Quote Modify
|
Thank you so much. I kind of had the information already. If I was wondering if there ever was something that can prove Sponetanous Generation but I guess not. But What are life itself? That is a unanswered question... But thanks alot for replying and the information as well. About Redi's experiment. I really appreciate it!
|
|
IP Logged |
"When I examine myself and my methods of thought, I come to the conclusion that the gift of fantasy has meant more to me than my talent for absorbing positive knowledge. "~ Albert Einstein
|
|
|
Icarus
wu::riddles Moderator
Uberpuzzler
Boldly going where even angels fear to tread.
Gender:
Posts: 4863
|
|
Re: Science-Sponetaneous Generation....
« Reply #6 on: Jan 4th, 2004, 11:30am » |
Quote Modify
|
I learned about Pasteur's experiment in school as well. The reason for it was the idea that exposure to air was required for spontaneous generation to occur, and this would explain the failure of the earlier experiment to see spontaneous generation.
Pasteur's set-up allowed air to enter the flask without allowing air-born organisms in as well. This showed conclusively that even in the presence of fresh air, spontaneous generation does not occur.
|
|
IP Logged |
"Pi goes on and on and on ...
And e is just as cursed.
I wonder: Which is larger
When their digits are reversed? " - Anonymous
|
|
|
John_Gaughan
Uberpuzzler
Behold, the power of cheese!
   
Gender:
Posts: 767
|
|
Re: Science-Sponetaneous Generation....
« Reply #7 on: Jan 13th, 2004, 6:05am » |
Quote Modify
|
I think spontaneous generation, in the context of rotting meat coming to life, is not possible. However, obviously life on Earth came from somewhere. I don't subscribe to the idea that some amoeba came here on a meteor. I think there were basic building blocks of life -- water, protein, etc. and something gave it a spark of energy (precambrian era - not Aristotle's time  ). This could have been electricity (lightning), heat, whatever. A few billion years of evolution later, and we go from single-celled organisms to Americans cramming Big Macs down our throats 
|
|
IP Logged |
x = (0x2B | ~0x2B)
x == the_question
|
|
|
towr
wu::riddles Moderator
Uberpuzzler
Some people are average, some are just mean.
Gender:
Posts: 13730
|
|
Re: Science-Sponetaneous Generation....
« Reply #8 on: Jan 13th, 2004, 6:26am » |
Quote Modify
|
on Jan 13th, 2004, 6:05am, John_Gaughan wrote:| I don't subscribe to the idea that some amoeba came here on a meteor. |
|
Besides, that would only raise the question where that amoeba came from.. It doesn't solve the problem, just places it elsewhere in the universe (or multiverse if one wants to subscribe to the idea it was an 'interdimensional' amoeba.. Though I suppose in some science-fiction worlds you could solve it by introducing a time-paradox  (f.i. in one of the episodes of the science fiction comedy 'Red Dwarf', Lister turns out to be his own father, he travelled back in time and conceived himself (talk about having an oedipus complex) ) )
|
|
IP Logged |
Wikipedia, Google, Mathworld, Integer sequence DB
|
|
|
Icarus
wu::riddles Moderator
Uberpuzzler
Boldly going where even angels fear to tread.
Gender:
Posts: 4863
|
|
Re: Science-Sponetaneous Generation....
« Reply #9 on: Jan 13th, 2004, 5:07pm » |
Quote Modify
|
I recall a short story by Robert Heinlein concerning an boyish orphan girl with underdeveloped sexual organs. A guy shows interest in her just long enough to get her pregant. Complications from the pregnancy resulted in a hysterectomy, after which male sexual organs grew (a similar thing actually happens to some children in a family in Mexico: they appear to be and are assumed to be girls when born, but at puberty they grow testicles and a penis - must be quite a shock!) The baby is taken away by civil authorities, but then disappears from their system. When the newly-minted man confides this to a stranger in a bar, that man recruits him for a time-traveling organization. His first assignment: go back a little ways in time and get a certain girl pregnant... . The time travel recruiter (who is also the same man from a later time) spirits away a certain baby and leaves it at an orphanage about 20 years earlier. And you thought your family was disfunctional!
|
|
IP Logged |
"Pi goes on and on and on ...
And e is just as cursed.
I wonder: Which is larger
When their digits are reversed? " - Anonymous
|
|
|
John_Gaughan
Uberpuzzler
Behold, the power of cheese!
Gender:
Posts: 767
|
|
Re: Science-Sponetaneous Generation....
« Reply #10 on: Jan 13th, 2004, 6:38pm » |
Quote Modify
|
on Jan 13th, 2004, 5:07pm, Icarus wrote:| I recall a short story by Robert Heinlein... |
|
That story makes my brain hurt. Time paradox... brain overload... something's going to explode... ahhhhhhhhhhh!
|
|
IP Logged |
x = (0x2B | ~0x2B)
x == the_question
|
|
|
rmsgrey
Uberpuzzler
 
Gender:
Posts: 2873
|
|
Re: Science-Sponetaneous Generation....
« Reply #11 on: Jan 15th, 2004, 8:12am » |
Quote Modify
|
Experiments which took the chemicals believed to have been prevalent in the Earth's early atmosphere and oceans, mixed them together and exposed them to an energy source also believed present (UV light or a repeating electric spark - lightning - for instance) in small quantities over time-scales of weeks produced large quantities of "organic" molecules including several amino acids and the precursor molecules of DNA. The range of organic molecules produced appeared to be primarily limited by which chemical elements were physically present in the mix, and, while actual lifeforms weren't produced in the experiments I've heard of (conducted several decades ago), the direction things were headed seems fairly clear.
Of course, any proto-organism developing today would have to contend with high levels of free oxygen (which is pretty lethal stuff) and a high probability of being eaten by something before it could evolve enough to have any chance of defending itself, so, outside of controlled laboratory conditions, earthly spontaneous generation is strictly in the past.
|
|
IP Logged |
|
|
|
|
RIDDLES SITE
WRITE MATH!
Home 
Help 
Search 
Members 
Login 
Register
Reply
Notify of replies
Send Topic
Print