chirality, is a subtle mystery of nature, more fundamental then asymmetry (something chiral can still have rotational symmetry). but asymmetry is interesting in in of its self.
how did asymmetry come to be in nature? there is a deep connection here to the origin of life. ("...life is asymmetric.") what initially caused something asymmetrical to form?
these quotes were resourced as linked.
"So far as we can tell, the earth and the universe are, as near as makes no difference, uniform, symmetric environments and there can have been no sophisticated chemistry proceeding during the early stages of evolution. And yet life is asymmetric. The process we are seeking to understand must take a symmetric world and from it create asymmetric life. Somehow, the earth's initial symmetry must be broken to create asymmetric life forms.
"Other theories posit that the chirality of biological chemistry arose prior to the emergence of life, either in outer space or on the earth. Supporters of space as an origin for chirality point to meteorite observations...
"Some observers look for an earthly explanation for asymmetry; for example, the earth's spin and magnetic field together create an asymmetric system that might produce chiral chemical effects. However, experiments indicate that such effects would be minimal. They also note that some rocks are asymmetric....
"Physically, at least, the human brain seems to be a symmetrical organ, with two, apparently identical, hemispheres. However, when in use, our brains exhibit a widely described asymmetry of operation, exemplified [by the way our right hand is controlled with the left hemisphere of the brain]."
2 comments:
"Nonetheless, while it is true that debate in this field is conducted without real observational evidence, the fact remains that an answer must exist. Life did emerge; an OOL process did exist - otherwise we would not be here."
i am surprised to think that you might agree with this scientist. "an answer must exist" hardly.
and do you not find it interesting that the author initially states that the earth and universe are symmetrical, "as near as makes no difference." dealing with life on a molecular level, it would seem that any asymmetry at all would stand the chance of making a difference, no matter how small.
science is always so concerned with starts and stops. now is the end, so when was the beginning, etc. is now the end?
i love your posts. so fun. that article was long, though.
i post not because i agree (although i can see that this particular post reads that way), but because i happened across and read. chirality (for your previous questions) led to that long paper (the whole technical side of which i did not complete).
any asymmetry, large or small, would make a difference, i agree. but how did it come about?
perhaps an excess of rational thinking can lead to pigheadedness. one could say the same for an excess of any type of thought or feeling. i wouldn't hold that against science in general though. science, art--too many unnecessary boundaries.
now is not the end, nor was the start of asymmetry the beginning. one however does find interesting the things one finds interesting. life or talk of life and its "true nature" intrigues me. i don't "believe" everything i read or hear; i read and hear and think.
glad you enjoy the posts. i appreciate your counteracting. keeping me on my toes!
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