Louis
Posts: 6436
Joined: Jan. 2006
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Alan,
{thwack} Our Dawkins Who Art Mostly in Oxford, Richard be thy name...{thwack}
Ok enough funny.
I'd agree that in certain senses abiogenesis is a tougher nut to crack than evolutionary biology. But not in all senses.The senses in which I think this is the case are due to things like time taken for certain evolutionary processes etc. We can synthesise self replicating molecules quicker than nature can evolve them for example, these are things accomplishable in a human lifespan. So in some senses abiogenesis is an easier nut to crack.
However, as I allude to above unlike evolutionary biology in abiogenesis research we simply don't have the fossils in the same sense. We have a different problem, instead of lacking fossil chemicals in their entirety, we are drowned by huge amounts of chemical noise from which a signal is almost impossible to distinguish. We also have a really unique situation in that we have a really good idea of what sorts of chemicals were available on early earth and in space, and we have a really good idea of what is available now. We have a comparitively poor idea about which paths were taken between the two points! We do however have many great ideas about which paths COULD have been taken.
If you consider how complex a topic we're dealing with that's a pretty advanced state of knowledge. Granted it isn't a step by step process of what definitely, but are you sure you're not asking for something that you cannot get in order to avail yourself of the "poof goddidit" loophole? After all, we don't have a step by step process of the relationship between humans and out last common ancestor with chimps. Does this provide a "goddidit" loophole? Of course not! We don't actually need the step by step "photograph" of each link, the relatonship is demonstrated by different evidence. The DNA, fingerprints, footprints, fibre traces etc left by a burglar demonstrate his or her presence in the burgled domicile as well (in fact vastly better) than a CCTV picture. The emotional appeal of a CCTV picture is a different beast, but it is of lesser evidenciary significance.
I'm curious as to why you seem to need to single out abiogenesis as more friendly to the Beheian mousetrap ideas. More friendly in your personal estimation perhaps, but very far from being actually more friendly.
Cheers
Louis
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Bye.
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