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21-23 February 2003
Washington, DC
 Introduction
PART 1: Worldviews and the Origin of Life
Two main topics were addressed at the first workshop. The first topic was that of “Worldviews and the Origins of Life.” Under this heading, three presentations were delivered. The first, by Dr. Jack Szostak, addressed the ability to generate new living organisms in the laboratory. On the more philosophical side, Dr. Holmes Rolston presented on what he considers to be the six big questions of originating life. Dr. Ernan McMullin discussed early Christian notions of the origins of different kinds of organisms.
Worldviews and Origin of Life Introduction, by Matthew Shindell
Laboratory Studies and the Origin of Life, tutorial by Jack Szostak
Molecular biologist Jack W. Szostak, Ph.D. reports that scientists are using advanced laboratory technologies to break down the chemical beginnings of life into small, observable steps. When they complete the job, we will know more about how life may have developed from nonliving molecules. We might also learn more about how easily and frequently life can develop in the universe, and how living things respond to environmental change.
Read a discussion of the following:
Originating Life: Six Big Questions, Tutorial by Holmes Rolston
To learn about the origin of life, Holmes Rolston III said, look beyond the beginnings of matter and energy and focus on the development of biological information. His presentation highlighted not what science knows about the origin of life, but the questions it has not been able to answer.
- Read a discussion of this tutorial
Included topics are:
- The Origin of Information
- Probability, Possibility, and Contingency
- Information Generation and Intelligent Design
- The Origin of Biological Information
- Information, Planet Formation, and the Big Bang
- Unpredictable Surprises" and Convergent Evolution
The Origin of Natural Kinds: Early Christian Alternatives, tutorial by Ernan McMullin
The unanswered—and perhaps unanswerable—question of how the universe and life within it began has preoccupied philosophers, sages, storytellers, and scholars throughout history. By way of offering a context for the theological acceptance of the Darwinian concept of evolution, Ernan McMullin outlined some little-known ideas of the Church father, Augustine (354-430) on the biblical Creation.
- Read a discussion of this tutorial
Included topics are:
- The Augustinian View and the Second Genesis
- The Augustine Interpretation of Genesis
- The Role of Chance and Purpose in the Augustinian View
- The Multiverse Challenge
PART 2: Emergence Hypothesis and Definitions for Life
The second topic of the workshop was that of the “Emergence Hypothesis and Definitions for Life.” The first speaker on this topic was Dr. Robert Hazen. According to Hazen, the origin of life can be modeled as a sequence of emergent events, each of which adds to molecular complexity and order. Dr. James Strick discussed the history of the origin of life debate, beginning with Darwin’s difficulty in defining life’s beginnings and the Victorian debates over spontaneous generation.
Emergence Hypothesis and Definitions for Life Introduction, by Matthew Shindell
Emergence and the Origin of Life, tutorial by Robert Hazen
How did life arise? And how is it distributed in the universe? Emergence theory, said Robert Hazen, offers a framework for developing appropriate research instruments. The world is replete with systems that spontaneously accrue energy and complexity. These systems are known as emergent phenomena, and scientists are studying them to learn about how life began.
Darwin and the Origin of Life: A Historical Perspective, tutorial by James Strick
Rather than focus on the vociferous arguments of Darwin’s critics, James Strick has closely examined the debate that took place among Darwin’s supporters. “We expect a story about the new evolutionary science to include much heated objection from religious quarters,” he said. “But a look at how divisive the issue was among the Darwinians themselves is an even more complex and enlightening story.”
- Read a discussion of this tutorial
Included topics are:
- Division among Darwinians
- Spontaneous Generation and the Problem of Terminology in Evolutionist Debates
- The Popularity of Theistic Interpretation of the Origin of Life
- Information for Replication versus Metabolism
- The Urey-Miller Experiment and Public Response to the Origin of Life
Resources
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