Project Home | Origin
of Life | Extent of Life | Future of Life
Feb 21-23, 2003
 Emergence
Hypothesis and Definitions for Life Introduction
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 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.
Read a discussion of this tutorial.
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.
Origin of Life | Worldviews
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