HURDLE NUMBER 30. THE “BIOCHEMICAL PREDESTINATION” HURDLE
Some scientists have speculated that the DNA which “codes” for different proteins might have an “agenda” forced upon it by fundamental chemical and physical laws, and that this “agenda” might “naturally” “code” for proteins that will be capable of various specific biological functions. This would be “Chemical Predestination”. In the following quote Christian de Duve (Professor Emeritus at The Rockefeller University, and President of The International Institute for Cellular and Molecular Pathology) in his book Blueprint for a Cell. The Nature and Origin of Life (published by Neil Patterson Publishers, 1991) on page 217, sets out the case FOR “chemical predestination”.
“Life belongs to the very fabric of the universe. Were it not an obligatory manifestation of the combinatorial properties of matter, it could not possibly have arisen naturally”
My comment:-In fact, all the evidence suggests that that the laws of chemistry and physics are absolutely incapable of initiating “chemical predestination” that would create biological life-forms. Here are a few quotes from authoritative sources that completely undermine the suggestion of “chemical predestination”.
Now here is a quote from the book – What Evolution is – by Ernst Mayr, Professor Emeritus at The Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard University (published by Basic Books 2001). Page 272:-
“The pathway from nucleic acid (ie:- DNA) to proteins is a one-way street. Proteins and information contained in them cannot be translated back into nucleic acids”
(My comment:- In that case, the proteins cannot “feed back” to the DNA, “telling” the DNA what proteins it should “code for”, so as to optimize the organism’s survival prospects. The DNA has no way of directly “knowing” the “results and benefits” of the protein it is “coding for”.)
In the above quote, Mayr is expressing what is known as The Central Dogma – which is defined in The Oxford University Press Dictionary of Biology (6th edition) – under entry “Central Dogma” in the following manner:-
“The basic belief - - - - that flow of genetic information can only occur from DNA - - - - to proteins”
The next quote further undermines the “chemical predestination” hypothesis. This (paraphrased) quote is from Stephen C. Meyer’ book Signature in The Cell, published by HarperOne, 2009, pages 242 to 243:-
Meyer points out that DNA consists of a Phosphate/Ribose “backbone” to which are attached (by covalent bonds) nucleotide bases. The nucleotide bases provide the “information” directing all physiological processes in the organism. The important point that Meyer makes here is that adjacent nucleotide bases (attached to the “backbone”) are NOT (repeat NOT) attached to one another by covalent bonds. In that case, the fact that one of the (four possible) nucleotide bases is attached to the “backbone” at a particular site cannot in any way influence which of the (four possible) nucleotide bases will become its neighbor on the adjacent site.
Now here is a (paraphrased) quote from the book God’s Undertaker by John C. Lennox (Professor of Mathematics at Oxford University), published by Liam Hudson, 2007, pages 136 to 137:-
Lennox argues against the notion that the generation of genetic information is facilitated by chemical affinities between the molecules that carry that information. Lennox argues that, were there chemical affinities between the nucleotide bases in the DNA molecule, their information carrying potential would be drastically reduced. DNA can only “work” if there are absolutely no chemical affinities between the nucleotide bases. Lennox then quotes Hubert Yockey, author of the influential text – Information Theory and Biology.
“Informational macromolecules can code genetic messages - - - - (only) because the sequences of (nucleotide) bases - - - - is affected very little - - - - by physico-chemical factors.”
The next (paraphrased) quote is from Stephen C. Meyer’ book Signature in The Cell, published by HarperOne, 2009, pages 257 to 258:-
Meyer quotes Hubert Yockey (in his publication – A Calculation of The Probability of Spontaneous Biogenesis) (Professor Hubert P. Yockey (April 15, 1916 – January 31, 2016) was a physicist and information theorist.[1] He worked under Robert Oppenheimer on the Manhattan Project, and at the University of California, Berkeley.)
“Informational macromolecules can code genetic messages, and therefore can carry information because the sequence of (nucleo)bases or residues is affected very little by (self organizing) physiochemical factors.”
Meyer then makes the following important point:- “To say that scientific laws generate complex informational patterns is essentially a contradiction in terms. If a process is orderly enough to be described by a law, it does not, by definition, produce events complex enough to convey information.”
Now here is a quote from the book The Hidden Face of God by Gerald L. Schroeder, Ph.D. Published The Free Press, 2001:-
“The laws of nature that govern interactions among atoms are simple and fixed. They produce repetitive formations, such as - - - - - crystals - - - - Being highly repetitive, they contain little novelty. They do not produce the complex, information-rich molecules we find in life.”
(My comment:- The notion of “Biochemical Predestination” has zero scientific merit. The laws of physics by themselves do not necessitate nor enable the occurrence of biological life forms.)