Primordial stew, anyone?

[Wraitchel]

Scientists have concocted self-replicating strands of RNA, which they believe may  be a good model for the kinds of nucleotide production that may eventually have evolved into life 4 billion years ago. These RNA strands mutate and naturally select for the best utilization of available amino acid ingredients. It is most cool. http://blog.wired.com/wiredscience/2009/01/replicatingrna.html

[Will]

Soup's on!

I just read about this yesterday. This is another step towards providing a verifiable, possible theory of abiogenesis.

[SSY]

That makes me really, really happy.

[curiosityandthecat]

Isn't this quite similar to what Sagan was doing at Cornell?

[Wraitchel]

It is probably a continuation of what he was trying to do, but these puppies are the first to self-replicate not only with their complement strand, but also to fish amino acids out of the stew to go on increasing the population. The types which are most effective at utilizing the amino acids begin to dominate. Selection happens. Mutations happen. See where this is going?

[SSY]

God is fooling us to test our faith in him?

Am I right? Do I get a cookie?

[Squid]

For those interested, here's the full article:

http://www.mediafire.com/?kmn3rj5ryou

[VanReal]

God is fooling us to test our faith in him?

Am I right? Do I get a cookie?

 

Very interesting.  Viruses use RNA to evolve and mutate - HIV being a major player in that, for example.  I need to read the article.