New theories could mean new knowledge

                Upon reading this article regarding a new theory about the origins of life, I couldn’t help but to be both excited and a little skeptical. The new research seems intriguing and possibly quite promising, but as it hasn’t yet been proven it’s a little quick to begin the celebrations. I will say that there has never been any doubt in my mind that objective reasoning would produce greater knowledge than blind faith, and this attempt at another new theory is simply a new development in a long line of attempts to uncover our origins.

                The theory suggests that under certain conditions, matter inevitably evolves to produce life. Under conditions where heat surrounds the molecules and energy is abundant, Carbon atoms adapt to more efficiently spread that energy around and discharge heat. We’ve found that life is possible in conditions that we never expected to be possible, like in extreme heat or cold. With this theory, we come one step closer to understanding how life is possible, and we come one step closer to being able to predict where life might evolve. I say one step closer because the article states that while the equation the theory was developed from seems to be accurate, we aren’t yet sure about what conclusion they lead us to.

                What always baffles me is the unwillingness of certain people to even acknowledge the work of dedicated scientists attempting to explain where we came from. Often times, these people are highly religious – people who, you would think, would be anxious to find out all we can about our earth. I recognize that what we don’t understand can be frightening, but in my opinion it is better to try and understand science than remain ignorant to new developments. That said, certain parts of the article went over my head the first time through, which is to be expected; most people don’t understand a concept completely after reading a single article on the subject. However, with cumulative background knowledge and continued research, people can learn things they never thought they could.