ORIGIN OF LIFE.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1894, 31 October 1913, Page 9

ORIGIN OF LIFE.

BRITISH ASSOCIATION DEBATE. SCIENTIFIC "BLUFF." There was a very large attendance at tho joint meeting of the Sections of Zoology, Botany, and Physiology at tho Birmingham meeting of tho British Association, to hear the paper by Professor Benjamin Mooro on tho synthesis of organic matter by colloids in the presence of sunlight, considered in relation to tho origin of life. Professor Moore said that many chemists and biologists thought that tho problem of lil'o was insoluble and that it should )}o left to tho psychologists. (Laughter.) For some time he had regarded it as an experimental problem, and he .wished to draw attention to a step that had been taken showing tho continuity between the organic- and tho inorganic. Tho nature of tho investigation was eminently practical, • and it was worth recalling that tho whole work of Pasteur and Lister arose from tho attempt to solve the origin of life. They had shown, it was true, that''eels could not 'suddeny bo bred ill mutton gravy—(laughter)i—but while their main problem was unsolved they had closcd a fruitless path towards tho origin of life. It was necessary to start at a much lower level than bacteria, for in a world lyhoro there was not a blade of grass a bac* terium could not- survive even if it. had como from outside, having 110 organio nutrient material to feel on. Colloids, ho, continued, were complex chemical molecules. They became labile, that was to say, they could take up energy from other/ sources. Tho first thing they would do would bo to build up more complex organio molecules. The experiments he wished to bring before them depended 011 tho fact that iron in the colloidal state and uranium in the colloidal state, exposed in vessels of quartz to sunlight or to tho light of a mercury lamp, brought about tho formation of formaldehyde.' This ho considered, was tho first step from the inorganic to tho organic. Where matter existed with supplies of energy which it could make Use of it tended all tho time'to take more and more complex forms. The evidenco was accumulating to make this almost a certainty. The conservation of matter and the conservation of energy had been regarded as tho fundamentals of science, but the universal application of the principles had been somewhat doubted of late. Science in its progress shook off theories just as theology gave up certain of its beliefs. Tho conservation of energy only held between certain points and within certain limits. 'The largo unstable collodal molecule could alter carbon dioxido and water into formaldehyde. As this process continued, Professor Mooro argued, one got to greater and greater complexity, coming to tho living coll, a new chemical unit that took substances from without, and exhibited so-called vital phenomena. In this way one passed in unbroken continuity right up to sociology, and it was porhaps dangerous to attempt te carry tho process further. Professor Mooro considered whether ono should regard only the same laws as Acting throughout this series.. There was, he thought, a great danger of vitalists and iwnvvitalists quarrelling over terms. Ho argued that there was a gradual alteration in tho laws if one passed from ono form of matter to another. It was clear tisat by tho continued action of tho "Jaw of molecular complexity" life must- originate, that forms of lifo wero row originating, that' tho origin of life was no fortuitous accident, and that tho samo processes, were guiding life . onwards to higher evolution in a . progressive creation: ■

Why tho Sun Is Hot. . Sir Oliver Lodge oponed tho discussion, by saying that lie would express no biological opinion as to the importance of tlio paper. The synthesis, of organic compounds from inorganic material was not new. It had been, new in his youth, but now nearly all organic compounds could bo synthesised. ■ Ho agreed with tho speaker that now possibilities with the iiicreaEO of size and complexity, and oven with the increase of 6izo alone. A meteorite, for instance, of the size of.the Isle of Man or of Europe, could not have an atmospkore. The earth was just big enough to hold an atmosphere, but except for its size it could not hold oxygen, and therefore except for its size We should not be here. The sun was so big that it could hold hydrogen, whereas any hydrogen that became free oil the eartli gradually made its way to the snn. Further, it was tho great size of the snn that made it hot, for a pound of matter on this earth ivould weigh' a quarter of a hundredweight there, and the shrinkage, due to gravitation, made - it a. great source of energy to the planets. What took placo in astronomy took placo among the atoms. Even water ftself was a complex aggregate, and that was why it was such a powerful solvent. Complexity and instability were essential to tho appearance of life. By having a molecule sufficiently unstable, and supplying it with energy, you had potentially living matter. Ho had little doubt that this could be done, but- when the process was described as the origin of lifo the statement was unscientific. Life was of a different, Higher order than potentially living matter even if life entered it, for life,' wherever and however provided, made use of potentially living matter. If such nti experiment wore successfully carried out 111 tho liilwrot-ory it would not bo the discovery of the origin of life, but the construction of a physical, and chemical vehicle that could be mado uso of by life. (Cheers.) Tho Slessod Word "Colloid," Professor Armstrong said that ho was not prepared to accept the contention made by Professor Schafer last year that it'was possible or probable that wo should arrive at tho production of life. It was not within our power at present- to Express any opinion as to tho possibility of snceess. From the chemist's point of view, Professor Schafer had underestimated the difficulties. The dominant note of Professor Moore's communication had been tlio blessed word "colloid," and like other blessed words tlio term "colloid" Was , i-sed to obscure and wrap up ignorance. Ho had not, in fact, used a colloid. From carbon dioxido in water ill the presence of uranium or colloidal iron he had produced formaldehyde. (1 rofessor Moon}' interposed to point out that the uranium was used in tho colloidal state.) He disagreed with lrofessor Moore's statement that a »■«' terium. arriving on the earth, could not ■ havo found foot!; he had held that view, but took this opportunity of retracting it, instancing tlio growth of yeast cehs with tartaric acid and sugar and inorganic material. There must liavo been plenty of carbon dioxide in the earth's atmosphere and plenty of wntci. Tliero was reason to bohevo that tueie was a lot of reducing material. . it was only necessary to add a little magnesium find you got formaldehyde. tte now knew, in tho most absolute way, that all vital actions were directed aetioiis, the processes taking place much in the way that a dressmaker built up a dre c s. 'There was something of that in ourselves j every new growth was formed from an old pattern, and we had got to account for enzymes. Wo w-re not in the least, bellied by bringing in colloids at the initial stage. Dr. K. G. Hopkins, president of the Section of Physiology, expressed himself in sympathy villi Professor Armstrong. ' There was a tendency to make too much-of colloids in relation to life. It was true enough that they wero"one factor, but it was a bad tendency to attribute everything to. tliouv *b. Rub-

stanoes that Were brought in to explain nil difficulties. Praias&or Mooro's paper had implied that the synthesis dopendied on the fact that the material was colloid. Students of photo-syn-thesis knew that uranium acted similarly to chlorophyll and not tlio colloid condition that was tho essential element. Making Life. Professor Leonard Hill agreed with Sir Oliver Lodgo as regards tho dis-' oussion which -Professor Sebafor introduced to tho association last year. Supposing that it was possible to make this potential living matter, euch as sugars, - iats, and proteins, and supposing that we could uwaiigo these substanccß so that life sprang into beiiig, wo should not ill tjio least degree iinvo made life. Tho. living principle, or energy, pertaining to_ this matter would not havo boon put into it, but would havo cojno from outside.Wo should not mako life or bo anywh&ie nearer tho solution of the problem. Professor Hartog. speaking as a biologist, said that there was a tremendous amount of what■ might bo called scientific "bluff" in tho assertion that) thero was a'eoncensps of opinion among biologists 111 at life was only otio form of chemical and physical actions which could bo reduced 111 tho laboratory. Tho greatest men among biologists, ho thought, held aloof from that dogmatism, and to the laity they might give message that the masters 'were divided, and tlnit the preponderance of. weight among scientific men was against tho ©xcessively optimistic asseverations with which Sir Edward Sehafer favoured tho association last year. Professer Moore, in reply, emphasised v that what ho claimed' as original, was ' tho point of view ho had nut forward as regards tho formaldehyde synthesis. ,Ho replied to several of tho objections made, and emphasised that the colloids came into being tinder tho natural conditions that would havo prevailed oil the surfaco of the earth. It' was begging tho question to.introduce the ele-" ment of mysticism. Why should one begin to. introduce mysticism at the level of life P If tho chemists would explain why hydrogen and oxygoil united to form water tliey would htsvO done something .much greater than explain the origin of life. (Cheers and laughter.) ' The essential point of his paper was to emphasisa tho continuity thai existed from tho electron right up to man. (Oheors.) ' ' ' Tliough Professor Moore objects to the introduction of tho element of mys- 1 tieism to account for tho origin of life, • he does not take up the materialistic attitude. He has recently pointed out that after science has stripped away tho errors of religious sysfems, the kernel remains, and "man is still left" venerating the great causes of creation, and worshipping at the shrine of nn infinite and all-powerful Creator." In evolution as a wholo ho sees continuity, consistency, beauty, and. design. Thcro is a scheme in it all, and an eternal purpose which is ever progressing.- We' do not now know how more and mor« glorious things may yet be. . '