Described as "one of the world's most respected  microbiologists" on the jacket of his hardcover book in our local library, Professor Franklin Harold of Colorado State University  has included some fascinating observations In his book The Way of the Cell on the topic of abiogenesis, or the scientific hypothesis about the origin of life. If one cares about the mini-reviews on the back cover, they would seem to lend credibility to his claim of expertise on the subject, given the enthusiastic endorsement of his book by renowned biologist Lynn Margulis. Dr. Harold appears to be imminently qualified to write about the subject in question. In my opinion, his chapter titled "Searching for the beginning" is so remarkable we should start at its beginning. Professor Harold writes, Of all the unsolved mysteries remaining in science, the most consequential may be the origin of life.  This opinion is bound to strike many readers as overblown, to put it mildly.  Should we not rank the Big Bang, life in the cosmos, and the nature of consciousness on at least an equal plane? My reason for placing the origin of life at the top of the agenda is that resolution of this question is required in order to anchor living organisms securely in the real world of matter and energy, and thus relieve the lingering anxiety as to whether we have read nature's book correctly.  Creation myths lie at the heart of all human cultures, and science is no exception; until we know where we come from, we do not know who we are. [emphasis added]"Franklin Harold, The Way of the Cell Many people who argue … [Read more...]