The "RNA World" hypothesis for the origin of life is implausible for several reasons, among them the difficulty of producing RNA naturalistically, its relative instability in water over time, the problem of chirality, and the insufficiency of RNA to form a living cell. Published in Origins v. 20., n. 1.
A review of the book, The Early Evolution of Metazoa and the Significance of Problematic Taxa. Published in Origins v. 19, n. 2.
Microorganisms can exist in rocks several kilometers below the surface of the earth. Recently a number of reports indicate that these organisms are much more common than previously surmised and that vast regions of the underworld may be inhabited. Published in Origins v. 19, n. 2.
Several ideas have been proposed over the past two centuries to explain how organisms could have evolved through naturalistic processes. None of them seems viable, and it seems reasonable that creation should be considered as an explanation. Published in Origins v. 19, n. 1.
Readers are invited to submit their reactions to the articles in our journal. Please address contributions to: Origins, Geoscience Research Institute, 11060 Campus St., Loma Linda, California 92350 USA.
A review of the book, Arguments on Evolution: A Paleontologist's Perspective. This book is a defense against recent criticisms of neo-Darwinism. Published in Origins v. 18, n. 1.
In the early development of the theory of evolution by natural selection, two men stand out as having played a central role: Charles Darwin and Alfred Wallace. Both men traveled widely and were keen observers of nature. For both men, visits to islands played an important role in developing their understanding of nature. Darwin's visit to the Galapagos Islands is of special interest.
A review of the book, Wonderful Life: The Burgess Shale and the Nature of History. The book describes the history of discovery of the Burgess Shale fossils and their classification. Published in Origins v. 17, n. 1.
A review of the book, Rates of Evolution. Published from a symposium on evolution. Published in Origins v. 16, n. 2.
A review of the book, Darwinism: The Refutation of a Myth. Written by a developmental biologist emphasizing the inadequacy of Darwinian evolutionary theory and advocating the importance of developmental processes in evolution. Published in Origins v. 16, n. 1.
The new theory of surface metabolism suggests that the forerunners of living matter were formed underwater, on metallic surfaces. While the theory of surface-metabolism represents a prodigious effort to explain the origin of living matter, it falls far short of its goal. Published in Origins v. 16, n. 1.
The method of DNA-DNA hybridization has been applied to the relationships of birds, with some surprising results. The method is described and the results analyzed. While the results are quite interesting, there appear to be limits to the resolution of the method, and it seems inadvisable to depend upon this method alone when studying bird relationships. Published in Origins v. 14, n. 2.
Fossil reefs from Silurian and Devonian sediments in the Great Lakes region of the United States are compared with a modern reef in Florida. The fossil reefs differ significantly from modern reefs by lacking the framework of corals that are characteristic of modern reefs. Instead, the fossil reefs look more like carbonate mud mounds. Published in Origins v. 14, n. 2.
The origin of life continues to be a game-stopper for materialism. Two major problems point to the inadequacy for life to arise spontaneously. First, cells have a high information content that has no known material source. Second, life is a non-equilibrium process that is opposed by natural law which pushes chemical reactions to equilibrium. There is no explanation for life's origin apart from an intelligent creator. Published in Origins v. 14, n. 1.
Claims that human and dinosaur footprints are found together in the Paluxy River of Texas have been retracted. Creationists must be careful to check the validity of the claims they make. Published in Origins v. 14, n. 1.
Probability is used to estimate the likelihood of an event occurring in which enough is known to constrain the possibilities. The naturalistic origin of life is extremely unlikely and has never been observed, so that probabilities do not really apply to the question, but indicate that some alternative explanation is to be sought. Published in Origins v. 13, n. 2.
Staining of chromosomes reveals a pattern of banding that may be used for comparisons of different species. Similar species typically have similar banding patterns, although there are exceptions. Banding patterns may be interpreted as hypotheses of relationship but are not, in themselves, sufficient to settle such questions. Published in Origins v. 13, n. 1.
A review of the book, Evolution: A Theory in Crisis. Evolutionary theory faces many contrary lines of evidence and is in need of major changes. Published in Origins v. 13, n. 1.
Archaeopteryx has traits of both birds and reptiles, and has long been accepted as a fossil intermediate. Recently, the charge has been presented that Archaeopteryx is a forgery rather than a legitimate fossil. This has resulted in much research into the nature of the fossils of Archaeopteryx. Published in Origins v. 13, n. 1.
A review of the book, Abusing Science: The Case Against Creationism. The book gives responses to criticisms of evolutionary theory by creationists, and presents several criticisms of creation theory. Published in Origins v. 12, n. 2.
