Epilogue—From Stars to Brains

Abstract

The establishment of Darwin’s and Wallace’s theory of evolution of species from a common ancestor through mutations and natural selection leaves major questions regarding the origin of life, the intelligent architecture of biomolecules, the interactive multicomponent genetic machinery of the cell, and the interaction between molecular hardware and software, unanswered. A major question pertains to the suggestion of evolutionary directionality and purpose. None of the basic laws of physics—universal gravitation, the laws of motion, conservation of mass and energy, laws of thermodynamics and electrostatic laws appear to explain the phenomenon of life evolving from complex bio-molecules and viruses into an intelligent consciousness capable of exploring its own origin and decoding the very same physical laws which allowed its existence. Inherent in the emergence of life is the synthesis of life’s building blocks, including amino acids, peptides, ribose, nucleobases, fatty acids, nucleotides, and oligonucleotides, their polymerizations to bio-macromolecules, and emergence of biological functions of replication and compartmentalization. Through the harnessing of combustion, the electromagnetic force and the nuclear force, humans have become a biosphere-destroying agent. Although communication and exchange of information may be mimicked by cybernetic systems, the human mind can hardly recreate the life forms from which it has sprung. Through the harnessing of combustion, the electromagnetic force and the nuclear force, humans have become a biosphere-destroying agent.