Darwin Theory and the Big Bang.

[flobadob]

I watched the programme about Charles Darwin's Theory of Evolution on CH4 and found it interesting. One of the points that Dawkin's (the presenter) was talking about was the fact that all being's on earth are made up from four basic varient forms of DNA, and therefore all life on earth is connected in some way to a central point, way back.

If this is the case would it be fair to assume that as everything was created in the Big Bang, then any life contained anywhere in the universe should also consist of the same DNA that earth beings are made up of?

[Buenchico]

The obvious flaw in the argument is the assumption that all life forms must be carbon-based. Certainly, every life form on this planet has carbon as the basis of its molecular structure but there is no logical reason to assume that this is true elsewhere in the universe. If non-carbon-based lifeforms exist, they won't necessarily have any DNA.

Chris

[wildwood]

Are you sure you don't mean four basis (adenine, cytosine , guanine and thymine) that make up the DNA of all living things?

[jake-the-peg]

No, not certainly

Those 4 dna "bases" (5 if you include the extra one in bacteria) would have been created around the time that life got started on Earth (probably).

There mqay well be other solutions to the biochemical life problem that are better suited to the conditions on other planets.

However it is fair to assume that rocky planets like the Earth will most probably have a similar mix of chemicals and therefore reach the same or very similar solutions.

But if it is possible for life to start in places with very different chemical mixes then you'd expect to see very different solutions. Perhaps so different that we might even have difficulty in recognising them as life forms.

[rov1200]

Those DNA bases may have been present at the big bang but it would have taken a creationist to put them together to make life. Dawkins was so implausible!

[chakka35]

Please, rov 1200, this is the science section where we discuss such things seriously.

The best place for your sort of remark is Religion & Spirituality in Society & Culture.

[Teddio]

The bases were not present at the time of the Big Bang, 13.8 billion years ago. The bases, and DNA, formed on Earth about 4 billion years ago. It is highly unlikely that alien replicating life forms use DNA.
Other ionising solvents such as liquid ammonia may support life, not just water.

[logic]

well a simple answer to that would be, that god said he was going to create man,

but,

he never said how he was going to do it.

[-gem-]

I think you're referring to 'earth wind fire and water'.

Correct.

[JonnyBoy12]

Doctors get DNA all the time at their surgeries!


Did Not Attend by their patients.

[bluegecko]

Why is it that people like rov1200 are always the ones who can't understand the science? I guess they are the ones who can't make that connection either!