DailyDirt: Re-visting Vitalism

from the urls-we-dig-up dept

In the early days of chemistry, organic molecules were thought to require a living source. Then Friedrich Wohler synthesized urea using a process that didn't involve any living organisms. That chemical reaction struck down the hypothesis of vitalism -- which suggested that living matter was fundamentally different from inanimate chemicals. Over a hundred years later, though, no one has really discovered how to create living materials from scratch. Here are just a few projects that could change that. By the way, StumbleUpon can recommend some good Techdirt articles, too.

Filed Under: amino acids, biology, life, non-organic, organic chemistry, organisms, protocell, unnatural, vitalism


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  • identicon
    chem geek, 14 Nov 2011 @ 9:44pm

    Arthur C Clarke...

    How about just trying to re-create all the life we know, but the mirror image of it? All the life we currently know has a certain chirality, but the opposite chirality is equally favorable energetically.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Lawrence D'Oliveiro, 15 Nov 2011 @ 1:07am

    Vitalism Isn�t Dead

    It just got transmuted into a non-living compound.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

    • icon
      Michael Ho (profile), 15 Nov 2011 @ 6:33pm

      Re: Vitalism Isn�t Dead

      I suppose you think "both sides" of the vitalism debate should be taught in schools, too...?

      link to this | view in chronology ]

      • identicon
        Lawrence D'Oliveiro, 19 Nov 2011 @ 3:12pm

        Re:Teaching The Controversy

        And while we�re at it, all sides of the religious debate. Why not?

        link to this | view in chronology ]


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