Re: The tar paradox

On 12/13/24 7:18 PM, MarkE wrote:

'“If you put energy into organic material it turns to asphalt, not to life,” Benner explains. Without access to Darwinian evolution–that is, without organic molecules having the opportunity to reproduce and create offspring who themselves, mutations and all, are reproducible–organic matter that is bathed in energy (from sunlight or from geothermal heat) will turn into tar.'
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/did-life-come-to-earth- from-mars-2378085/
 Benner's proposed solution is borate minerals...on Mars. Which is a euphemism for no solution.
 The so-called "tar paradox" I think is simply entropy at work. Namely, configurational entropy. with "tar" being defined as a homogeneous mixture of chemicals tending to a high entropy, low energy equilibrium state.

[...]
That shows a simplistic understanding of thermodynamics. Yes, the second law notes that energies tend towards an equilibrium state. But another aspect of thermodynamics (not a law, but probably only because it's hard to quantify) notes that, where there is a sustained energy gradient, complexity increases. It's as if the universe wants to make the overall entropy increase as fast as possible by making some local gizmos, such as convection cells or life, that have lower entropy themselves but speed the process.
--
Mark Isaak
"Wisdom begins when you discover the difference between 'That
doesn't make sense' and 'I don't understand.'" - Mary Doria Russell