thermodynamics

HURDLE NUMBER 10. THE ENTROPY HURDLE.

Entropy constitutes a major stumbling block to the origin of life. It is important to understand the concept of entropy. The Second Law of Thermodynamics states, basically that entropy (ie:- DISorder) tends to increase. The word “entropy” basically means the tendency towards DISorder. In the primeval soup all the molecules would tend to react in a manner that will increase the entropy of the environment, ie:- the DISorder will increase, and any order will decrease. Here are some quotes from authoritative sources that substantiate this above statement:-

Here is a quote from the book Creation: The Origin of Life, by Doctor Adam Rutherford (an editor at the science journal Nature), published by Viking, 2013, pages 76 to 77:-

“The concept of the primordial soup is flawed. The notion that the right ingredients in the right surroundings might generate a self-sustaining life-form ignores the - - - - principle that life is a far-from-equilibrium process. The chemical activities in the primordial soup can only accede to THE SECOND LAW OF THERMODYNAMICS (ie:- entropy – everything tends to decay and decompose rather than to build into more and more complex chemical structures) - - - - - IT WILL ONLY DECOMPOSE. (My capitals.) In Stanley Miller’s experiment, the spark of lightning - - - - - triggered the formation of amino acids, but did not power a system of disequilibrium. Once those chemicals had reacted, they would do so no more - - - - A primordial soup - - - - has no way of sustaining an imbalance of energy - - - -A primordial soup is - - - - A DECOMPOSING DUMP.” (My capitals.)

The next quote is from the book Genetic Takeover and The Mineral Origins of Life by A.G. Cairns Smith (Senior Lecturer in Chemistry at The University of Glasgow), published by Cambridge University Press, reprinted 1987, page 42:-

“The main biopolymers are all energetically uphill from their monomers in solution.”

(My comment:- A biopolymer is a “chain” of smaller molecules of life. The smaller molecules of life are called “monomers”. What the author is saying here is that monomers will not automatically join up to form biopolymers. Some form of energy is required to make this happen.)

The next quote is from the book Thermodynamics and The Development of Order, edited by Emmet L. Williams, published by Creation Research Society Books, Third Printing, 1992 Article – The Origin of Biological Order and The Second Law, by Duane T. Gish, Ph.D., pages 73 to 74:-

“Even at the stage of relatively simple organic molecules, the universal tendency towards disorder would prevent the - - - - - accumulation of significant quantities of these substances - - - - THE RATES OF DESTRUCTION OF THESE PRODUCTS VASTLY EXCEED THEIR RATES OF FORMATION.” (My capitals.)

The next quote is from pages 75 to 76 of the same book:-

“The thermodynamic barrier to - - - - - - spontaneous formation of a protein becomes - - - obvious - - - -To form a protein of 100 amino acids would requires the synthesis of 99 peptide bonds. The synthesis of each - - - of these bonds would require 2.75 kilocalories per mole - - - - - None of these bonds would form spontaneously. Some means would have to be provided to feed in the required energy through an appropriate mechanism - - - - - - To form the protein, 99 peptide bonds must form, NONE OF WHICH WOULD WANT TO FORM (My capitals), none of which will form spontaneously - - - - - To destroy the protein, however, ONLY ONE BOND anywhere in the molecule need rupture, and that does happen naturally and spontaneously.”

Gish then calculates the probability of forming a protein of only 55 amino acids as one chance in 10 followed by 110 zeros.

(My comment:- This above probability calculation only considers the “entropy hurdle” involved in forming the protein. Taking into account the various other obstructive factors, the odds against spontaneous formation of a protein are much longer.)

The next quote is from The Spectator (UK. magazine), issue for 15/22/29 November, 2018, pages 38 to 40. Article:- The Meaning of Time; An Interview With Professor Carlo Rovelli (In 1981, Rovelli graduated with a BS/MS in Physics from the University of Bologna, and in 1986 he obtained his PhD at the University of Padova, Italy He held postdoctoral positions at the University of Rome, Trieste, and at Yale University. Rovelli was on the faculty of the University of Pittsburgh from 1990 to 2000.^[8] He currently works in the Centre de Physique Théorique de Luminy of Aix-Marseille University. He has also held the post of Affiliated Professor in the Department of History and Philosophy of Science of the University of Pittsburgh.)

(Quoting professor Rovelli):- “In the past, the universe seemed to be in a very peculiar state. Physicists use the expression “low entropy” - - - - LOW ENTROPY IMPLIES A STATE OF ORDER. If the difference between the past and the future is just a natural disordering of things, the question becomes: WHY WERE THINGS ORDERED IN THE PAST? WHO ORDERED THEM? And this is still a mystery.” (My capitals and highlighting.)