Most important and a TRUE discovery is Steven Bratman and his incredible book (Kindle format recommended):
Spontaneous Order and the Origin of Life (Origins) – Sept. 2021 (5 years after Smith’s book publication) - by Steven Bratman (Author) -- 4.5 out of 5 stars 23 ratings -- Part of: Origins (2 books)
Book description
"This is a serious, excellent piece of science writing ... Bratman's prose captures the core idea and gives a faithful rendering for a non-specialist audience" - Eric Smith, PhD. Coauthor of The Origin and Nature of Life: The Emergence of the Fourth Geosphere.
Metabolism-First is a theory that claims life arose out of energy-driven organic chemistry in ancient hydrothermal vents. From this perspective, life is not a lucky accident but a logical consequence of early Earth conditions. Like many other processes driven by a flow of energy, the origin of life exemplifies the phenomena of spontaneous order.
Metabolism-First views the biosphere as a feature of Earth as a whole, a companion to the hydrosphere, lithosphere and atmosphere. Just as ordinary phase transitions change the properties of a liquid or gas, the biosphere can be viewed as emerging through a series of phase transitions operating on chemical reaction networks.
A key concept of the theory is autocatalysis, the property of some chemicals to amplify their own rate of formation.
• Autocatalysis plays the same role in "chemical evolution" as Darwinian selection does in the standard theory of evolution.
• Additional key concepts include phase transformations, modularity and dissipative adaptation. The text includes a glossary and an annotated bibliography.
The Origin and Nature of Life on Earth: The Emergence of the Fourth Geosphere 1st Edition -- by Eric Smith (Author), Harold J. Morowitz (Author) -- 2016
Customer Review – by Steven Bratman -- 5.0 out of 5 stars -- Intellectually magnificent
Reviewed in the United States on September 29, 2021 -- Verified Purchase
Mainstream scientific communities often view Peat's theories with skepticism due to a lack of rigorous, peer-reviewed studies backing his claims. His approach tends to rely more on anecdotal evidence, historical context, and his interpretation of existing research rather than new experimental data.
Raymond Peat's legacy in biology and chemistry, therefore, lies more in his role as a provocateur of thought, challenging established norms in nutrition and health sciences, rather than through traditional academic or research achievements. His ideas continue to be discussed and followed by a niche but dedicated group interested in alternative health paradigms.
"Life supports life, function builds structure, and structure produces function. Once the function ceases, the structure collapses: it maintains itself by working."
Nobel laureate Albert Szent-Györgyi is indeed - legendary - both in scientific contribution and in his actual life path...
Most important and a TRUE discovery is Steven Bratman and his incredible book (Kindle format recommended):
Spontaneous Order and the Origin of Life (Origins) – Sept. 2021 (5 years after Smith’s book publication) - by Steven Bratman (Author) -- 4.5 out of 5 stars 23 ratings -- Part of: Origins (2 books)
Book description
"This is a serious, excellent piece of science writing ... Bratman's prose captures the core idea and gives a faithful rendering for a non-specialist audience" - Eric Smith, PhD. Coauthor of The Origin and Nature of Life: The Emergence of the Fourth Geosphere.
Metabolism-First is a theory that claims life arose out of energy-driven organic chemistry in ancient hydrothermal vents. From this perspective, life is not a lucky accident but a logical consequence of early Earth conditions. Like many other processes driven by a flow of energy, the origin of life exemplifies the phenomena of spontaneous order.
Metabolism-First views the biosphere as a feature of Earth as a whole, a companion to the hydrosphere, lithosphere and atmosphere. Just as ordinary phase transitions change the properties of a liquid or gas, the biosphere can be viewed as emerging through a series of phase transitions operating on chemical reaction networks.
A key concept of the theory is autocatalysis, the property of some chemicals to amplify their own rate of formation.
• Autocatalysis plays the same role in "chemical evolution" as Darwinian selection does in the standard theory of evolution.
• Additional key concepts include phase transformations, modularity and dissipative adaptation. The text includes a glossary and an annotated bibliography.
A highly recommended book:
The Origin and Nature of Life on Earth: The Emergence of the Fourth Geosphere 1st Edition -- by Eric Smith (Author), Harold J. Morowitz (Author) -- 2016
Customer Review – by Steven Bratman -- 5.0 out of 5 stars -- Intellectually magnificent
Reviewed in the United States on September 29, 2021 -- Verified Purchase
Review on Amazon: Intellectually magnificent https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/review/1107121884/R3BVE7SXF2ICOD?ref_=cm_sw_r_apin_dprv_AQAN6QJ5NPEACJC5JD6H&language=en-US
A comment on Peat:
Mainstream scientific communities often view Peat's theories with skepticism due to a lack of rigorous, peer-reviewed studies backing his claims. His approach tends to rely more on anecdotal evidence, historical context, and his interpretation of existing research rather than new experimental data.
Raymond Peat's legacy in biology and chemistry, therefore, lies more in his role as a provocateur of thought, challenging established norms in nutrition and health sciences, rather than through traditional academic or research achievements. His ideas continue to be discussed and followed by a niche but dedicated group interested in alternative health paradigms.
Where can I find a description of your education?
And this is why traditional retirement is a bad idea.
Why?
"Life supports life, function builds structure, and structure produces function. Once the function ceases, the structure collapses: it maintains itself by working."
Ah, yes. But I don't think all work is a replacement for that. Meaningful activity (whether you're retired or not) is key.