Page 212 - The Miracle of Protein

210 THE MIRACLE OF PROTEIN

the actual primordial atmosphere before the emergence of life,
but to produce the requisite atmosphere for amino acids to
emerge.
Richard Kerr of Science magazine states that none of the
geological and geochemical evidence collected over the last 30
years supports Miller's primordial atmosphere conditions. 113
The only reason for continuing to regard the primordial atmos-

phere conditions he used as accurate was that the theory of
chemical evolution required this assumption. The primordial
atmospheric conditions that Oparin and Miller assumed were
the most appropriate ones to allow amino acids to emerge. Un-
der normal conditions in a natural atmosphere, few chemical
reactions will take place in atmospheric gasses. Even if they do
they are not at the level that can give rise to significant levels of
biological building blocks.

Trying to form biological building blocks in a neutral at-
mosphere is like expecting two inanimate chemicals to react.
In fact, the primordial conditions "recreated" in Miller's
experiment and others like it constitute no scientific evidence
regarding the origin of life, since they did not take place in the
actual primordial environment. After independent geochemi-
cal studies demonstrated that chemical conditions prevailed in

the early atmosphere that would never permit amino acids to
form, it was realized that Miller's experiment show not only
that chemical evolution is impossible, but they also prove the
presence of a rational Creator in the planning of living systems.

2. At the time when amino acids were suggested to have
formed, so much oxygen was concentrated in the atmosphere
that all amino acids would have been broken down.

A series of geological studies showed that, even prior to
the emergence of plant life, significant levels of free oxygen and