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The Millennium Problems for Biology

164 points · 120 comments · artninja1988

  1. rdtsc · · focus · HN ↗
    > Demonstrate the emergence of life from chemical precursors in a laboratory setting

    Wait, isn’t this an already solved problem? I remember in the 90s school books (material written in the 80s-70s likely) it was presented as “so and so did electric discharges in an atmospheric gas mixtures and they got organic molecules” therefore the origins of life is solved. I remember thinking how cool that was. I guess the “therefore” step was sort of a lie if it’s still an open problem…

    1. Metacelsus · · focus · HN ↗
      You're thinking of the Miller-Urey experiment. They got some biomolecules (amino acids, etc) but definitely not life
      1. rdtsc · · focus · HN ↗
        Yeah that's the one. Just looked it up it was it the early 1950s. I guess I was either too impressionable or the textbook and/or teacher cut a few corners because I remember it being presented as "we solved the origins of life already" situation.
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