Showing 25–48 of 126 published commentaries.
PaperEditorial: RNA world hypothesis and the origin of life: Astrochemistry perspective
The search for the origin of life is one of science's most profound quests. A recent editorial in Frontiers in Astronomy and Space Sciences by Ashraf Ali and colleagues, titled "RNA world hypothesis and the origin of…
Read commentary →: The RNA World's Interstellar Dream: A Sober Look at the Astrochemistry EvidencePaperA Comparison of Methods to Measure Fitness in<i>Escherichia coli</i>
The Long-Term Evolution Experiment (LTEE) with Escherichia coli , initiated by Richard Lenski in 1988, is frequently hailed as a premier exhibit for Darwinian evolution in action. By tracking bacteria for tens of…
Read commentary →: The Lenski Experiment: Evidence for Evolution, or Just Adaptive Decay?PaperHow Darwinian models inform therapeutic failure initiated by clonal heterogeneity in cancer medicine
The 2010 paper in the British Journal of Cancer by M. Gerlinger and C. Swanton, "How Darwinian models inform therapeutic failure initiated by clonal heterogeneity in cancer medicine," is presented as a clear…
Read commentary →: Cancer's "Evolution" a Case Study in Degeneration, Not CreationPaperPunctuated equilibrium theory represents shifting balance theory (of macro and quantum evolution) and invalid Darwin’s theory
The 2017 paper "Punctuated equilibrium theory represents shifting balance theory… and invalid Darwin's theory" by Md. Abdul Ahad in the Journal of Entomology and Zoology Studies argues that the evolutionary theories of…
Read commentary →: Punctuated Equilibrium: A Confirmation of Genetic Decay, Not Unguided EvolutionPaperA rugged yet easily navigable fitness landscape
A recent paper in the prestigious journal Science by Andrei Papkou and colleagues presents a fascinating, high-resolution map of an evolutionary "fitness landscape." By creating and testing over 260,000 variants of a…
Read commentary →: Navigating a Dead End: Why a "Rugged" Fitness Landscape Shows the Limits, Not the Power, of EvolutionPaperPositive Darwinian selection results in resistance to cardioactive toxins in true toads (Anura: Bufonidae)
The 2009 paper "Positive Darwinian selection results in resistance to cardioactive toxins in true toads" by Moore et al. is presented as a textbook example of adaptive evolution. By examining the molecular machinery…
Read commentary →: Toad Toxin Resistance: A Case of Adaptive Degeneration, Not Darwinian CreationPaperCandidate Genes, Quantitative Trait Loci, and Functional Trait Evolution in Plants
The 2003 paper "Candidate genes, quantitative trait loci, and functional trait evolution in plants" by David L. Remington and Michael D. Purugganan is a comprehensive review of how modern molecular techniques can…
Read commentary →: Plant Genetics Reveals Designed Adaptability, Not Unguided EvolutionPaperIs Tumorigenesis an Abiogenesis?
In a 2019 paper for the Open Access Journal of Cancer & Oncology , researcher Hugwil AV poses a provocative question: "Is Tumorigenesis an Abiogenesis?" The paper explores the cellular mechanisms of cancer, particularly…
Read commentary →: Cancer's Chaos: A Failed Echo of Unguided CreationPaperOrigin of Life on Mars: Suitability and Opportunities
A 2021 paper in the journal Life by Benton C. Clark and colleagues, titled "Origin of Life on Mars: Suitability and Opportunities," argues that the Red Planet was not only habitable but possessed an environment "in many…
Read commentary →: Mars: A Graveyard for Abiogenesis, Not a Cradle for LifePaperOrigin of Life’s Building Blocks in Carbon- and Nitrogen-Rich Surface Hydrothermal Vents
The quest to explain the origin of life without a creator is a search for a plausible environment where the building blocks of life could arise and assemble spontaneously. In a 2019 paper titled "Origin of Life's…
Read commentary →: A Chemist's Intervention: Why Volcanic Vents Don't Build LifePaperViroids and the Origin of Life
The quest to explain the origin of life in purely materialistic terms remains one of the most intractable problems in science. In their 2021 review, "Viroids and the Origin of Life," Karin Moelling and Felix Broecker…
Read commentary →: Viroids: Relics of an RNA World or Artifacts of a Failed Paradigm?PaperCofactors are Remnants of Life’s Origin and Early Evolution
The quest to explain the origin of life in purely materialistic terms is a history of failed hypotheses and speculative storytelling. In a 2021 paper, "Cofactors are Remnants of Life's Origin and Early Evolution," Aaron…
Read commentary →: Molecular 'Fossils' or Design Modules? Cofactors Fail to Bridge the Origin-of-Life ChasmPaperThe origin of biological homochirality along with the origin of life
The origin of biological "handedness," or homochirality, is a profound and foundational puzzle for any theory of unguided origins. Life depends on molecules of a specific orientation—left-handed (L) amino acids and…
Read commentary →: Computer Models Assume a Creator: How "Solving" Homochirality Reveals the Failures of AbiogenesisPaperThe Coevolution of Cellularity and Metabolism Following the Origin of Life
The quest to explain the origin of life and its foundational structures, like the cell, remains one of the greatest challenges for materialistic science. Proponents of unguided evolution often turn to computer…
Read commentary →: Artificial Life, Real Intelligence: Why Computer Models Fail to Simulate Unguided OriginsPaperAmyloid and the origin of life: self-replicating catalytic amyloids as prebiotic informational and protometabolic entities
The quest to explain the origin of life in naturalistic terms is fraught with chasms of improbability. One of the most popular scenarios, the "RNA World," has collapsed under the weight of its own chemical…
Read commentary →: The Amyloid World: A Prebiotic Fantasy Built on Investigator InterferencePaperEvolution of crab eye structures and the utility of ommatidia morphology in resolving phylogeny
The 2019 paper by Javier Luque and colleagues, "Evolution of crab eye structures and the utility of ommatidia morphology in resolving phylogeny," presents a detailed survey of the incredible diversity of compound eyes…
Read commentary →: Crab Eyes: A Showcase of Design, Not Darwinian EvolutionPaperEmergence and diversification of a host-parasite RNA ecosystem through Darwinian evolution
A paper published in the journal eLife by Taro Furubayashi and colleagues, "Emergence and diversification of a host-parasite RNA ecosystem through Darwinian evolution," is presented as a significant experimental…
Read commentary →: Lab-Grown 'Evolution' Reveals a Process of Decay, Not CreationPaperExpanded encyclopaedias of DNA elements in the human and mouse genomes
The ENCODE (Encyclopedia of DNA Elements) project is a monumental achievement of operational science, a meticulous effort to map the functional landscape of the human and mouse genomes. This landmark paper summarizes…
Read commentary →: ENCODE's Encyclopedia of Decay: Why Pervasive Function Spells Doom for DarwinismPaperThe evolution of eyes: major steps. The Keeler lecture 2017: centenary of Keeler Ltd
The eye, in its stunning variety and functional precision, has long been a focal point in the debate over biological origins. In his 2017 Keeler lecture, "The evolution of eyes: major steps," Dr. IR Schwab offers a…
Read commentary →: An Eye for Design: Why Schwab's 'Evolution of Eyes' Points to Engineering, Not Unguided ProcessesPaperNew Perspectives on Eye Development and the Evolution of Eyes and Photoreceptors
The discovery that a single gene, Pax6 , acts as a high-level controller for eye development in creatures as different as flies and mice is often presented as one of the most compelling proofs of the grand evolutionary…
Read commentary →: Pax6 and the Eye: Evidence for a Master Gene or a Master Designer?PaperStatistical evidence for common ancestry: Application to primates
The 2016 paper by David Baum et al., “Statistical evidence for common ancestry: Application to primates,” is rightly considered a landmark. It represents the gold standard of quantitative evidence for Darwinian…
Read commentary →: A Bridge Too Far: Why Statistical Patterns Don't Prove Primate OriginsPaperChemical Diversity of Metal Sulfide Minerals and Its Implications for the Origin of Life
A 2018 paper in the journal Life titled "Chemical Diversity of Metal Sulfide Minerals and Its Implications for the Origin of Life" attempts to breathe new life into one of the most persistent narratives of chemical…
Read commentary →: The Mineral Maze: Study on Sulfides Highlights the Impossibility of an Unguided Origin of LifePaperAcetyl Phosphate as a Primordial Energy Currency at the Origin of Life
The origin of life is arguably the greatest hurdle for any theory of unguided evolution. At the heart of the problem is a classic "chicken-and-egg" dilemma: the genetic code in DNA is required to build the proteins…
Read commentary →: A Primordial Power Failure: Why Acetyl Phosphate Fails as an Evolutionary EnginePaperCryosphere and Psychrophiles: Insights into a Cold Origin of Life?
The search for a plausible, unguided pathway from lifeless chemicals to the first living cell is the foundational project of evolutionary biology. In a 2017 review paper titled "Cryosphere and Psychrophiles: Insights…
Read commentary →: A Cold Case for Evolution: Why Icy Origins Scenarios Freeze Under Scrutiny