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alphasm • today at 6:23 AM • 3 replies • view on HN

Is there a reason why the alternative idea of closed autocatalytic sets from Stuart Kauffman doesn't get nearly as much attention or discussion as the RNA origin hypothesis?

Ever since I first learned about it, it seems to me a much more likely origin of life hypothesis, as it doesn't require something to catalyze itself, which causes inevitable problems with mutation causing loss of catalytic efficiency.

Also, it is not incompatible with RNA being one of the early building blocks. It just doesn't require RNA to be where everything started.


Replies

cwmoore • today at 11:55 AM

“ Holliger’s team looked for catalytic activity in small RNAs (between 20 and 40 nucleotides in length), allowing for small changes in length in each cycle of mutation. They found a 45-nucleotide molecule that they christened QT45 (“quite tiny”) that could seize another RNA strand and copy it. “In principle it can copy any sequence,” Holliger said.”

cowlevel • today at 8:11 AM

You need evolution to have life. Why is mutation a deal-breaker?

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MarceliusK • today at 9:59 AM

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