The Vital Question: Energy, Evolution, and the Origins of Complex Life in Science and Inquiry

Jul 21, 2015 Charlene rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: evolution, general-science, origins-of-life, ecology, geology, biology

Until now, Nick Lane has been my favorite author. Increasingly, or at least in my estimation, he is joining the ranks of the old science guard who work hard to a) politicize science and b) make important science inaccessible to the non-scientific, but intelligent and curious, reader. If his discussion of Margulis had been half as balanced as the male scientists he discussed, who also got a few things right and a few thing very wrong, chapter one would have been tolerable. Francis Crick believed Until now, Nick Lane has been my favorite author. Increasingly, or at least in my estimation, he is joining the ranks of the old science guard who work hard to a) politicize science and b) make important science inaccessible to the non-scientific, but intelligent and curious, reader. If his discussion of Margulis had been half as balanced as the male scientists he discussed, who also got a few things right and a few thing very wrong, chapter one would have been tolerable. Francis Crick believed that DNA was put in cells by aliens (all that LSD he took:); and yet, not a mention of that by Lane in an attempt to discredit the whole of his work. When discussing the Miller - Urey experiment, Lane merely glosses over the fact that it doesn't jive with the most important law known to humans, thermodynamics. If he treated them like Margulis, he would have gone after them on a much more personal level.

Luckily for me, I was a science major. As such, I am lucky enough to appreciate the incredible work in this book. Lane reminds me of Newton, who when writing the Principia,made damn sure the lowly undeserving commoner could never have access to his ideas.

I much prefer authors, like physicist Sean Carroll or Paul Falkowski, who work hard to break down complicated information and package it for public consumption. However, if you are already extremely familiar with biochem, membrane bioenergetics, thermodynamics, and the like, this book, which reflects sheer brilliance, is for you. I remember reading Lane's paper on membrane bioenergetics. I was in love with every word of it. It took me 4 days to really pour over it. The RNA world and primordial soup hypotheses are missing important components because they cannot account for the energy required for replication. Lane's origin of life argument, which involves a natural energy source at deep ocean vents that acts just like a cell does when it makes ATP, is extremely compelling. Any hypothesis that doesn't take into account thermodynamics and required energy is doomed to fail. Both RNA world and primordial soup fail to hold up. Even if Lane's hypothesis turns out to be incorrect, it taught us that we *must* meet the requirements of thermodynamics and keep focused on energy needs and constraints in order to understand how life began. Any correct theory must provide an answer to how enough energy can be generated so that cells can replicate. Lane's hypothesis is simply the best candidate. If the vents were not the energy source, something was. If it's not the vents, it is likely something that works in a similar manner.

Despite the elitist tone of the book, this is the type of theory that shifts paradigms. It is, without question, a seminal work. I read one review that suggested Lane merely regurgitated what the reviewer had already learned in their science courses at university. I cannot imagine how that is even possible considering the novel nature of the work.

Absolutely worth reading if you can get through it. ...more

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