Dialogue on Life and its Origin

Professor Werner Arber, Nobel Laureate and Emeritus Professor of Molecular Biology
University of Basel, Switzerland

Abstract: Although chemical evolution is presently the predominant view of life and its origin. Professor Arber feels that life could be beyond the assembly of biomolecules. Also, according to vedanta, life is spiritual and beyond molecules. In this dialogue, some alternate viewpoints on life including the Vedantic view, a spiritual paradigm of life, are discussed. These viewpoints suggest that the molecular paradigms of life are quite insufficient to understand life and its origin. The discussion moves on to the retriction enzyme which is released by a bacterium and cuts the DNA of an invading bacteriophage into pieces, thereby observing that,life displays unique features even at the level of microorgansims. Professor Arber presents a very important argument that mutation is not due to a mistake or an error in replication; rather it is a natural process contrary to the opinion of many other scientitists. He further argues that evolution is not occurring on the basis of errors, accidents or the action of selfish genetic elements. The discussion leads towards a cosmic plan in regard to life's origin and it touches upon the need for a multi-disciplinary approach incorporating both the scientific and theistic thoughts in the study of life and its origin.