Questions about questions about the origin of life

ORGN 241

George M. Whitesides, Andrew Lee, alee@gmwgroup.harvard.edu, and Paul J. Bracher, pbracher@gmwgroup.harvard.edu. Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, 12 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA 02138
“What was the origin of life?” This question is one of the most interesting in chemistry, and unlikely ever to be answered unambiguously. It is also one that provides the basis for a broad range of questions about chemistry, both in the peribiotic world and in general. This presentation will be largely a discussion of background to this subject, focusing on “molecules forwards” rather than “current life/RNA backwards.” It is heavy on speculation, and relatively weak on fact.