Book Reviewed: The FIFTH MIRACLE: The Search for the Origin and Meaning of Life by Paul Davies

A ghost in the living cell This book is a little outdated since it was published in 1999. Significant advances have been made in the last two decades in the fields of astrobiology, biological evolution, paleobiology, physics and philosophical arguments about the origin of life. Nevertheless, Paul Davies is still one of the leading scientists who is still active in this field. In this book, he addresses basic questions about life such as, is life a byproduct of the laws of physics? And consequently, life could evolve elsewhere in the cosmos, perhaps on earthlike planets. If they exist, do they evolve toward greater complexity and intelligence? What were the earliest mechanisms when molecules (in disorganized state) assembled to form complex molecules (organized structures) that assembled to form a living cell (highly organized self-regulating structure). Molecules (Non-life) becoming self-regulating living cells (life) is creating order from disorder that appears to violate the second law of thermodynamics. But life doesn't break this law. It merely creates a local low-entropy system by shifting excess entropy to its environment along with other waste products thus increasing the entropy in the universe. Some physicists believe that laws of nature are rigged to favor life, and consciousness is probably an integral part of the spacetime fabric that contains matter and energy. This idea depends on the properties of the four fundamental forces of nature, and with a slight tinkering of the nuclear forces, the universe would have little or no carbon, and hence no life. This is known as "the anthropic principle," According to this, our existence is a dicey affair, a consequence of some happy coincidences in the underlying mathematical structure of the universe. This principle has been criticized by many biologists and physicists which the author discusses in some detail. Physicist Fred Hoyle suggested that life may have come from comets that showered earth with viruses, which may have helped to evolve life on earth. But author Paul Davies speculates that life came from another planet like Mars. Chapter 8 is devoted to the issue of Martian meteorites like ALH84001 containing fossil Martian microbes. Since then, due to the efforts by NASA, we have learnt that there is still no evidence of any form of life on Mars, but mere speculations. Research on extra-solar planets and life elsewhere in the solar system has revealed Saturn’s moon Enceladus has a subsurface ocean, and it may be coated with complex organic molecules that could be stepping-stones to life. Jovian moons, Europa, and Ganymede are also known to have oceans that may harbor primitive forms of life. The book, despite the fact it is dated, still has great ideas that you will find interesting.