1. David DeAtkine, Jr., MD,FACE
The Biochemical Basis for Life: Is a Materialistic Approach Compatible with Orthodoxy?
David DeAtkine, Jr., MD,FACE

2. Review Newtonian Physics and the Rise of Determinism
Relativity and Quantum Theory and the Destruction of Determinism in the Physical Sciences
The Landmark Discovery of DNA, and the Rise of Determinism in the Biological Sciences

3. Theorems
Determinism persists and will continue in the biological sciences
Coherence, connectivity, and beauty in the construct of the natural world is seen at the subatomic, biological, and astronomical levels
Death and renewal are integral to the biological world
An understanding of biological processes make the understanding of physical self problematic, just as an understanding of quantum physics makes the idea of locality problematic.
Neuroscientific and cellular metabolic advances may create problems for the Platonic idea of the strictly separate body and spirit
The Incarnation must change how we view the natural world
An understanding of the natural world, specifically the biological sciences, may change how we view the Sacraments

4. Lesson 2 The History of Evolution Darwin and Neo-Darwinism
Supportive Data for Evolution
Problems with Darwinism
Evolution and Human Behavior
More Reflections on Cellular Physiology – “Darwin’s Black Box”

5. The History of Evolution
George Cuvier– the father of paleontology
Concluded that all fossilized animal were different than modern species
Dismissed “gradualism” in the development of new species

6. Cuvier
Insisted that anatomical interactions were so precise that gradations in form would render the organism unfit for survival
Noted periods of astonishing diversity in the geologic record without seeming precedent species
Recognized some anatomic continuity

7. Jean Baptist Pierre Antoine de Monet, chevalier de Lamarck
Published “The Transmutation Hypothesis” in 1802
Spontaneous generation of life
Gelatinous matter or germ matter which transmitted successful traits

8. Paleontology William Buckland
Discovered the first great land lizard in a slate quarry near Oxford, 1810s

9. Paleontology Megalosaurus
The discovery of dinosaurs fueled the general public’s interest in geology, and paleontology.

10. A Changing World
Heretofore, the universe (under Newton’s laws of absolute space and time) and species were generally thought immutable.
Though philosophical and economic theory had suggested the concept of evolution, to the average 19th century man or woman the concept was fresh, provocative, and in some ways fashionable….

11. Charles Darwin
B. 1809
HMS Beagle 1831 commission as a “gentleman naturalist”

12. Darwin and Galapagos Geographic observations
Detailed observations of wildlife and their similarities and dissimilarities to mainland species
Assisted in great part by the crew of the HMS Beagle and naturalists back home (Gould, especially) in identifying the locations of origin of the many species Darwin collected.

13. Darwin’s Essential Principles
Species evolve by natural selection.
Individuals within a species compete for survival in a world with limited resources leaving the fittest to survive and reproduce (one can easily trace the origins of marxist thought in these few phrases).

14. Darwin’s Essential Principles
Ecological pressure exerted upon various traits, “selects” those traits most likely to furnish the individual with survivability and reproductive capability.
“On the Origin of Species” was published in 1859.
Darwin was well aware of the implications for man’s development, and the public quickly appreciated this as well.

15. Darwin
Differential death rates caused by purely natural forces creates new species, not God.
“The Descent of Man” published in 1872 where his views on human development – extending to human behavior – were elucidated.
Darwin saw evolution reaching its pinnacle in man, and the British Gentleman in particular.

16. The Modern Synthesis
The discovery of DNA has given “meat to the bones” of evolutionary thought in that the mechanism of trait expression and transmission is now more clearly elucidated. Random Mutation is now seen as an important “source” for fresh genetic material.
DNA  genes  traits
dDNA dGene dTrait selection  survival

17. The Modern Synthesis Evidence corroborating Neo-Darwinism:
Princeton scientists have demonstrated evolution in the beak size of finches over several generations.
Moths in the industrial nations have been shown to evolve in their coloration in response to environmental change – soot vs no soot.
The emergence of human-infecting retroviruses and antibacterial resistance is the most elegant demonstration of evolution seen in modern biology.

18. The Modern Synthesis More evidence: Homology of anatomic structures
Interdependence and symbiosis

19. The Modern Synthesis
Evolution is seen as established fact in most quarters.
Those who question its precepts are vilified. But Darwin himself posed the following caveat:
“If it could be demonstrated that any complex organ existed which could not possibly have been formed by numerous, successive, slight modifications, my theory would absolutely break down.”

20. The Trouble with Darwin
The Origins of Life
The Cambrian Explosion
Irreducible Complexity
Intellectual Dishonesty
Metaphysical Arguments regarding the behavior of Man

21. The Origins of Life
Biologists always and everywhere get into trouble when they believe they are as smart as physicists.
When life was thought capable of spontaneously generating in any reasonably permissive environment there wasn’t much trouble with envisioning the whole cascade.
As biochemistry has matured as a discipline, the stupendous complexity of basic cellular organelles and functions make the proposition of creating the basics of self-replicating life increasingly problematic

22. The Origins of Life
The early atmosphere is traditionally assumed to be nearly anoxic, hostile to most current forms of life but a reasonable environment for the envisioned “prebiotic” molecules to develop.
More recent discoveries include oxygen dependent algae present at 3.5 billion ya.

23. The Origins of Life A discussion with Richard Smalley:
The oldest “rocks” date back ~ 4.2 GA.
Life is present 3.8 GA
The above conundrum forces some Darwinists to abandon the “give it time” defense and posit that it wouldn’t take that much time to evolve early life, after all, or that it in fact came from elsewhere.

24. The Origins of Life
Biological homochirality of sugars and amino acids remains an enigma.
The “RNA hypothesis” is fraught with chemical difficulties.

25. The Origins of Life and DNA Paradoxes
DNA is maintained by multiple enzymes with which it must cohabitate or denature (dissolve)…..but DNA codes for the enzymes which must support it???
Overlapping code!! How would this evolve?
The presence of non-universal codes for enzymes makes evolutionary theory a doubtful explanation.
Introns and exons

26. The Cambrian Explosion

27. The Cambrian Explosion

28. The Cambrian Explosion

29. The Cambrian Explosion

30. The Cambrian Explosion

31. Irreducible Complexity
a system or device is irreducibly complex if it has a number of components which work together, and in which, each component is vital to the function of the said device.
Irreducibly complex organelles cannot evolve…could they occur via simultaneous mutation?

32. Irreducible Complexity
DNA and host proteins
The flagellum

33. Irreducible Complexity

34. Irreducible Complexity
The statistical probabilility of the potential for any number of essential organelles developing via the standard Darwinian paradigm is zero.
The “give it time” defense is not adequate for the origin of life, the Cambrian explosion, or irreducibly complex systems

35. Metaphysical Arguments: Evolution and the Behavior of Man
Altruism
There are fairly reasonable arguments for the presence of altruistic precursors.
Examples: the mating/reproductive habits of birds, and mammals
Domestic animals

36. Metaphysical Arguments: Evolution and the Behavior of Man
Sentience
Art
Evil

37. Intellectual Dishonesty
Even atheistic biologists have learned to approach the study of biological systems as if they were designed.

38. Metaphysical Arguments: Evolution and the Behavior of Man
Sentience:
There isn’t a Darwinian explanation for sentience. It does not necessarily confer survival-fitness.
Neo-Darwinian explanations for improving nutritional states for increasing brain size and capacity are weak.
The most remarkable thing about the universe is that the universe has become aware (through us) of itself.

39. Metaphysical Arguments: Evolution and the Behavior of Man
Art:
No survival benefit is conferred by art, but it is the footprint of man. Anywhere and everywhere that we see evidence of art, we know that Man was there.

40. Metaphysical Arguments: Evolution and the Behavior of Man
Evil:
There are no natural or biological equivalent antecedents for evil.
There are no Darwinian motives or survival-benefits conferred by evil.
As early as there is evidence of civilization, one sees evidence of abomination.

41. Metaphysical Arguments: Evolution and the Behavior of Man
Evil:
Moloch, and Baal
The Conjuring of Demons

42. A Look Inside the Black Box
Insulin and the insulin receptor
The death receptor

45. Summation Evolutionary thought preceded Darwin.
Evolution is verifiable.
Evolution as a “Unifying Theory” is incomplete, in fact, fatally flawed.
One can only approach the study of physiology and biochemistry from a teleological point of view, in short, why it was designed as it was.

46. Review of Theorems
Determinism persists and will continue in the biological sciences (despite grave defects in a strictly Darwinistic view of the origins of life)
Coherence, connectivity, and beauty in the construct of the natural world is seen at the subatomic, biological, and astronomical levels
Death and renewal are integral to the biological world. (Death is the instrument of Darwinistic determination.)
An understanding of biological processes make the understanding of physical self problematic, just as an understanding of quantum physics makes the idea of locality problematic. (What are we? Where does me stop and the rest of the natural world begin?)

47. To Be Continued……….