Life from Space? | The Institute for Creation Research

Could life have begun somewhere other than on earth?
Life from Space?

For decades, a number of evolutionists have found it to be unlikely that life evolved from nonlife here on earth. Although they are the minority, they list solid scientific reasons why such an event is effectively impossible (e.g. Origins: A Skeptic's Guide to the Creation of Life on Earth, Robert Shapiro, 1986).

For instance, Professor Chandra Wickramasinghe and his colleagues at Cardiff University's Centre for Astrobiology in Wales maintain that comets are the source of present life on Earth. This theory is called panspermia and has in fact existed for decades.

Interestingly, the British scientists "calculate the odds of life starting on Earth rather than inside a comet at one trillion trillion (10 to the power of 24) to one against."

Creation scientists agree. Life on Earth springing from rock, water and raw, unfiltered sunlight simply will not happen--no matter how long Darwinists posit. To remove the "spontaneous abiogenesis" problem and place it on a comet does not help. As Paul von Ragué Schleyer, Graham Perdue Professor of Chemistry at the University of Georgia, stated, "Asteroids may have brought |biomolecules forming DNA| from outer space, but how did biomolecules form there?"

Professor Wickramasinghe stated, "We now have a mechanism for how it could have happened. All the necessary elements--clay, organic molecules and water--are there. The longer time scale and the greater mass of comets make it overwhelmingly more likely that life began in space than on earth."

Creationists counter that a junkyard has "all the necessary elements" to make a car--but an orderly mechanism must bring these various items together--and long time periods and chance are not a mechanism. Would you board an airliner that was randomly assembled over long periods of time? Buckle up!

As we continue to study life at the cellular level (bacteria and protozoa) we find that "simple life" is an oxymoron. Everything about life is amazingly complex. Mixing clay, organic molecules and water and waiting for millions of years will result in toxic tar 100 percent of the time.

Life comes only from life (John 14:6).

(see also: "The Origin of Life and the Death of Materialism," by Stephen C. Meyer, Intercollegiate Review, Vol. 31, No. 2)

The Latest
NEWS
July 2025 ICR Wallpaper
"These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome...

NEWS
Valued Longtime ICR Employee Mary Smith Retires
Mary Morris Smith, an employee of the Institute for Creation Research for many years, has retired. The second daughter of ICR founder Dr. Henry M. Morris...

NEWS
Man of Science, Man of God: George Washington Carver
Who:  George Washington Carver What: Father of Modern Agriculture When: 1864 or 1865 – January 5, 1943 Where: Diamond Grove,...

ACTS & FACTS
The Scopes Monkey Trial: A Battle of Worldviews
Rhea County Courthouse in Dayton, Tennessee, and its statue of William Jennings Bryan Image credit: M. Mueller The Scopes Monkey...

ACTS & FACTS
Long Non-Coding RNAs: The Unsung Heroes of the Genome
Evolutionary theory holds that all living things came about through random, natural processes. So conventional scientists believe the genome has developed...

ACTS & FACTS
Yosemite National Park, Part 1: Tiny Clues of a Grand Picture
Yosemite National Park in California is a sure source of stunning scenery. It’s no wonder that American naturalist John Muir persuaded President...

ACTS & FACTS
From Inference to Theory: A Common Design Case Study
Without a doubt, humans, chimpanzees, and other organisms share similar features. An early explanation was that these features reflect similar designs...

ACTS & FACTS
Creation Kids: T. rex
by Michael Stamp and Susan Windsor* You're never too young to be a creation scientist and explore our Creator's world. Kids, discover...

ACTS & FACTS
Entering By The Door
Recently, I hosted a visiting pastor from a large church at ICR’s Discovery Center. As I guided him through our Dallas museum, one conversation...

ACTS & FACTS
Creation Mission in Fiji
Michele discusses pages from Explore the World with boys at an orphanage Image credit: Brian Thomas In 2024 my wife, Michele,...