Jeremy England is an Assistant Professor of Physics at MIT. He proposed a new physics model that suggests the origin of life wasn’t a coincidence or chance. Instead, it was the result of necessity. It is difficult to understand how living organisms, capable of taking energy from the environment and dissipating heat as heat, can be derived from non-living matter. Professor England’s theory was published in Quanta Magazine in January 2014,. It suggests that life’s origins and evolution are determined by the fundamental laws of nature. “It shouldn’t surprise me if I see a random cluster of atoms for long enough to find a plant,” says Prof. England. Image: MIT. A physicist will notice a major difference in living and non-living clumps. Living things have a better ability to capture energy and heat it. Professor England developed a mathematical formula to show that when an atom clump is stimulated by energy from the outside, like the sun or the ocean, it will gradually rebuild itself to release more energy. Professor England explained that if a clump of atoms is surrounded by heat at some temperature (such as the atmosphere) it will eventually restructure itself to reflect the energy sources in the environment. This could be interpreted to mean that matter can always attain the essential physical characteristic associated with life. Professor England stated that his theory is not meant to replace Darwin’s Theory of Evolution. It just underlies it. Professor England stressed that although his theory doesn’t replace Darwinian evolution through natural selection but it underlies the theory. I am not saying that Darwinian ideas should be rejected. To be clear, I’m not saying Darwinian ideas are wrong. However, Prof. England’s theory is one of the most convincingly presented since Charles Darwin. This proposal can also be tested because it has been supported mathematically.
