Evolution goes under microscope

Published on Wednesday 17 August 2005 01:47

HARVARD University is planning a scientific study of how life emerged on Earth, thrusting one of America's most prestigious universities into a growing and politically-charged debate over alternatives to Charles Darwin's theory of evolution.

Opponents of evolution theory said the university's research project showed that science had yet to disprove alternative theories, including the idea of "intelligent design" - such as the hand of God - which is popular with America's religious conservatives.

Proponents of intelligent design argue that nature is so complex that it could not have occurred by random natural selection, as held by Darwin's 1859 theory of evolution, and so must be the work of an unnamed "intelligent cause".

The US president, George Bush, entered the fray earlier this month when he said he believed intelligent design should be taught in schools along with evolution theory so people could better understand the argument between the two sides.

At Harvard, the "Origins of Life in the Universe" study will call on the expertise of various disciplines including biology, chemistry and astronomy to seek scientific answers to long-standing questions about evolution, according to a Harvard official.

The university tried to downplay the timing of the project, saying it was not in response to the debate over intelligent design theory, which has attracted so much attention in the US that it was the cover story of Time magazine earlier this month.

Harvard spokesman B D Colen said they were attempting to tackle the fundamental issues about life, the universe and everything.

"The origins of life in the universe initiative was started several years ago, before questions about the existence or non-existence of some kind of intelligent design became part of the national debate," he said.

"This is a long-term, purely scientific exercise looking at questions about the basic chemical molecular beginnings of life. It's a project that began because scientists are seeking answers to some of the biggest questions ever posed."

But opponents of evolution theory, who have been highly vocal in the US, said the project seemed to indicate that science has yet to fully prove Darwin's theory and claimed it showed there was still room for doubt.

John West, a senior fellow at the Seattle-based Discovery Institute, a think-tank that backs intelligent design theory, jumped on the announcement of the research.

"This is... a stunning admission that the current theories do not explain it, and it has not refuted the idea that things are the product of intelligent cause," he said.

The Discovery Institute advocates that schools should teach scientific criticisms of Darwin's theories.

The Harvard project, which is still in its early stages, will receive some initial funding from the university and also raise money from other organisations. Harvard declined to comment on how much it planned to spend on the project, but the Boston Globe newspaper reported that the bill would be in the region of 550,000 annually over the next few years.

Professor David Liu, of Harvard's chemistry department, was sanguine about the claims by supporters of intelligent design. While living systems are complex, he said, science should eventually provide the answers.

"My expectation is that we will be able to reduce this to a very simple series of logical events that could have taken place with no divine intervention," Professor Liu said.