> Here's another good question: if metabolism was so important, why doesn't
gold,
> salt, or water use energy (or replicate for that matter).
> I'm not being facetious here. There really is no reason that I've heard
given
> that would give a good reason why replication and metabolism would be
selected
> for at the day on which they began.

But chemical compounds and elements absolutely do cycle through forms that
are dependant upon locally available energy states/redox conditions.  Gold,
sodium, chloride, etc. can all be found in various crystal structures in
their respective solid (full valence) forms, and can be soluble or found in
a variety of different compounds when charged.  And certainly you've heard
of crystal nucleation/seeding, which (right down to the chirality of the
progeny crystal depending on that of the parent) fits the bill for most
definitions of 'replication'.  I could be wrong, but it seems your argument
here is based on a straw man.
---
þ RIMEGate(tm)/RGXPost V1.14 at BBSWORLD * Info{at}bbsworld.com

---
 * RIMEGate(tm)V10.2áÿ* RelayNet(tm) NNTP Gateway * MoonDog BBS
 * RgateImp.MoonDog.BBS at 8/4/03 11:30:21 AM