Robert Shapiro (chemist)
| Robert Shapiro | |
|---|---|
| Born |
November 28, 1935 New York City, United States |
| Died | June 15, 2011 (aged 75) [1] |
| Nationality | American |
| Fields | Chemistry |
| Institutions | University of Cambridge, New York University |
| Alma mater | City College of New York (BS), Harvard University (PhD) |
| Doctoral advisor | Robert B. Woodward |
| Known for | Work on origin of life |
| Notable awards | Trotter Prize (2004) with Paul Davies [1] |
Robert Shapiro (28 November 1935 – 15 June 2011[1]) was professor emeritus of chemistry at New York University. He is best known for his work on the origin of life, having written two books on the topic: Origins, a Skeptic’s Guide to the Creation of Life on Earth (1986) and Planetary Dreams (2001). He opposed the RNA world hypothesis, and held that the spontaneous emergence of a molecule as complicated as RNA is highly unlikely. Instead, he proposed that life arose from some self-sustaining and compartmentalized reaction of simple molecules: "metabolism first" instead of "RNA first". This reaction would have to be able to reproduce and evolve, eventually leading to RNA. He claimed that in this view life is a normal consequence of the laws of nature and potentially quite common in the universe.[2]
Works
- Origins: A Skeptic's Guide to the Creation of Life on Earth Summit Books (January 1986) ISBN 0-671-45939-2.
- Planetary Dreams: The Quest to Discover Life Beyond Earth Wiley; 1 edition (May 18, 2001) ISBN 0471407356.
References
- 1 2 3 "Bob Shapiro Passes Away at Age 75". New York University. Retrieved 15 August 2011.
- ↑ Alvin Powell, NYU chemist Robert Shapiro decries RNA-first possibility, Harvard University Gazette, 23 October 2008