The origin of life is rhythmic repair or Macrocosmic rhythms created life

Life on earth arose through the creative interplay of prebiotic conditions on earth and the everlasting reliable macrocosmic changes of light and darkness. The first life molecules were confronted with the Earth's two-faced environment manifesting itself as a rhythm of a damaging light phase (day) and a harmless low light dark phase (night) produced by the apparent celestial movements within the earth-moon-sun system. It required two mutually complementing molecule types: ribonucleic acids and peptides, which had to adapt jointly to that fundamental duality in order to achieve a 'duration across change'. Both combined into a helically intertwined ribonucleopeptide filament as the initial molecular structure of life on earth. The predictable alternation of a damaging (UV irradiation, high-energy sun light) and a non-damaging (low-energy moon light) phase lead to the inclusion of rhythmic repair and timing in molecular life from begin on. The ribonucleopeptide filament responded to the dual qualities of its environment by behaving like an 'oscilloid'. Rhythmically alternating contraction to prevent damage during daytime and expansion to allow self-sustained repair during nighttime initiated the oscillation of the primordial biological timer as a molecular reflection of the macrocosmic time on Earth impacted by the light/dark rhythm. Macrocosmic time is both circular, because days, months and years consist of recurring cycles of light and darkness, and linear, because successive days, months and years are not identical repeats of the preceding ones and follow each other in a row. Corresponding to this yin/yang structure of macrocosmic time, biological time is also cyclical and linear at the same time. Under this perspective, life arose as an earth-bound molecular pattern instructed by celestial rhythms. Interestingly, there exists a correspondence to the dual, mutually complementing molecular basis of life in ancient Chinese mythology. A helically intertwined ribonuclopeptide filament represents an equivalent, a living reflection, of the T'ai chi symbol with its mutually complementing, inseparable black and white components that illustrate the fundamental duality of darkness and light or night and day on Earth. Yang and Yin, and Ch'ien and K'un, constitute the basic duality of the yin/yang philosophy and the ancient Chinese Book of Changes, the I Ging, respectively. Fu-hsi and Nü-kua, the personified versions of this basic duality, are characterised by their helically intertwining snake- or dragon-like lower bodies. Together, they are linking Earth to Heaven.

The book builds a bridge between a modern hypothesis on the origin and organisation of the primordial life molecules and the Yin-Yang philosophy and the Book of Changes (I Ging) of ancient China. It shows how in both cases two opposite but inseparably connected components are required, which complement each another. This similarity can be explained because both life and the polar Yin-Yang way of thinking are based on the light-dark rhythms impacting the Earth: day and night, the waxing and waning moon, the changes of daylength over one year. The sequence of these rhythms reveals the dual nature of time, simultaneously comprising cyclicity and linearity. The rhythm of day and night is the challenging environment the primordial life molecules were confronted with. The damaging effect of high-energy sunlight during the day could only be compensated by repair of the damaged molecules under the low light conditions of the night. The necessity for rhythmical repair has been preserved from the molecular origin of life to all living beings of today. The reader can gain at least three insights from this book. First, there is a similarity between the molecular origin of life on one hand and the Yin-Yang way of thinking and the Book of Changes on the other hand. Both fields have a dual basis formed by two mutually complementing components. Second, the continuous presence of molecular repair processes can serve as a model for turning away from the consumer throwaway societies of today towards the production of sustainable and repairable goods. Third, the integration of the harmonising Yin-Yang way of thinking and the perception of the double nature of time can contribute to a balanced individual life without feeling a lack of time.

Autorentext
Since student days the author (born in 1955) was interested in the Book of Changes (I Ging) and its underlying complementary principle of Yin and Yang. Similarly, the origin of life on earth required two complementary types of molecules, nucleic acids and proteins or their precursors, both of which were necessary to survive the duality of their rhythmically changing macrocosmic world. Therefore, the author establishes a connection between the origin of life and the Yin-Yang philosophy of ancient China. In his view, the undeniable similarity comes from the light-dark rhythms on earth (day and night, the waxing and waning of the moon, the changes of daylength over one year) upon which both the origin of life and the formal hexagram structure of the I Ging are based. The concept of a dual nature of time, simultaneously comprising cyclicity and linearity, can alter the perception of our individual lifetime and contribute to a life without feeling lack of time. In addition, the continuous presence of molecular repair processes in nature can serve as a model for turning away from the throw-away societies of today towards the production of durable, high-quality, and repairable goods.