The biggest issue to our disagreement is that you assume life must have the exact same rules and function that it has now... - Correct. There is no evidence that the laws ofthe universe change, escept for some recent debate about the speed of light. > My argument is that before biochemistry would begin, standard organic and inorganic chemistry would have to apply. - I agree. > I still have yet to read Shapiro's book (I will do that in my august vacation), - Be sure to read his article in the June 2007 Quarterly Review of Biology. It is a great current followup.