While I'm waiting to hear from AG, here's an abstract regarding Tibor Ganti's Chemoton theory [1971] , of which he was the pioneer.
As far as I can tell, Ganti's approach strongly differs from Bauer's [c. 1920s–1930s]. Bauer's work was principally driven by physics (thermodynamics), where Ganti's main interest is chemistry.
Ganti, Like Erwin Bauer, was a Hungarian biological theorist and like him, worked behind the Iron Curtain. The theory's claim is that chemistry can evolve living systems. It seems it would have to violate Kahre's Law [c. ~ 1960s] to do this.
Jan Kahre's field was mathematically-based information theory, not chemistry.
A good treatment of Chemoton Theory is given in this overview of Ganti's The Principles of Life, which was first translated from the Hungarian into English in 2003.
Hope this helps!
Thanks, BB, that’s very interesting. And kudos for posting a link to something which may contradict your position in some ways—shows a lot of integrity.
In the paper I linked to, your friend seemed to be suggesting that there might be an Action Principle in biology, as there is in physics, that lets (if that’s the right word) living things somehow direct their own development, and that that’s where the additional information can come from. I may have that all wrong; I’ve been trying to read a little about the Action Principle in physics, which seems to be well established, and I don’t really get it yet, so I’m way from fully grasping what it means in biology. But like I said above, maybe Kahre’s law doesn’t apply to living systems?