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But for Knoll, understanding the geochemical changes that took place in the oceans 540 million years ago is just the means to an end. What he really wants to do is figure out how these changes set the stage for the explosive event that many refer to as biology's Big Bang. It is a very tough problem, and even Knoll admits that the answers may forever elude him. Yet he is not discouraged. As he sees it, science is always a work in progress, a masterpiece that by definition can never be finished.