Coal and petroleum can be made in the laboratory from dead organisms.

Answer

**Step-by-Step Solution:**

1. **Understanding the Statement**: The statement claims that coal and petroleum can be made in the laboratory from dead organisms.

2. **Clarification of Coal and Petroleum Formation**: Coal and petroleum are natural resources formed from the remains of dead organisms over millions of years. They undergo complex geological processes involving heat and pressure.

3. **Laboratory Limitations**: In a laboratory setting, it is not feasible to replicate the extreme conditions of high temperature and pressure that are necessary for the formation of coal and petroleum.

4. **Time Factor**: The formation of coal and petroleum takes millions of years, which is not achievable in a laboratory environment where experiments are conducted over a much shorter time frame.

5. **Conclusion**: Therefore, the statement that coal and petroleum can be made in the laboratory from dead organisms is false.

---