Science
Related: About this forumScientists discover cosmic factory for making building blocks of life
From phys.org:
The team from Imperial College London, the University of Kent and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory have discovered that when icy comets collide into a planet, amino acids can be produced. These essential building blocks are also produced if a rocky meteorite crashes into a planet with an icy surface.
The researchers suggest that this process provides another piece to the puzzle of how life was kick-started on Earth, after a period of time between 4.5 and 3.8 billion years ago when the planet had been bombarded by comets and meteorites.
Dr Zita Martins, co-author of the paper from the Department of Earth Science and Engineering at Imperial College London, says: "Our work shows that the basic building blocks of life can be assembled anywhere in the Solar System and perhaps beyond. However, the catch is that these building blocks need the right conditions in order for life to flourish. Excitingly, our study widens the scope for where these important ingredients may be formed in the Solar System and adds another piece to the puzzle of how life on our planet took root."
Dr Mark Price, co-author from the University of Kent, adds: "This process demonstrates a very simple mechanism whereby we can go from a mix of simple molecules, such as water and carbon-dioxide ice, to a more complicated molecule, such as an amino acid. This is the first step towards life. The next step is to work out how to go from an amino acid to even more complex molecules such as proteins."
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Th1onein
(8,514 posts)over everthing and started taking ribs and stuff from men and making women and giraffes and shit?
eppur_se_muova
(36,262 posts)I find it truly revolting that the far simpler idea of chemical evolution in the planet's hydrosphere -- which is enormously larger and more persistent than all the mass of incoming comets, meteors, what have you, combined -- is pushed aside for this trendy, poorly supported hypothesis of "Life From Outer Space!!!".
It is worth keeping in mind that the people who have pushed this concept the hardest have done so out of religious conviction, not scientific evidence.
Meanwhile, most of those in the field of prebiotic chemistry actually look to deep-sea hydrothermal vents as more realistic precedence for prebiotic -- including pre-photosynthetic -- evolution.
DetlefK
(16,423 posts)Because the system is not in equilibrium during the impact, and because there are such few atoms involved, it is possible that entropy would be destroyed by a stochastic process.
You know what's funny?
They are investigating the same loophole in the laws of thermodynamics (known for at least a century) that the proponents of Intelligent Design so steadfastly ignore to make their hypothesis work.