Extraterrestrial nucleobases found in meteorite

[bananas]

http://arxivblog.com/?p=472

Extraterrestrial nucleobases found in meteorite
June 16th, 2008 | by KFC |

In 1969, a large meteorite fell near the town of Murchison in Victoria, Australia. Scientists collected more than 100 kilograms of rock, making it the largest sample of carbonaceous chondrite ever recovered.

Since then numerous groups have found evidence that the Murchison meteorite contains common amino acids, the building blocks of proteins, as well as nucleobases, the subunits from which nuclei acids such as DNA are formed.

But critics point out that its hardly surprising that a rock which has slammed into the Earth at warp drive velocity should end up covered in muck. If you’re going to make the claim that the these building blocks of life came from space, you’ve got to prove it, they say.

Today, Zita Martins from Imperial College, London and a few pals say they’ve found the first unambiguous evidence that this gloop really is extraterrestrial.

<snip>

[Warpy]

1. I like the theory that life is

an artifact of planets, that life will happen on most worlds as soon as those worlds cool enough not to incinerate it.

Our problem will be to recognize it when we find it.

[enlightenment]

2. And then not kill it off once we do, Warpy.

cool article! Thank you.

[TygrBright]

3. Uh-oh... Please, don't tell * about them nukular bases, we'll be loading up to bomb "Meteorite"...

...by tomorrow morning. It's somewhere just south of Tehran, right?

snarkily,
Bright

[TZ]

4. More reasons for creationists to STFU

When they talk about how the origins of life are "unexplanable" scientifically.

[Indenturedebtor]

5. Heh good luck with that

They've already proven they're not interested in the truth. They just want to keep their buckets firmly planted on their heads.

This is VERY cool thanks for posting!

Favorite word of the day: Panspermia :woohoo:

[semillama]

6. wow. That's astounding

that's a big piece of news right there. hooray science!

I had to read it a couple times to make sure I understood it completely. This article would make a great piece of supplemental material to high school chemistry and biology classes.

[GreenPartyVoter]

7. This is freaking huge!!