Scientists Offer 'Overwhelming' Evidence Earth Life Began in Space

[Hara!]

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/08/070814093819.htm

Professor Chandra Wickramasinghe and colleagues at the University's Centre for Astrobiology have long argued the case for panspermia - the theory that life began inside comets and then spread to habitable planets across the galaxy. A recent BBC Horizon documentary traced the development of the theory.

Now the team claims that findings from space probes sent to investigate passing comets reveal how the first organisms could have formed.

The 2005 Deep Impact mission to Comet Tempel 1 discovered a mixture of organic and clay particles inside the comet. One theory for the origins of life proposes that clay particles acted as a catalyst, converting simple organic molecules into more complex structures. The 2004 Stardust Mission to Comet Wild 2 found a range of complex hydrocarbon molecules - potential building blocks for life.

[Animematt55]

cool
*filler*

[Vaikyuko]

Heard about this a while back. Curious theory, and I'd be quite interested were it true.

[KatayokuのTenshi]

:lol:
I just keep laughing at 'panspermia'.

Immature? Perhaps.

[Soluzar]

Star Trek did this storyline about four decades ago. Their version was cooler, and had a better name than "panspermia", which just calls to mind all kinds of mental images I could do without.

BUT AT LEAST I'M NOT THE ONLY ONE, RIGHT KATAYOKU NO TENSHI?

What exactly are you the angel of, anyway? My dictionary doesn't have anything for "katayoku" exactly?

[Lord Timaeus]

What exactly are you the angel of, anyway? My dictionary doesn't have anything for "katayoku" exactly?

It's weeaboo speak for "One-Winged Angel."

In other words, Sephiroth from FFVII.

I have nothing to say about the topic at hand.

[KatayokuのTenshi]

It's weeaboo speak for "One-Winged Angel."

In other words, Sephiroth from FFVII.

I have nothing to say about the topic at hand.

In my defence, I just like the song. And how many One-Winged Angels do you think there are on the internet? <.< >.>
which just calls to mind all kinds of mental images I could do without.The strange thought's just keep on coming! . . . :blink:

[Ikari Warrior]

As long as there's no panspermia going on near Uranus, I think you're going to be fine.

[kiyomi]

:lol:
I just keep laughing at 'panspermia'.

Immature? Perhaps.

not immature at all hun...I spewed coffee out my nose when I read that word.

@Shadowcast: ROTF!!!!

[Leader Desslock]

In my defence, I just like the song. And how many One-Winged Angels do you think there are on the internet?
Cool Mint and Spear Mint are each single-winged angels, currently attached to Lind, the Valkyrie from Ah! My Goddess.

[seba_boi]

Either I'm not easily overwhelmed or these guys are just too easily overwhelmed...

[Leader Desslock]

I wouldn't say I'm overwhelmed, but I'm not underwelmed, either. I'm just whelmed. It looks like whelming evidence to me.

[superplough]

I knew this forever. It's really obvious. Life can't spontaneously create itself on Earth. It has to have come from some kind of reaction like the sun or similar. Perhaps a nebula. I don't know.

[CrossboneGundam]

Hardly evidence, much less overwhelming. Some scientists tend to get a bit carried away with themselves.

Conditions on the early earth were far more hospitable to life and regularly produced more complex amino acids and peptides than have been found in a lump of ice in a 300 degree below zero vaccuum.

Besides that, it's somewhat more absurd to assume life would form inside a comet then somehow be able to survive both the vaccuum of space and the decidedly hellish early Earth.

I knew this forever. It's really obvious. Life can't spontaneously create itself on Earth. It has to have come from some kind of reaction like the sun or similar. Perhaps a nebula. I don't know.

The sun is tens of thousands of degrees, not to mention the crushing gravity. It's impossible for even simple molecules to form there, much less become alive.

And a nebula is a cloud of space dust and gasses. It's even more absurd to think life would start in the void of space than it is to think it would start in a comet.

Where'd you even get this idea, "life can't spontaneously create itself on earth" yet it can in the vaccuum of space or the crushing blast furnace of the sun? Life has been found at volcanic vents deep under the ocean surviving on bacteria that derive energy from volcanic gasses which would have been common on the early Earth.

[Bernard_Monsha]

I knew this forever. It's really obvious. Life can't spontaneously create itself on Earth. It has to have come from some kind of reaction like the sun or similar. Perhaps a nebula. I don't know.

God has a mass driver.

[Ikari Warrior]

God has a mass driver.

I thought they were called "priests" *rimshot*

[Meson]

Hardly evidence, much less overwhelming. Some scientists tend to get a bit carried away with themselves.

Conditions on the early earth were far more hospitable to life and regularly produced more complex amino acids and peptides than have been found in a lump of ice in a 300 degree below zero vaccuum.

Besides that, it's somewhat more absurd to assume life would form inside a comet then somehow be able to survive both the vaccuum of space and the decidedly hellish early Earth.



The sun is tens of thousands of degrees, not to mention the crushing gravity. It's impossible for even simple molecules to form there, much less become alive.

And a nebula is a cloud of space dust and gasses. It's even more absurd to think life would start in the void of space than it is to think it would start in a comet.

Where'd you even get this idea, "life can't spontaneously create itself on earth" yet it can in the vaccuum of space or the crushing blast furnace of the sun? Life has been found at volcanic vents deep under the ocean surviving on bacteria that derive energy from volcanic gasses which would have been common on the early Earth.

Don't be so dismissive. Microbes have been known to hitch rides on our space shuttles, rockets, probes, and sattelites, and survive rentry too.

[Bradster]

The two angels in the statue in the cathedral in Xenogears have one wing apiece.

There are those who believe that life here, began out there, far across the
universe, with tribes of humans, who may have been the forefathers of the
Egyptians, or the Toltecs, or the Mayans. Some believe that they may yet be
brothers of man, who even now fight to survive, somewhere beyond the
heavens.

[Animematt55]

Voice and Noise (Angel Sanctuary) both had one wing, but they were demons.

[Ikari Warrior]

The two angels in the statue in the cathedral in Xenogears have one wing apiece.

I can't believe I forgot about that! Could you find an image of of that and PM me a link? That's one of my favorite aspects of the game!

Sorry to go off topic -_-;

[Ken-Ohki]

I'm still not convinced of panspermia. They make an interesting argument but I'll stick with the tidal pools of earth as the building blocks for life. I reserve the right to be wrong but I'll hold that ideology until I'm convinced.

[KatayokuのTenshi]

Cool Mint and Spear Mint are each single-winged angels, currently attached to Lind, the Valkyrie from Ah! My Goddess.

The two angels in the statue in the cathedral in Xenogears have one wing apiece.

There are those who believe that life here, began out there, far across the
universe, with tribes of humans, who may have been the forefathers of the
Egyptians, or the Toltecs, or the Mayans. Some believe that they may yet be
brothers of man, who even now fight to survive, somewhere beyond the
heavens.

Voice and Noise (Angel Sanctuary) both had one wing, but they were demons.

Oh for christsake
I meant: "How many people do you think have the username One-Winged Angel?" not "How many examples of Angels with one wing can you think of?"

[Leader Desslock]

^ This is AN. People respond with what they want to talk about, not to the original question. ^_^ Besides, you didn't expect me to miss the chance for an Ah! My Goddess reference, did you?

[KatayokuのTenshi]

^ I'd have been disappointed if you had. Now relate it in some way to the topic at hand. :P

[Evil_Koala]

Call me old fashioned but I like ignorance.

[CrossboneGundam]

Don't be so dismissive. Microbes have been known to hitch rides on our space shuttles, rockets, probes, and sattelites, and survive rentry too.

And you have what scientific evidence for this?

They wouldn't be looking for water on Mars as evidence of life if that were true. What you're saying is absurd and completely defeats the purpose of every program currently active in the search for life within the solar system.

[trancemaster261]

I knew this forever. It's really obvious. Life can't spontaneously create itself on Earth. It has to have come from some kind of reaction like the sun or similar. Perhaps a nebula. I don't know.

what "spontaniously" put life on the comets?

[CrossboneGundam]

There are those who believe that life here, began out there, far across the
universe, with tribes of humans, who may have been the forefathers of the
Egyptians, or the Toltecs, or the Mayans. Some believe that they may yet be
brothers of man, who even now fight to survive, somewhere beyond the
heavens.

And those people are morons. I actually met one in a sociology class once. He thought National Geographic was a government conspiracy to hide the truth and talked about some fake guy who he says got a map of the universe from aliens 6000 years ago. He also smelled awful.

[VSh]

I have to post it here: http://www.genarts.com/karl/panspermia.html

[Leader Desslock]

And those people are morons. I actually met one in a sociology class once. He thought National Geographic was a government conspiracy to hide the truth and talked about some fake guy who he says got a map of the universe from aliens 6000 years ago. He also smelled awful.
But was he a Battlestar Galactica fan? 'Cause that's where Bradster's quote was from. I can hear the original voiceover as I read it.

[Soluzar]

But was he a Battlestar Galactica fan? 'Cause that's where Bradster's quote was from. I can hear the original voiceover as I read it.
Yeah, you and me both... that series was great and terrible at the same time. ^_^