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Title: NASA Scientists Confirm Panspermia Hypothesis (life seeded on Earth) Post by: bitfreak! on August 09, 2011, 04:05:46 PM http://www.nasa.gov/topics/solarsystem/features/dna-meteorites.html
This was an interesting article I found on another forum I visit but it wasn't receiving much attention for what I personally think is one of the most important scientific breakthroughs in history. Quote NASA-funded researchers have evidence that some building blocks of DNA, the molecule that carries the genetic instructions for life, found in meteorites were likely created in space. The research gives support to the theory that a "kit" of ready-made parts created in space and delivered to Earth by meteorite and comet impacts assisted the origin of life. "People have been discovering components of DNA in meteorites since the 1960's, but researchers were unsure whether they were really created in space or if instead they came from contamination by terrestrial life," said Dr. Michael Callahan of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md. "For the first time, we have three lines of evidence that together give us confidence these DNA building blocks actually were created in space." Callahan is lead author of a paper on the discovery appearing in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. This has some huge implications. If this is correct than the chances we are alone in the Universe just dropped to virtually nothing. This could also mean that we share the same basic DNA structure or building blocks as a lot of other life in the Universe. Basically it seems like they think these objects floating out in cold dead space have the capacity to act as a "chemical factory" and produce the nucleobases which are responsible for life on Earth. Quote "In fact, there seems to be a 'goldilocks' class of meteorite, the so-called CM2 meteorites, where conditions are just right to make more of these molecules," adds Callahan. If you consult the Wikipedia page for Panspermia (https://secure.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/wiki/Panspermia) you will see it offers a slightly different explanation. The chemicals they carry could be the result of collisions between planets that harbor life. Quote Panspermia (Greek: πανσπερμία from πᾶς/πᾶν (pas/pan) "all" and σπέρμα (sperma) "seed") is the hypothesis that life exists throughout the Universe, distributed by meteoroids, asteroids and planetoids.[1][2] Panspermia proposes that life that can survive the effects of space, such as extremophile bacteria, become trapped in debris that is ejected into space after collisions between planets that harbor life and Small Solar System Bodies (SSSB). Bacteria may travel dormant for an extended amount of time before colliding randomly with other planets or intermingling with protoplanetary disks. If met with ideal conditions on a new planets' surfaces, the bacteria become active and the process of evolution begins. Panspermia is not meant to address how life began, just the method that may cause its sustenance.[3] Title: Re: NASA Scientists Confirm Panspermia Hypothesis (life seeded on Earth) Post by: foggyb on August 11, 2011, 04:29:11 PM The odds of a earth-like planet forming are also virtually nothing.
The invincible cannonball strikes the immovable post? Title: Re: NASA Scientists Confirm Panspermia Hypothesis (life seeded on Earth) Post by: Mousepotato on August 11, 2011, 05:03:39 PM I got ya panspermia right here!
Title: Re: NASA Scientists Confirm Panspermia Hypothesis (life seeded on Earth) Post by: Xephan on August 11, 2011, 05:21:44 PM This has some huge implications. If this is correct than the chances we are alone in the Universe just dropped to virtually nothing. This could also mean that we share the same basic DNA structure or building blocks as a lot of other life in the Universe. It doesn't really. IIRC, they obtained similar "biological" molecules in various genesis experiments like bombarding a mix of theorized primordial chemical soup with radiation more than a few decades ago. All it proves is that such molecules can be formed when the elements are presence and energy is injected into the system. Title: Re: NASA Scientists Confirm Panspermia Hypothesis (life seeded on Earth) Post by: Tasty Champa on August 11, 2011, 08:05:14 PM we rode the moon here.
Title: Re: NASA Scientists Confirm Panspermia Hypothesis (life seeded on Earth) Post by: RodeoX on August 11, 2011, 11:41:29 PM It really is intriguing to think that living things are just another cosmic phenomenon. Perhaps a common event in space.
Title: Re: NASA Scientists Confirm Panspermia Hypothesis (life seeded on Earth) Post by: RandyFolds on August 12, 2011, 02:34:12 AM Title: Re: NASA Scientists Confirm Panspermia Hypothesis (life seeded on Earth) Post by: bitfreak! on August 12, 2011, 06:02:24 AM The odds of a earth-like planet forming are also virtually nothing. There is no Universal rule that a planet must be like Earth for life to survive on it. You would be amazed where life can survive, bacteria has been found living in molten lava. Furthermore, just because the odds of an Earth-like planet forming are slim doesn't mean it wont happen given enough time and space. The Universe is absurdly huge. In 2009 UniverseToday reported that "The most current estimates guess that there are 100 to 200 billion galaxies in the Universe, each of which has hundreds of billions of stars". I'll let you figure out the rest.Title: Re: NASA Scientists Confirm Panspermia Hypothesis (life seeded on Earth) Post by: ctoon6 on August 12, 2011, 06:26:01 AM also various bacteria have been able to survive and thrive in space, namely escherichia coli
and the tardigrade has even laid eggs that hatched in space. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v2Zfdmie4hA Title: Re: NASA Scientists Confirm Panspermia Hypothesis (life seeded on Earth) Post by: Xephan on August 12, 2011, 06:52:52 AM The odds of a earth-like planet forming are also virtually nothing. You would be amazed where life can survive, bacteria has been found living in molten lava.LOL, that's an urban legend due to grossly misleading advert. Title: Re: NASA Scientists Confirm Panspermia Hypothesis (life seeded on Earth) Post by: bitfreak! on August 12, 2011, 07:55:04 AM The odds of a earth-like planet forming are also virtually nothing. You would be amazed where life can survive, bacteria has been found living in molten lava.LOL, that's an urban legend due to grossly misleading advert. Title: Re: NASA Scientists Confirm Panspermia Hypothesis (life seeded on Earth) Post by: Xephan on August 12, 2011, 08:11:08 AM After some research it turns out you are correct. I heard it parroted all over the place a while ago so just assumed it was correct. In any case, the post above yours clearly show that some forms of life can survive extreme conditions. Even the vacuum of space. I'm not dismissing the fact that some forms of life can survive extreme conditions including that which interstellar travel would expose them to. My skepticism is directed at the conclusion that discovery of some molecules equates to origins of life on earth. It's barely a step up from saying discovering carbon in my kitchen = life originated in my kitchen since most of earth life is carbon based :D Now if they had actually discovered an entirely new organism living within some meteorite, THAT would be news indeed. |