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Self Organizing Space Dust Could Be a Precursor to Life
This discovery comes from European and Australian researchers, and their work is published in today's issue of the New Journal of Physics. They developed computer simulations that showed how clouds of molecules naturally organize themselves into complex helix-like structures that resemble DNA.
Over time, an electrical process called polarization organizes the molecules into more and more complex structures. According to the researchers, this suggests a mechanism where organic molecules could assemble faster than in previous models. This shorter time frame means that complex life could be prevalent across the Universe - they get part of the way in space, and then finish off when they reach a planet.
7 comments:
It seem lately the whole panspermia thing is getting more attention/acceptance. Wasn't it just a few years ago that the whole thing was pretty much derided by mainstream science? Or is it still?
Sounds like something Dyson was talking about a few years ago.
TJ--
We're actually sending a spacecraft to test just how rugged microbes can be. Looks to me as if panspermia's time has come.
I love it. One by one the dogma is dropping.
First it was that we had no evidence of ANY extrasolar planets, let alone any that might support life.
Then it was that there was no shred of evidence or possibility that Mars ever had any life.
Now the "silly" idea of panspermia might gain ground.
I love it when existing paradigms get shaken up. It's more fun that way. It's also fun to watch scientists back-pedal and rationalize why they were so convinced about their previous theories.
By the way, Mac has you ever read "Paradigms Lost" by John L. Casti? It's a bit outdated, but still a great read on a lot of topics I think might interest you.
Talk about paradigms getting shaken up, how about not just superluminal, faster than light data transmission, but _instantaneousf_?
Links / article excerpt below:
>>
>>
>>
>> Source: The Daily Telegraph - London, UK
>>
>> http://tinyurl.com/3b47tw
>>
>> 16/08/2007
>>
>> 'We Have Broken Speed Of Light'
>>
>> By Nic Fleming
>> Science Correspondent
>>
>> A pair of German physicists claim to have broken the speed of
>> light - an achievement that would undermine our entire
>> understanding of space and time.
>>
>> According to Einstein's special theory of relativity, it would
>> require an infinite amount of energy to propel an object at more
>> than 186,000 miles per second.
>>
>> However, Dr Gunter Nimtz and Dr Alfons Stahlhofen, of the
>> University of Koblenz, say they may have breached a key tenet of
>> that theory.
>>
>> The pair say they have conducted an experiment in which
>> microwave photons - energetic packets of light - travelled
>> "instantaneously" between a pair of prisms that had been moved
>> up to 3ft apart.
>>
>> Being able to travel faster than the speed of light would lead
>> to a wide variety of bizarre consequences.
>>
>> For instance, an astronaut moving faster than it would
>> theoretically arrive at a destination before leaving.
>>
>> The scientists were investigating a phenomenon called quantum
>> tunnelling, which allows sub-atomic particles to break
>> apparently unbreakable laws.
>>
>> Dr Nimtz told New Scientist magazine: "For the time being, this
>> is the only violation of special relativity that I know of."
>>
>>
>> [Thanks to Nick Pope for the lead]
>>
>>
>>
>> Listen to 'Strange Days... Indeed' - The PodCast
>>
>> See:
>>
>> http://www.virtuallystrange.net/ufo/sdi/program/
>>
>>
>> \_______________________________________________/
>>
>> UFO UpDates - Toronto - ufoupdates@virtuallystrange.net
>> A UFO & Related Phenomena E-Mail List operated by
>> Errol Bruce-Knapp
>>
>> UFO UpDates Archives are available at
>> The Virtually Strange Network:
>>
Excellent! On the philosophical side of things, Alan Watts gave a lecture many years ago in which he proposed that life is the inevitable end-product of matter.
Mac..you are so right about panspermia.I remember the lamarkian theories..chop off tails of mice a couple of generations..and you should have tailess mice in the end.
I recall about a score of years ago (i am hiding age and heck what is 4 score and seven years ago anyway ) some scientists took all the elements and place them in a kind of soup..discharged an electric current and organic complexes formed..lifeless of course..If the Universe is a kind of alphabet soup anyway energized by csmic and electrical currents, i see know reason why organic complexes cannot formin in the "void of space" . I recall these large living organisms that swallowed as Done in Star-Trek..I hope not..Amazing that bacteria seem to have the ability to survive that environment already. Even more is that a recent red rain fell in India and a scientist took samples. Allegedly it was organic, but had no DNA.( I guess that was the shock part).I need to follow up and see if it has developed into a blob and devoured haf of India yet.
SyS
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