Re: Did Life Begin In Space? New Evidence From Comets

On Tue, 14 Aug 2007 13:42:00 -0700,
rev.goetz <jimgoetz316@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
On Aug 14, 4:05 pm, Bill Hudson <oldgeek61-...@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
rev.goetzwrote:
<http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/08/070814093819.htm>

Did Life Begin In Space? New Evidence From Comets
Science Daily - Recent probes inside comets show it is overwhelmingly
likely that life began in space, according to a new paper by Cardiff
University scientists.

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.

The Cardiff team suggests that radioactive elements can keep water in
liquid form in comet interiors for millions of years, making them
potentially ideal "incubators" for early life. They also point out
that the billions of comets in our solar system and across the galaxy
contain far more clay than the early Earth did. The researchers
calculate the odds of life starting on Earth rather than inside a
comet at one trillion trillion (10 to the power of 24) to one against.

Professor Wickramasinghe said: "The findings of the comet missions,
which surprised many, strengthen the argument for panspermia. We now
have a mechanism for how it could have happened. All the necessary
elements - clay, organic molecules and water - are there. The longer
time scale and the greater mass of comets make it overwhelmingly more
likely that life began in space than on earth."

The new paper, The Origin of Life in Comets, by Professor
Wickramasinghe, Professor Bill Napier and Dr Janaki Wickramasinghe is
to be published shortly by the International Journal of Astrobiology.

Wickramasinghe has been beating this drum for years. I'd *really* like
to see their calculations for the 10^24 to 1 against odds. I seem to
recall that Wickramasinghe's mentor Hoyle once made similar
pronouncements, and if I recall correctly, they were shown to be utterly
mistaken.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Putting this on the table will help the debate one way or another. But
I conjecture along with you that opponents to panspermia will come out
on top. On the other hand, I have no stake into which side wins. And I
will enjoy reading about the debate and learn more about abiogenesis
where ever it may have happened.

Putting naked conjectures without a shred of evidence on the table isn't
going to help the debate. This has been the problem with the panspermiests
all along. By this point, the heirs of Hoyle seem more like religious
fanatics than sensible individuals.

--
Aaron Clausen
mightymartianca@xxxxxxxxx

.

Relevant Pages

  • Article: Comets hold life chemistry clues
    ... The idea that comets delivered the chemical "seeds" for life to the early ... and they probably pre-date the existence of our Solar System. ... The Stardust results, also reported here at the American Geophysical Union ...
    (sci.bio.evolution)
  • Re: Did Life Begin In Space? New Evidence From Comets
    ... Science Daily - Recent probes inside comets show it is overwhelmingly ... likely that life began in space, according to a new paper by Cardiff ... organic and clay particles inside the comet. ... converting simple organic molecules into more complex structures. ...
    (talk.origins)
  • Re: Did Life Begin In Space? New Evidence From Comets
    ... Did Life Begin In Space? ... New Evidence From Comets ... organic and clay particles inside the comet. ... converting simple organic molecules into more complex structures. ...
    (talk.origins)
  • Article: Deep Impact collision ejected the stuff of life
    ... Deep Impact collision ejected the stuff of life ... The observations bolster theories that comets may have seeded Earth with the ... "This supports theories that comets may have brought water and the building ...
    (sci.bio.evolution)
  • Did Life Begin In Space? New Evidence From Comets
    ... Did Life Begin In Space? ... New Evidence From Comets ... organic and clay particles inside the comet. ... converting simple organic molecules into more complex structures. ...
    (talk.origins)