New research into the origins of life in Earth suggests that microlightning could have provided the spark which triggered the formation of the first organic molecules.
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new research published March 14 in the journal Science Advances suggests that fizzes of barely visible “microlightning,” generated between charged droplets of water mist, could have been potent enough to cook up amino acids from inorganic material. Amino acids — organic molecules that combine to form proteins — are life’s most basic building blocks and would have been the first step toward the evolution of life.
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https://www.cnn.com/2025/03/28/science/microlightning-water-droplets-life-on-earth/index.html
The clue is that microlightning is common in churning water mist (for example around tide pools, which are rich in chemicals), whereas the big bolts we see from clouds in the sky are less common.
@moonbus saidThat is what my post about updates to the
New research into the origins of life in Earth suggests that microlightning could have provided the spark which triggered the formation of the first organic molecules.
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new research published March 14 in the journal Science Advances suggests that fizzes of barely visible “microlightning,” generated between charged droplets of water mist, could have been potent eno ...[text shortened]... , which are rich in chemicals), whereas the big bolts we see from clouds in the sky are less common.
"Miller-Urey" experiment. Electric charges don't have to come from lightening storms.
@mlb62 saidAny concrete findings surporting the theory? I have the Hoyle7Wickrahmsinghe book on my shelf.
yes, moonbus and sonhouse you are both correct, but panspermia is how the ingredients first arrived on Earth. Directed by space alien species. the aliens have been here from the very beginning !!
@Ponderable saidYou might want to add the Book of Enoch to your reading list.
Any concrete findings surporting the theory? I have the Hoyle7Wickrahmsinghe book on my shelf.
@moonbus saidI think I have read that. One time I did read a lot of apocryphic and seudepigraphic documents
You might want to add the Book of Enoch to your reading list.
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@Ponderable saidI mean it was a long time ago but there are several threads:
Any concrete findings surporting the theory? I have the Hoyle7Wickrahmsinghe book on my shelf.
1) the OOL timing is mysterious. Most calculations argue that since Luca we've had 4 billion years of evolution on earth, which means that life began almost immediately after earth cooled. Abiogenesis as a rapid process seems unlikely due to the complexity of necessary components.
2) most water on earth came from comets. Probably hundreds of thousands of comets. Billions of years ago they were hitting earth a lot.
3) life in/on comets is possible.
4) organisms that exist on earth can survive in deep space.
5) bacteria and archaebacteria seem to maybe have ocme from different OOL events... Seems unlikely, again due to timing of events. Or, we were seeded twice.
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@wildgrass saidOrganic chemistry has been detected on comets, asteroids, and meteors. We could have been seeded many times. Even life forms as complex as ourselves are composed of only about 20 chemicals; more primitive life forms, self-replicating molecules, are much simpler. These chemicals are not at all rare in our part of the galaxy. It's not like we're made of promethium and radon, after all.
I mean it was a long time ago but there are several threads:
1) the OOL timing is mysterious. Most calculations argue that since Luca we've had 4 billion years of evolution on earth, which means that life began almost immediately after earth cooled. Abiogenesis as a rapid process seems unlikely due to the complexity of necessary components.
2) most water on earth came ...[text shortened]... rom different OOL events... Seems unlikely, again due to timing of events. Or, we were seeded twice.
@moonbus saidNah, life can't be called life without polymerases. The smallest known polymerase is itself a 174 amino acid polymer, not a simple chemical in any reasonably defined terms.
Organic chemistry has been detected on comets, asteroids, and meteors. We could have been seeded many times. Even life forms as complex as ourselves are composed of only about 20 chemicals; more primitive life forms, self-replicating molecules, are much simpler. These chemicals are not at all rare in our part of the galaxy. It's not like we're made of promethium and radon, after all.
Polymerases are not self-replicating. They are templated by RNA (a polymer 3X longer) and synthesized in multi-subunit ribosomes. This process needs diverse amino acids, nucleic acids, etc.
It can't be done with lightning, even with the component parts floating around.
@moonbus saidThat is actually not true.
Even life forms as complex as ourselves are composed of only about 20 chemicals;
Our proteins are made up from 20 amino acids, but we have lots of different proteins (chemicals) in our bodies. Plus some other stuff, e.g. hormones, DNA , RNA,....and depending how you count it sugars and fats.
