The Earliest Time of Life in Universe

[lowing99]

I found this link relating to the flu conversation

http://scienceray.com/astronomy/do-diseases-come-from-space-comet-controversy/

There seems to be some conflicting opinions out there on the subject

 

[Chalnoth]

I found this link relating to the flu conversation

http://scienceray.com/astronomy/do-diseases-come-from-space-comet-controversy/

There seems to be some conflicting opinions out there on the subject

Yes, well, you can find places on the Internet dedicated to a belief that the world is flat. This doesn't exactly mean much.

 

[lowing99]

I had a brief look through the material relating to Hoyle and Wickramasinghe, I think the book I read years ago might have been by Hoyle. They do seem to have done some work on the subject. I'm not advocating the theory, i just think it's an interesting idea.

Personally I still think that everytime we place limits on the adaptability of life it just keeps stretching those limits. I'll keep an open mind on this one, at least until they check out the organic composition of the most of the closest passing comets.

"The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared that smallpox has been completely eradicated. But past epidemics seem to have followed definite cycles of a few hundred years. Hoyle and Wickramasinghe believe that smallpox will reappear, carried by an as yet undiscovered comet that returns every few centuries."

I really hope they are wrong in respect to this in particular.

 

[Chalnoth]

"The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared that smallpox has been completely eradicated. But past epidemics seem to have followed definite cycles of a few hundred years. Hoyle and Wickramasinghe believe that smallpox will reappear, carried by an as yet undiscovered comet that returns every few centuries."

I really hope they are wrong in respect to this in particular.

They're as wrong as flat-earthers. It's completely ridiculous. There is no possible physical mechanism that could come close to explaining this.

 

[lowing99]

It's far more likely that comets may have seeded various complex organic molecules (e.g. amino acids) than full-blown organisms (even simple viruses).

I think this is the most likely outcome, if indeed the Earth was seeded in the first place, I think the probability is that it originated here, as you say.

 

[Oldfart]

It's far more likely that comets may have seeded various complex organic molecules (e.g. amino acids) than full-blown organisms (even simple viruses).

Have biologists managed to theoretically assemble these molecules (and amy other needed local materials) in a manner that results in something that resembles a lifeform?

 

[Chalnoth]

Have biologists managed to theoretically assemble these molecules (and amy other needed local materials) in a manner that results in something that resembles a lifeform?

That really depends upon what you mean. We have managed to produce some very simple self-replicating molecules (that is, if you put one of these molecules in a bath with a number of the components of said molecule, after a while you end up with a lot of the original molecule after periodically heating and cooling the bath down a few times).

 

[Oldfart]

That really depends upon what you mean. We have managed to produce some very simple self-replicating molecules (that is, if you put one of these molecules in a bath with a number of the components of said molecule, after a while you end up with a lot of the original molecule after periodically heating and cooling the bath down a few times).

Thanks, I was sort of afraid of my usual sin on this forum, which is not asking the question in a correct, sensible way. I suppose that the lifeform that I referred to should have the capability to evolve. Simple self-replication sounds to me like crystals.

 

[Chalnoth]

Thanks, I was sort of afraid of my usual sin on this forum, which is not asking the question in a correct, sensible way. I suppose that the lifeform that I referred to should have the capability to evolve. Simple self-replication sounds to me like crystals.

Oh, they definitely did evolve. The difficulty in this particular case is that the building blocks themselves were somewhat complex. But it is expected that this sort of self-replication was one step along the way to life.

Edit: Btw, here's a blog post describing the specific research I'm talking about:
http://scienceblogs.com/pharyngula/2009/01/chemical_replicators.php

 

[Oldfart]

Edit: Btw, here's a blog post describing the specific research I'm talking about:
http://scienceblogs.com/pharyngula/2009/01/chemical_replicators.php

Many thanks, Chalnoth, quite interesting. I was a little surprised at the "live" approach, thought they'd be modeling this stuff on a supercomputer. You know, trying billions of initial conditions, find some primitive lifeforms, and then cleverly speed up their theoretical evolution along a million different pathways. First to make a mammal wins the Nobel...

 

[Chalnoth]

First to make a mammal wins the Nobel...

Haha, not only would replicating billions of years of evolution be a little bit difficult, but it couldn't ever happen the same way twice :)