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pleco
SFN Addict
USA
2998 Posts |
 Posted - 08/14/2007 : 14:54:21
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Source
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. |
Edit: added bolding
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by Filthy
The neo-con methane machine will soon be running at full fart. |
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Edited by - pleco on 08/14/2007 14:54:59
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HalfMooner
Dingaling
Philippines
15831 Posts |
Posted - 08/14/2007 : 14:58:43 [Permalink]
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Cool! I had no idea about nuclear warming in comets. So God did make the first life from clay?
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“Biology is just physics that has begun to smell bad.” —HalfMooner
Here's a link to Moonscape News, and one to its Archive. |
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BigPapaSmurf
SFN Die Hard
3192 Posts |
Posted - 08/15/2007 : 05:09:37 [Permalink]
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| This is such shit, like they have any clue how varied or long lived the environs were on Earth. Very irresponsible, IMO. |
"...things I have neither seen nor experienced nor heard tell of from anybody else; things, what is more, that do not in fact exist and could not ever exist at all. So my readers must not believe a word I say." -Lucian on his book True History
"...They accept such things on faith alone, without any evidence. So if a fraudulent and cunning person who knows how to take advantage of a situation comes among them, he can make himself rich in a short time." -Lucian critical of early Christians c.166 AD From his book, De Morte Peregrini |
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We ain't from around here...the odds are good!
