Origin of Life: new commentaries (Introduction)

by dhw, Sunday, June 12, 2011, 08:33 (4913 days ago) @ David Turell

DAVID: Here is a study of a meteorite with organic compounds. They wonder how the amino acids formed on it or in it. The comment that the organic compounds do not follow the organic patterns in life seems to negate the idea that somehow or other meteorites started life on Earth:-http://the-scientist.com/2011/06/09/meteorite-hints-at-life%e2%80%99s-origins/-The headline screams: "Meteorite hints at life's origins", and the article is full of excitement at the possibility that it may provide clues. It points out that: "Many scientists believe those meteor showers provided the quantities of carboxylic acids, amino acids, and amines necessary to create life in the primordial soup of Earth's ancient seas." -Then we read:
An alternative interpretation of the data is that the compounds formed when a life form from outer space was degraded, said Chandra Wickramasinghe, an astrobiologist at the Cardiff Center for Astrobiology, who was not involved in the study.-But both Herd and Sephton disagreed with that interpretation. The meteorite doesn't have the patterns that you see in biological material, even degraded life forms, Sephton said.-I get the impression from the article that scientists are looking for an instant mixture which will only require water to spring to life. They obviously haven't found it. We know that all the ingredients must have come together somehow, but I'd be grateful if someone would tell me exactly why this particular piece of research is so exciting.