Thread: Building blocks of life found on ancient meteorites

Water and organic compounds have been discovered together on two meteorites which are thought to be around 4.5 billion years old.


The search for aliens has taken another mysterious turn after scientists said they have discovered the essential ingredients for life on ancient meteorites.


The space-faring rocks, which at approximately 4.5 billion years old are the same age as the Earth, were found to contain both liquid water and organic compounds.


Although the presence of these compounds does not mean the meteorites ever contained life, it does hint at how it may be present elsewhere in the universe.


The meteorites, named Zag and Monahans, are believed to have originated from the asteroid belt, between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter.
They were examined when they first fell to Earth in Morocco and Texas in 1998, and were found to contain liquid water.

But, at the time, scientists did not have the technology to detect small amounts of amino acids.


Now, using new powerful spectrometers and ion beams, researchers have been able to analyse the molecular composition of the salt crystals that were found among both rocks.


The study's lead author Dr Queenie Chan, a postdoctoral researcher at the UK's Open University, said: "We collected the tiny salt crystals from the meteorites and dissolved them in water so that we could extract the amino acids and separate any organic compounds to analyse them.
"We conducted our experiments in one of the cleanest laboratories in the world at the NASA Johnson Space Centre, which avoided any contamination from things such as dust in the air."


Dr Chan said researchers believe the salt in the halite crystals that became embedded in Zag and Mohanans may have originated in Ceres, a dwarf planet in the asteroid belt.


The meteorites themselves however originated from a different asteroid in the belt.


Dr Chan explained: "Each salt crystal, which is about two millimetres in size and the colour of a blue sapphire, is essentially a little package full of organic compounds and the necessary building blocks of life.


"What's even more incredible is that the salt crystals from both meteorites are believed to be from the largest asteroid in the asteroid belt, Ceres, which suggests that it could be a suitable place for the formation of life."

https://news.sky.com/story/building-...rites-11202635

That's been the leading hypothesis - on the formation of life
Not only on our own planet, but that of multiple earth-like planets scattered around the universe(s).

That and deep-sea volcanic vents (and Lil' Dick's dildo of life).

Panspermia, is the name of the theory. That comets spread these building blocks and life throughout the cosmos.

It really would be surprising if there wasn't (at least) microbial life around the thermonuclear vents in the oceans of Europa (moon of Jupiter) and Enceladus (moon of Saturn).


Like Earth, they would have had billions of years to evolve.


What would be a really, really amazing discovery, would be life that has a completely alien DNA to anything on Earth, which would prove the rise of life from a completely separate source of that in our little backdoor neighbourhood.

Originally Posted by Luigi

It really would be surprising if there wasn't (at least) microbial life around the thermonuclear vents in the oceans of Europa (moon of Jupiter) and Enceladus (moon of Saturn).


Like Earth, they would have had billions of years to evolve.


What would be a really, really amazing discovery, would be life that has a completely alien DNA to anything on Earth, which would prove the rise of life from a completely separate source of that in our little backdoor neighbourhood.

It can only end in tears, I saw it in this movie.

I thought this was a thread about Lego.

Wouldn't that be something, a meteorite lands with a Lego 7-11 on it.

Fair assumption that life on Earth came from far away, and that it exists in various forms elsewhere, but the big problem, against importance, is to prove it.

And hope the fooker's aren't a few million years more evolved than us, and want to mine some DNA-coin.

Originally Posted by NZdick1983

That's been the leading hypothesis - on the formation of life
Not only on our own planet, but that of multiple earth-like planets scattered around the universe(s).

That and deep-sea volcanic vents (and Lil' Dick's dildo of life).

A questionable hypothesis within the stayed established convention, which like most fields of endeavor is vacant of curiosity and alternatives.

A better bet is that THEY haven't a clue - best estimated guess.

Originally Posted by Luigi

It really would be surprising if there wasn't (at least) microbial life around the thermonuclear vents in the oceans of Europa (moon of Jupiter) and Enceladus (moon of Saturn).


Like Earth, they would have had billions of years to evolve.


What would be a really, really amazing discovery, would be life that has a completely alien DNA to anything on Earth, which would prove the rise of life from a completely separate source of that in our little backdoor neighbourhood.

Get you.. trying to be all smart and stuff

I prefer this version

^^ If they've evolved to stage of developing vehicles, we know who to call to inflate the tyres and degrease the window wipers.

normal service has been resumed

Given that the Earth's current water supply came from asteroids etc crashing into us over several billion years it's scarcely fucking surprising that arriving rocks are found to contain water and chemicals establishing the potential for life forms. Of course there are hundreds of planets out their with hundreds of differing species at varying degrees of development and evolution but considering the infinite distances involved we will never encounter them. We are alone. Well, there'll always be the Welsh but that's something else.

As the Perseid Meteor Shower reaches its peak, organic chemist Roy Adkin, a postgraduate research student in the OU's Faculty of Science, talks about the organic molecules in meteorites, how they form the origins of the building blocks of life, and whether life could exist in space.

Originally Posted by Seekingasylum

Of course there are hundreds of planets out their with hundreds of differing species at varying degrees of development and evolution but considering the infinite distances involved we will never encounter them. We are alone. Well, there'll always be the Welsh but that's something else.

I do believe that in the future , the human species will develop space travelling vehicles that will enable mankind to reach the furthest galaxies and planets and that humans will be able to travel millions of light years to the furthest planets and discover distant planets with life on them .
I can imagine Humans , spacemen , traveling billions of miles away through space , meeting extra terrestrial life on other planets , and when humans reach those extra terrestrial planets and communicate with the aliens , the aliens will say "Sorry , you cannot land on this planet carrying those sausages , get back on your space sip and go back home "

Originally Posted by Seekingasylum

Given that the Earth's current water supply came from asteroids etc crashing into us over several billion years

Didn't the solar system only forum 4.5 billion sausages ago?

it's scarcely fucking surprising that arriving rocks are found to contain water and chemicals establishing the potential for life forms. Of course there are hundreds of planets out their with hundreds of differing species at varying degrees of development and evolution but considering the infinite distances involved we will never encounter them.

That's the thing..... time.

The universe, 13 billions years or so... our solar system, 4.5b years or so. Somewhat intelligent life on here, say 3000 years (minus the Welsh).........

Intelligent life evolving to be, in different parts of a minuscule cosmic corner, within a few thousand years of each other, and thus being aware of each other during this tiny time frame....

A good one for TD CSI and their affiliates...

...according to a BBC doc I saw years ago, one theory has it that mineral interactions occurring on a nascent earth (described as "mineral life") led to "chemical life" which, in turn, led to biological life...the next step might be "artificial life" in the form of AI...

That AI experiment has been running for several years now but most folk know it as Haverfordwest.

Originally Posted by Seekingasylum

I reckon us evolving into some alt being not confined by the current laws of physics in the time available, say another billion years before things get too hot, is really a big ask.

...particularly as we don't know who to ask...