Researches have discovered that inorganic materials suspended in plasma will self-organize into helical strands that evolve and duplicate. This is the first real-life look at how organic life may have developed from inorganic life.
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I often find that people who think all of this stuff sounds implausible just don’t realize what a weird, bizarre world things at the level of chemistry are: the odd attractions and repulsions, the folded geometry. If you aren’t familiar with it, it can seem like magic. But it is, in reality, far far more interesting than magic.
Abiogenesis is where the *real* controversy is. Heck with evolution, that’s old hat. I’m all about the montmorillonite hypothesis, myself.
Bah. Moses told us 3,500 years ago that man was formed from the dust of the ground.
:D
This story reminds me a lot of the work Stanley Miller did in 1954. Well, it reminds me of learning about it in high school biology anyway.
From Wiki:
He was a participant in the pioneering Miller-Urey experiment. In the 1950s, Urey theorized that the early atmosphere of the Earth was probably like the atmosphere now present on Jupiter –i.e., rich in ammonia, methane, and hydrogen. Miller, working in his laboratory at the University of Chicago, demonstrated that when exposed to an energy source such as ultraviolet radiation, these compounds and water can react to produce amino acids essential for the formation of living matter. (Similar ideas had been suggested by Aleksandr Oparin in the 1920s.) However, since then there have been objections that the early environment was possibly not as reducing as Miller and Urey assumed.[2]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanley_Miller
@JS: Miller showed how life might form in a dense soup. This research shows how life might form in space! Both are cool, but the latter is far more startling. :-)
The following information on inorganic dust was acquired several years ago. In light of the work of Tsytovich and others, it may be of more interest now:
“There is a force in the universe which is interfering in the fate of the Earth and of human beings and which does not play by the rules. The solar system has entered a portion of the galaxy in which harmful energy is present, an energy which could be described as an intergalactic dust, a substance somewhat like a virus. It is a virus having not a cellular structure but one which resembles a partially-twisted spiral, similar to DNA. It is precisely because this virus does not possess inherent integrity that it mutates easily. The virus possesses a form of consciousness which might be described as reptilian, i.e. one which is direct and merciless. It has no feelings. It is useless to try and reason with it. It understands only force. But this virus, while aware of its destructive, parasitic nature which destroys and enslaves living organisms nevertheless has awareness of its own pathetic nature. It does not possess sufficient awareness to overcome this defect and suffers as a result. This virus is present in almost all human beings. It is an enormous virus, larger in size than the solar system. The virus does not know love. It kills love in humans, but itself suffers by so doing.
“Aware of its pathetic nature, it tries to ease its own suffering by attaching itself to living organisms, including human beings, and consuming their love. Human beings possess energy which gives the virus warmth, so it casts a net over human beings in order to feed off of human energy, in particular the energy inherent in the emotional components of joy, love and vitality. It hopes also to find a way to end its suffering by making human beings suffer. It learns in this way. No one has yet found a way to rid the solar system of the virus.
“In order to protect oneself from the virus, people need to be sincere with themselves and in their dealings with others. Insincerity is immediately evident to other beings, no matter how well one tries to hide it. In addition, one must be well-wishing of others and capable of loving without making demands. One must love oneself, the world and others without expecting love in return. This love must find manifestation in one’s emtions, thoughts and acts. It is not easy to cultivate such a love but it is possible. Then the virus which has attached itself to such a person will be transformed and will cease its destructive activity.”
Source: translation from Russian of material found on the site: http://sannyasa.narod.ru/godsepoh/chapter2.htm
@Nikolai: Isn’t that passage a bit out of place in a discussion of science?