one trillion trillion to one ...

[Jayhawker Soule]

From ScienceDaily:

Did Life Begin In Space? New Evidence From Comets
​

Recent probes inside comets show it is overwhelmingly likely that life began in space, according to a new paper by Cardiff University scientists.

< -- snip -- >​

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.​

The petri dish has been qualitative enlarged, as has the case for extraterrestrial life (though not necessarily ETI). Very cool.

 

[Guitar's Cry]

From ScienceDaily:

Did Life Begin In Space? New Evidence From Comets
​

Recent probes inside comets show it is overwhelmingly likely that life began in space, according to a new paper by Cardiff University scientists.

< -- snip -- >​

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.​

The petri dish has been qualitative enlarged, as has the case for extraterrestrial life (though not necessarily ETI). Very cool.

I've always found this idea really cool. To me, it makes more sense that evolution began on Earth with microbial life hitchin' a ride from a comet than with protocells.

There's something very poetic about it, too!

 

[MysticSang'ha]

Very cool indeed, Jay. Thanks for sharing!




Peace,
Mystic

 

[Buttercup]

Fred Hoyle certainly took a lot of flack from this theory. Too bad it might receive more mainstream credibility after his death.

 

[Terrywoodenpic]

It is probably true... But the way chance works it could still have started here.
Or indeed it could have come more than once in the form of Virus.

 

[Terrywoodenpic]

Fred Hoyle certainly took a lot of flack from this theory. Too bad it might receive more mainstream credibility after his death.

Fred Hoyle took a lot of flack in his life... but even when he was wrong he provoked a massive amount of new thought and new work.

 

[yossarian22]

Ah, panspermia still lives.

 

[Runt]

Interesting idea. I'm curious to know, however... if life on Earth came from life in a comet, then where did the life in the comet come from, and how did it start? In a way, if this is true it brings us back to square one with the entire question of how life starts, only now we're dealing with completely unknown conditions on another planet/in another solar system/on a comet/god only knows where.

 

[Buttercup]

Fred Hoyle took a lot of flack in his life... but even when he was wrong he provoked a massive amount of new thought and new work.

Could be why he was Sir Fredrick Hoyle?

I like this quote from Fred....

"There is a coherent plan in the universe, though I don't know what it's a plan for."

 

[lunamoth]

Makes me wonder if sentient life on another planet somewhere will one day be robotic-AI seeded from Earth. Will they wonder where they came from? Will an organic life form seem equally implausible?

 

[Jayhawker Soule]

In a way, if this is true it brings us back to square one with the entire question of how life starts, only now we're dealing with completely unknown conditions on another planet/in another solar system/on a comet/god only knows where.

Actaully, it qualitatively increases the possible environments serving as host for the natural emergence of life. We're indeed back at square one, but it's a much, much larger square, while the God-of-the-Gaps has seen its territory increased not at all.

 

[Runt]

Actaully, it qualitatively increases the possible environments serving as host for the natural emergence of life. We're indeed back at square one, but it's a much, much larger square, while the God-of-the-Gaps has seen its territory increased not at all.

Yay!

Still though, if true, we're going to have a heck of a time trying to form theories of how the first cells formed, since we haven't the foggiest notion of where they formed or in what conditions. Yay mystery!

 

[Jayhawker Soule]

Yay!

Still though, if true, we're going to have a heck of a time trying to form theories of how the first cells formed, since we haven't the foggiest notion of where they formed or in what conditions. Yay mystery!

Well said! Religious naturalism is, in part, very much about embracing mystery.

 

[Quiddity]

Wasn't this already news?

Oh I see, this is talking about the inside vs. the outside which they have already found. Or was that asteroids?

Either way, neat find. Thanks for sharing.

 

[rojse]

Should the idea of panspermia be proved, would that not be the final proof against Genesis, and from that, the Bible? There could be no reinterpretation of what a day means then, or anything like that, should life have originated off earth.

 

[Jayhawker Soule]

Should the idea of panspermia be proved, would that not be the final proof against Genesis, and from that, the Bible? There could be no reinterpretation of what a day means then, or anything like that, should life have originated off earth.

It is trivially easy to imagine Genesis as an allegory fully consistent with panspermia.

 

[powder21]

I love this theory. Thanks for the new info!!!

 

[Kungfuzed]

Panspermia = Little Goat-Man sperm.

 

[yossarian22]

Panspermia = Little Goat-Man sperm.

That goes down in the "most distasteful puns ever" list

 

[Kungfuzed]

That goes down in the "most distasteful puns ever" list

Well, whats panspermia supposed to mean then? Usually pan means all (when it's not referring to a little goat man) and sperm is the little wiggly things that get women pregnant so panspermia means all sperm. Don't blame me, blame the person who made up that word. It should be cometspermia.