Building Blocks of DNA Found in Meteorites

[Dionysus]

From Space.com:

Building Blocks of DNA Found in Meteorites from Space

Past research had revealed a range of building blocks of life in meteorites, such as the amino acids that make up proteins. Space rocks just like these may have been a vital source of the organic compounds that gave rise to life on Earth. [...] Finding nucleobase compounds not typically found in Earth’s biochemistry strongly supports an extraterrestrial origin.

Let’s just face it: we’re aliens. Blarg!

 

[Perham1]

Even better, we're all stardust.

CSN&Y were right.

Thanks for the link. Scientists are getting closer to creatling life, or something like it, in the lab.

 

[Dionysus]

I wonder about the implications here for life on other planets, other galaxies. If human life formed from these and other raw materials over X millions of years, what are the possibilities of far more advanced forms of life elsewhere that might have begun much earlier?

 

[El Sapo]

I would say that the possibilities are good.. and even strong. My personal opinion is that it is naive to embrace the notion of the uniqueness of life on earth. However, I do see a hitch in the get up of how it all might have begun. I don't see soaking a meteor, or its components, in a reproductive sitz bath of sorts on this planet for a few million years and having life simply spring forth from it. If that were the case I could take the base molecules that make up thyme, garlic, salt, olive oil, a little black pepper, and a prime rib roast.. and the outcome would be the same delicious prime rib that I've come to love and expect through ratio and planning. I just don't think it's that simple. Call me crazy but I believe that behind every physical manifestation we see, whether created by man or nature, is an intent and thought. Until 'life' can be created in a lab out of a melange of otherwise inert ingredients, or someone comes along with a better rib roast under equally random circumstances, I'll always believe in an intelligent design to all things. That of course doesn't mean that we didn't come from outer space in some beta version package.. I just question the delivery mechanism if we did.

 

[pasotex]

it was a black monolith

 

[Dionysus]

Thus Spake Zarathustra?

 

[HornCyclist]

There are a lot of theories out there which account for the origins of life without invoking intelligent design,The Link There is no way to know if any of the theories are correct but what's important is they could be correct. And however life actually arose probably involved the same principles these were based on. It was not a random process; only the necessary ingredients being there was random. It's fascinating....probably the most fascinating thing there is for me.

And to the original post. If the meteorite amino acids are extraterrestrial it both presents the possibility that life forming molecules are exchanged freely through space or that the formation of amino acids is quite common. This is some of the stuff that has been accomplished in the lab.

 

[accuratehorn]

I knew there had to be a logical explanation for the lifeforms in College Station.

 

[huisache]

The remnants found in the asteroids are radically different than what is found here, which suggests the life that exists/existed elsewhere took different forms at the beginning from what happened here. The evolutionary paths would be different even if they started from the same basis.


The chances that there are life forms similar to us elsewhere are negligible unless there is a supreme creator of some sort spinning this stuff out.

My vote is still for the idea that we are specks on a speck and none of this is of any significance. Geologic time is geologic time and we are short blurs.

 

[Uninformed]

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