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Originoflife

All articles tagged with #originoflife

science1 year ago•3 min saved

Gamma Rays May Hold Key to Life's Origins by Transforming Methane

A study published in Angewandte Chemie International Edition reveals that gamma radiation can convert methane into complex organic molecules, including amino acids, at room temperature. This process, which involves reactions with oxygen, water, and ammonia, could play a significant role in the formation of organic molecules in space and potentially in the origin of life. The research, led by Weixin Huang from the University of Science and Technology of China, also suggests new industrial applications for methane conversion using gamma radiation.

via Phys.org|

#gammaradiation #interstellarchemistry #methaneconversion

science-and-environment2 years ago•2 min saved

"Breakthrough Fossil Discovery Pushes Origins of Photosynthesis Back 1.75 Billion Years"

Scientists have discovered fossilized bacteria in Australia and Canada that suggest photosynthesis may have started 1.2 billion years earlier than previously thought, potentially dating back to 1.7 billion years ago. This finding could significantly alter our understanding of the timeline for the development of complex life on Earth, which is closely tied to the history of photosynthesis and the Great Oxygenation Event that filled Earth's atmosphere with oxygen.

via Supercar Blondie|

##evolution #fossildiscovery

science2 years ago•14 min saved

"Exploring the Dawn of Life's Possibility on Earth"

The journey from the Big Bang to the emergence of life is a complex process that required the Universe to cool and form stable atomic nuclei, atoms, and eventually the heavy elements necessary for life through stellar processes. Life on Earth likely began nearly 10 billion years after the Big Bang, possibly when the Universe was just a few percent of its current age. The formation of complex organic molecules in space and the conditions on rocky planets with water suggest that life could have arisen in the cosmos much earlier than previously thought, potentially within the first one or two billion years post-Big Bang. Scientists are exploring the origins of life through the study of amino acids in meteorites and the potential for metabolic processes to have started around hydrothermal vents, leading to self-replicating systems. The discovery of exoplanets and complex organic molecules in interstellar space further supports the possibility of life arising elsewhere in the Universe under the right conditions.

via Big Think|

##astrobiology #bigbang