Posted on 08/28/2013 8:59:09 PM PDT by Fractal Trader
It might not just be men who are from Mars, claims a new study which suggests that all life on Earth actually began on the red planet.
An element believed to be crucial to the origin of life would only have been available on the surface of Mars, it is claimed.
Geochemist Professor Steven Benner argues that the 'seeds' of life probably arrived on Earth in meteorites blasted off Mars by impacts or volcanic eruptions.
Professor Steven Benner will tell geochemists gathering today at the annual Goldschmidt conference that an oxidised mineral form of the element molybdenum, which may have been crucial to the origin of life, could only have been available on the surface of Mars and not on Earth As evidence he points to the oxidised mineral form of the element molybdenum, thought to be a catalyst that helped organic molecules develop into the first living structures.
Professor Benner will present his findings to geochemists gathering today at the annual Goldschmidt conference.
In addition recent studies show that these conditions, suitable for the origin of life, may still exist on Mars, said Professor Benner, of the Westheimer Institute for Science and Technology in Gainesville, Florida.
Its only when molybdenum becomes highly oxidised that it is able to influence how early life formed.
This form of molybdenum couldnt have been available on Earth at the time life first began, because three billion years ago the surface of the Earth had very little oxygen, but Mars did.
Its yet another piece of evidence which makes it more likely life came to Earth on a Martian meteorite, rather than starting on this planet.
(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...
Sagan ‘studied’ the problem of interplanetary/interstellar radiation acting as a sterilizing agent on any microbes hitching rides through space (not inside meteoritic material), and concluded (with his coauthor, who probably did all the work) that panspermia wouldn’t occur. Organic material (molecules with carbon-hydrogen bonds, whatever their origin, are organic, for those who dunno) is found on meteorites.
The Origins of Directed Panspermia
[molybdenum connection]
http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/guest-blog/2013/01/09/the-origins-of-directed-panspermia/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panspermia
The Big Splash is worth checking out:
Small Comets and Our Origins
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/bloggers/1250694/posts
At the very least, at the current rate of arrival, all the water on Earth must have come from small comets hitting the atmosphere. And if the general idea of the nebular hypothesis is correct, the impact rate must have been much higher at one time.
There was no asteroid planet, as far as I’m concerned, but here’s three topics relevant to that:
Long-Destroyed Fifth Planet May Have Caused Lunar Cataclysm, Researchers Say
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/653287/posts
An Unknown Planet Orbits in the Outer Solar System
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/chat/1876853/posts
Red Planet’s Ancient Equator Located
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/chat/1390424/posts
I didn’t notice it, sorry.
I know you didn’t. No problem.
oy vey
It has been years ago that I took organic chemistry for getting my Chem Eng. degree and license. I think that organic molecule probably is in the context of just a molecule and not a bunch of such to form some viable structure. I intend to read the professor’s paper because it appears to have some very fascinating thinking.
Yep. Just ask Professor Quatermass!
In a universe this vast and Mars is the only place it ould have come from? I’d say the scientist is definitely guessing....
> Geeze, take the government grants away form these guys. They are real life Sheldon Coopers from the Big Bang Theory, who do their equations and speculate about non-provable theories. Theres a reason they are called theoretical physicists. Its all conjecture according to their math.
Siebpntists with a natural left leaning being paid by the government to find any other explanation of human origin or life other than created by God. If they can get men to doubt that God exists they become our god.
> Geeze, take the government grants away form these guys. They are real life Sheldon Coopers from the Big Bang Theory, who do their equations and speculate about non-provable theories. Theres a reason they are called theoretical physicists. Its all conjecture according to their math.
Scientists with a natural left leaning being paid by the government to find any other explanation of human origin or life other than created by God. If they can get men to doubt that God exists they become our god.
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