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We could have evolved from aliens – New research shows that life on Earth is unlikely to begin


Here’s what you’ll learn from this story:

  • A new study uses mathematical formulas and proves that life on Earth is extremely unlikely.

  • Instead, researchers point to Panspermia, a theory that life or components of life come from elsewhere in the universe.

  • The theory is highly controversial among experts, who seem to disagree with any branch of the theory being a logical explanation of how life develops.


In the second century AD, Lucian of Samosata is a satirist – telling a story of interstellar travel, aliens and space wars. His stories are often considered the first written mention of aliens, and humans have been in the sky for centuries since he wrote them, but if us Actually, it comes from the life of aliens?

Panspermia is a controversial theory that life evolves elsewhere in the universe and (one way or another) made it here, and it evolved into the diversity we see today on Earth. Perhaps the most exciting (and sci-fi) version of the theory, called panpermia, suggests that aliens deliberately sow life on Earth, in other words, where aliens bring life here. Another version of the theory assumes that the elastic forms of life, such as bacteria, can travel across space on debris, accidentally colliding with the Earth and spreading. However, the third edition shows that the basis of life such as amino acids may come from elsewhere in the universe, eventually becoming life on our little blue dots. Needless to say, experts seem to disagree with which mindset is the most legitimate, or if there is a reason to believe any theory, but a recent paper provides new evidence to support that life on Earth may have been alien.

Dr. Robert Endres, author of the paper and professor at Imperial College London, attempts to understand the possibility of the first cell, or the possibility of primitive cells spontaneously formed on Earth, a process known as riogenesis. Needless to say, this is extremely unlikely. Like new Paper Endres has released several complex mathematical models on the online preprint platform ARXIV to find out how long it takes to develop for life. He demonstrated that molecules must merge quickly into microbial life forms because they degrade so quickly on their own. In other words, the molecules that make up life need to be at the right time and at the right concentration. Think of it as an attempt to solve the puzzle puzzle by throwing the pieces in the air and hoping they are plugged together perfectly on the floor, which is a very unreliable system.

According to the paper, the main obstacle to spontaneous formation of life is entropy. It is also called the second law of thermodynamics, which states that all systems move from order to chaos when they leave their devices to their own devices. Thus, as Endres describes, disordered chemical “stools” are unlikely to become spontaneously as complex as living cells. But just because something is Impossible Doesn’t mean it’s Impossible. Maybe you’ll make this puzzle game incredibly unimaginable – maybe it can really be together perfectly at some point. Endres’ work does not rule out the possibility. However, the researchers also pointed out that Panspermia is a “speculative but logically open alternative” to explain the original chaotic life.

“Today, humans have seriously considered the topography of Mars or Venus in scientific journals,” Endris wrote. “If advanced civilizations exist, then they may try similar interventions – curiosity, necessity or design.”

While this possibility sounds exciting, Endres does point out that the idea of ​​guiding Panspermia violates Occam’s razor or tends toward the principle that requires many opportunities to qualify. It is also important to note that no matter how “logical” the swing theory may be, no matter how “open” the case may be, there is no criticism from other experts.

“I think intentional Panpemiya is a beautiful science fiction idea, but unfortunately, it’s impossible,” said Simon George, a researcher at the Search for Alien Intelligence Institute (SETI), who studies the origins of life and life under extreme conditions.

other studypublished in journals Science Advances In August, it is certain that the Earth may need some extra help to start living, although it does not consider aliens to be unfavorable to Earth’s habitability. The team’s analysis of meteorite and terrestrial rock samples showed that the original earth was initially dry and rocky. The researchers believe that Earth collided with a Mars-sized object called Theia, which introduced all the elements that made life possible, including water.

“The Earth does not owe to its current life-friendliness,” Science Advances Professor of thesis and geochemistry from the University of Bern Press release“But there may have been an accidental event, which is the late effect of the foreign water-rich body.”

For George, the idea that life evolved under the right planetary conditions (this is more than the opportunity events like Panspermia suggests) is the most attractive. He said the Earth might get a “chemical boost” but questioned why “we need to make these molecules in space”, which emphasizes that planetary conditions are very different at the beginning of life.

Among other experts, the general criticism of Panspermia is that it does not address exactly Why Life begins, it just pushes it to another celestial world. Similarly, Panspermia complicates human life for aliens in a broader sense, as Panspermia may work in the opposite way – Earth space adventures may bring life to other parts of the universe.

“Is it possible that the Earth is the source of Pampermia?” George asked. “If we do find evidence of life elsewhere in the solar system [has] Just seed life on Earth will be an important challenge. ”

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