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Scientists Upend Theory on Origin of Life on Earth
Newser • • science
Key Points:
- A new study by University of Cambridge researchers challenges the theory that comets delivered the building blocks of life to Earth, finding that the intense heat and impact of comet collisions destroy most organic compounds.
- The research focused on hydrogen cyanide (HCN), a resilient prebiotic molecule found on comets, concluding that the odds of enough HCN surviving entry to initiate life-related chemistry are extremely low.
- Lead author Richard Anslow described the survival of such molecules during comet impacts as a "one-in-a-million" event, casting significant doubt on the comet-delivery hypothesis.
- The study, published in Scientific Reports, suggests that while Earth's atmosphere likely obliterated these compounds, Mars' thinner atmosphere might have allowed gentler landings, keeping the possibility open elsewhere.
