I, Alien
6/13/2008 | 11:39 PM | Evolved Rationalist
We are all space aliens, folks! Praise Xenu!
Genetic material from outer space found in a meteorite in Australia may well have played a key role in the origin of life on Earth, according to a study to be published Sunday.What comes next doesn't look too good for creationists:
European and US scientists have proved for the first time that two bits of genetic coding, called nucleobases, contained in the meteor fragment, are truly extraterrestrial.Previous studies had suggested that the space rocks, which hit Earth some 40 years ago, might have been contaminated upon impact.
Competing theories suggest that nucleobases were synthesised closer to home, but Martins counters that the atmospheric conditions of early Earth would have rendered that process difficult or impossible.
A team of European and US scientists showed that the two types of molecules in the Australian meteorite contained a heavy form of carbon -- carbon 13 -- which could only have been formed in space.
"We believe early life may have adopted nucleobases from meteoric fragments for use in genetic coding, enabling them to pass on their successful features to subsequent generations," Martins said.
If so, this would have been the start of an evolutionary process leading over billions of years to all the flora and fauna -- including human beings -- in existence today.
The study, published in Earth Planetary Science Letters, also has implications for life on other planets.
"Because meteorities represent leftover materials from the formation of the solar system, the key components of life -- including nucleobases -- could be widespread in the cosmos," said co-author Mark Sephton, also at Imperial College London.
"As more and more of life's raw materials are discovered in objects from space, the possibility of life springing forth wherever the right chemistry is present becomes more likely," he said.
Although there clearly is a lot more work to be done in this area, I forward to the time when any mention of creationism and a divine, imaginary, sky-daddy poofing everything into existence is met with this reaction:
Slowly but surely creationism, religion and irrational superstitions would find themselves in the garage bin of history along with myths of turtles holding up the earth, unicorns and dragons wandering the mountains and Zeus' thunderbolt from heaven. Our struggle for reason is of the utmost importance, lest the forces of unreason burn us at the modern-day stake.
Onward, science soldiers!
Posted in
Evolution,
Science
|
Should we really be trusting Yahoo! News?
No.
Science worshipper Evolved Rationalist: Our struggle for reason is of the utmost importance, lest the forces of unreason burn us at the modern-day stake.Onward, science soldiers!
Translated: Waaaaaaahhhh!! Some Catholic heretics were burning about two scientists at the stake so waaaaahhhhhh look we have been persecuted!! I don't care about the scientists who killed millions with the bomb!!! Waaaahhhhh fight for science waaaahhhhhh!!
What a crybaby.
Evolved, do you hang out on Encyclopedia Dramatica at all?
Anonymous has apparently eaten straw for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Anonytroll, please read this and educate yourself: http://tinyurl.com/5vrggl
Now, I'm going back to bed for some 'Oh Gould!' goodness.
*smirking at the thought that anonytroll is obviously not getting laid*
Chanology,
I live on that site.
Are you married Evolved? Who would want you anyway?
I think that I'm a little more pessimistic than you. The fundamentalists' delusions are unlikely to be susceptible to reasoned argument. After all, that we have Young Earth Creationists in this day and age proves, if nothing else, that fundies are either sick, and simply unable to grasp various scientific truths, or evil, i.e. lying in defence of their twisted world views.
That said, I think it's exciting if that's how life originated on earth because it would make the likelihood of life on other planets significantly more likely.
I like your uncompromising opposition to the ignorance of fundamentalists.
Uh, you mean "turtles holding up the earth" is a myth? :-)
There was one time when many Christians criticized Heliocentrism, and today most Christians accept heliocentrism and don't see it as an attack on their faith. I am sure that if creationism is wrong there will be a time when Christians almost unanimously accept evolution.
You are a compromiser who is trying to destroy faith. Repent!
Christislord12,
So, do you reject heliocentrism too?
Shalanonymous wrote: "Although there clearly is a lot more work to be done in this area."
You got that right. I predict here and now that we will never find extraterrestrial life, although I'm sure we'll keep trying.
As to evolution, since it cannot be proved one way or the other, I doubt the creation/evolution debate is going away anytime soon. Wasn't it Richard Dawkins himself who wrote "I believe but cannot prove that life evolved" (my summation). But ultimately you're probably right, the next generation will realize how little actual scientific support macro-evolution has, and reject it entirely.