Early Earth Atmosphere Favourable to Life

mathinator writes "A study by researchers at the University of Waterloo indicates that Earth in its infancy probably had substantial quantities of hydrogen in its atmosphere, a surprising finding that may alter the way many scientists think about how life began on the planet. The new study indicates that up to 40 percent of the early atmosphere was hydrogen, implying a more favourable climate for the production of pre-biotic organic compounds like amino acids, and ultimately, life. The paper was authored by doctoral student Feng Tian, Prof. Owen Toon and Research Associate Alexander Pavlov of CU-Boulder's Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics, and by Prof. Hans De Sterk of University of Waterloo's Applied Mathematics department. The paper was published in the April 7 issue of Science Express, the online edition of Science Magazine"

Comments

What a surprise

[Anonymous Coward]

a surprising finding that may alter the way many scientists think about how life began on the planet.

Ah, now, there's a surprise.

Can anyone tell me how many times these high and mighty evolution scientists have already backpedalled and changed their version of the truth to fit some new finding? I've already lost the count... pathetic, really.

Re:This article contains material on evolution.

[Yolegoman]

If one believes God created us, then one can accept on faith that there are some things which we cannot understand - like how God exists in the first place. We have finite minds, our minds cannot comprehend something always existing, but I know it's true because I'm willing to accept it on faith.

I find it much more reasonable to believe it was created with a snap of the fingers and admit I cannot understand how God could always exist than to believe this Awesome Universe "evolved" exactly the way it did!

Re:Was this intentional?

[Anonymous Coward]

YHBT. HAND.

Re:This article contains material on evolution.

[0racle]

Other then the idea that the universe magically created itself and everything in it, exactly what parts of '200 years and thousands of independant(sic) pieces of information and the entire biology branch of science' have to be ignored? Creation is no more far fetched then evolution, your just changing what your god is.

What God made, we might not fully understand

[John Seminal]

I am amazed at all the scientists who think they know "facts" when their theories are not really anything more then a "best guess". And their guesses care changing all the time. God's story has not changed at all.

I believe we should teach creationism in schools, it will serve more people better. Out of a high school graduation class of 1000, how many will go on to a career in science? Say that 700 of them go on to college and that 300 go into the work force. Of the 700, 100 decide they want to major in physics or chemistry. Of them 70 get weeded out. You now have 30 people who will continue. The other 970 people will be better served with an education that focuses on creationism.

We are living in a time with relative ethics. We are living in an increasing secular society, where life means little. We all watched in horror as the Teri Shiavo in Florida was starved to death. That never should have happened, in the light that there is information that her husband might have beat her the night she collapsed, and the uncertainty of her wishes.

Even our most prized and well written scientists believe in God. Einstein believed in God, he was quoted as saying "I want to know God's thoughts, the rest are just details".

This is further proof in favor of creationism.

[Tatarize]

You see, they did a lot of studies about abiogenesis and had some findings that support evolution (really a different subject). But, this study goes to show that they had the early atmosphere wrong. See, it's all mistake after mistake. God exists.

Re:Lame troll... but I'll bite

[John Seminal]

Einstein was atheist, sometimes scientist say god, speaking metaphorically. Einstein said: "It was, of course, a lie what you read about my religious convictions, a lie which is being systematically repeated. I do not believe in a personal God and I have never denied this but have expressed it clearly. If something is in me which can be called religious then it is the unbounded admiration for the structure of the world so far as our science can reveal it." And by the way, what purpose will it serve to teach people lies? Even if they are not going to study science, they have to be tought facts, not lies. If you keep a population ignorant, they'll be easilly manipulated. As an example, I'm not a biochemist, I'm a Computer Scientist, but all the Organic Chemsitry I learned in high school has been very helpful in my life, to improve my nutrition, and hormonal profile, as part of my goal to be faster and stronger. It has also been helpful to identify all the crap about nutrition and health popular media barfs.

Einstein did believe in God, you are wrong.

And teaching creationism is not teaching a lie. It is teaching Truth. Chemsitry is not fully understood. God created how the world works, we try and understand it the best we can. But we are not God, and we should not make the mistake to believe we are know-it-all's.

Re:This article contains material on evolution.

[Gilgaron]

Gaia, the Earth, was birthed of Chaos, if I recall correctly. No one made out her dimensions, save perhaps herself. That covers most of all that up through 11.

Most of the animal's traits were given out by Epimetheus, who forgot to leave any for Man, so Prometheus helped them out and gave them fire. He wasn't crucified, but he was bound to a rock by chains and an eagle tore out his entrails every day for quite some time.

Zeus and Poseidon handle most of the weather effects mentioned.

That's a summary of a few of my favorite myths, anyway. Thanks for sharing yours.