Meteorites Brought Ingredients of Life To Earth

Posted by Roblimo on Monday February 28, 2011 @02:50PM from the we-have-met-the-aliens-and-they-are-us dept.

Meshach writes "A new analysis of a meteorite found in Antarctica is leading scientists to think that life on Earth may have come from outer space. Chemical analysis of the meteorite shows it to be rich in ammonia and containing the element nitrogen. Nitrogen is found in the proteins and DNA that form the basis of life as we know it. The prevailing theory is that our planet may have been seeded by a comet or asteroid because the formative Earth might not have been able to provide the full inventory of simple molecules needed for the processes which led to primitive life."

1 of 199 comments (clear)

Min score:

Reason:

Sort:

And what seeded the comet or asteroid? by thepainguy · 2011-02-28 15:19 · Score: 4, Interesting

Seriously, I find ideas like this to be unsatisfying because they just pass the buck. Why is it any more likely that life would arise in a comet, asteroid, or other planet than it would be for life to arise on earth? Maybe if the earth was wiped clean by some cataclysm, but I don't know of anyone who's proposed that.