X-Message-Number: 5555
Date: Tue, 9 Jan 1996 05:27:31 -0800 (PST)
From: Doug Skrecky <>
Subject: more on ET

            THE MIRACULOUS ORIGIN OF TERRESTRIAL LIFE
             (from Longevity Report 43 February 1994)
                       By Doug Skrecky

     All theories about the origin of life on earth possess a common
 defect. They don't work. To put it another way there exists no viable
 theory which can account for the origin of life on earth. Nonetheless we
 are here, waiting impatiently for an explanation. As the telescopes scan
 the heavens in vain for signs that we are not alone a thought occurs
 which at least clarifies if not fully explains our puzzling existance. 
 All theories of life's genesis assume that life is the inevitable result
 of biochemical reactions occurring early in the earth's history. If all
 other possibilities are eliminated then what remains, no matter how
 unlikely or farfetched must be the truth. Perhaps life is not the
 inevitable result of biochemistry. Perhaps far from being inevitable it
 is tremendously unlikely, being rather a unique fluke of luck or an act
 of divine intervention, however one defines the word divine. 
     For example in order for DNA and RNA to replicate they must possess
 what is called molecular homochirality. If significant amounts of mirror
 images of the D-ribose and deoxyribose molecules exist they block
 replication. Thus the existance of life on earth requires molecular
 homochirality. There is no plausible mechanism for creating this
 homochirality on the earth so extraterrestrial sources are favoured. The
 only mechanism being currently considered is circularly polarized
 synchrotron radiation from ONE HEMISPHERE of a neutron star remnant
 interacting with interstellar dust grains to create the required
 homochirality. *1 Does this sound very likely? 
     There are other problems with the maintainance of life for
 geologically extended time periods. For instance if the early earth had
 experienced a single ice age episode, this would have been irreversible
 due to the formation of thermally reflective carbon dioxide clouds. Even
 with the sun's increased radiative output in the present era earth would
 still remain a lifeless ice planet. *2 For the climate of the earth to
 remain stable enough to continue supporting life the orientation of its
 rotational axis or obliquity must be stable. Without the moon it would be
 unstable, thus the existance of the moon is responsible for the present
 existance of life on earth. *3 The earth's moon is so large that the
 earth/moon system is sometimes refered to as a double planet by
 astronomers. Such "double" planets are believed to be very rare. The
 galaxy may contain a multitude of earth-like planets, all except one
 remaining as yet sterile, waiting patiently for our descendants to
 fulfill their destiny. 
     Are we unique? 

 *1 "Terrestrial and Extraterrestrial Sources of Molecular Homochirality" 
 407-420 Vol.21 1992 Origins of Life and Evolution of the Biosphere
 *2 "Susceptibility of the Early Earth to Irreversible Glaciation Caused
 by Carbon Dioxide Clouds" 226-228 September 17,1992 Nature
 *3 "The Chaotic Obliquity of the Planets" 608-612 February 18,1993
 Nature

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