Complex Organic Molecules Discovered in Infant Star System

[sal_vager]

This could be quite an important discovery, carbon containing molecules have been found in a proto-planetary disc, it's not life of course but could provide the first steps towards life.

What makes this so interesting is that this could occur anywhere, meaning the chemicals processes needed for amino acids and maybe even RNA could occur throughout the universe.

It could mean life, at least plant and maybe animal life, is a lot more widespread than we know.

Edited April 9, 2015 by sal_vager

[Bill Phil]

If life is super common, it is very likely to be prokaryotic. Life on Earth was single-celled and prokeryotic for so long, that most other life will still be in that cylce (if they're newer...)

[Brotoro]

Nothing in that article seemed surprising. I would be surprised if disks around other forming stars did NOT contain organic compounds similar to what we see in our solar system's comets.

[Starwhip]

It's only 455 light-years away... important, I suppose, but it's not going to show us anything in our lifetimes.

[Xannari Ferrows]

It's only 455 light-years away... important, I suppose, but it's not going to show us anything in our lifetimes.

I don't know about that. Think about how much technology has exponentially advanced throughout the years. The technology to cross vast distances can exist a little easier than you might think, but there's no way the... "Authorities" will allow it to be invented.

[ido66667]

I don't know about that. Think about how much technology has exponentially advanced throughout the years. The technology to cross vast distances can exist a little easier than you might think, but there's no way the... "Authorities" will allow it to be invented.

You saying FTL exists and the G-Men suppress it? Conspiracy much...

I don't think that anybody will do that, due to the economic potential it has.

And, BTW, from a Relativity standpoint, FTL implies time travel, with all it's paradoxes, so I am having a hard time supporting that.

[Starwhip]

I don't know about that. Think about how much technology has exponentially advanced throughout the years. The technology to cross vast distances can exist a little easier than you might think, but there's no way the... "Authorities" will allow it to be invented.

It's a protoplanetary disk. Whoo.

What the heck would we do with that?

I meant that no life would develop anytime soon of much significance. The "455 light-years" meant that we're seeing it 455 years ago, not several billion, in which case life may have certainly evolved by now.

[Frida Space]

Yes, this wasn't so unexpected, but it's good to know that we've actually found these complex molecules where we thought they would be.

[B787_300]

ah 445 years ago is not long enoguh on the the cosmological scale for the planets to have formed and cooled enough for life to form Starwhip

[Starwhip]

ah 445 years ago is not long enoguh on the the cosmological scale for the planets to have formed and cooled enough for life to form Starwhip

I just said that....

[B787_300]

so you did... I miss read and i apologize

[NFUN]

It's a protoplanetary disk. Whoo.

What the heck would we do with that?

I meant that no life would develop anytime soon of much significance. The "455 light-years" meant that we're seeing it 455 years ago, not several billion, in which case life may have certainly evolved by now.

The implication or interest is that these molecules might be fairly common, and present in other developing and developed star systems. The actual fact that this specific disc has these molecules isn't important nor the point.

[vger]

The implication or interest is that these molecules might be fairly common, and present in other developing and developed star systems. The actual fact that this specific disc has these molecules isn't important nor the point.

This.

It implies that the stereotypical "primordial ooze" ingredients could easily be present in ANY system, even before planets form. This includes the systems that are billions of years old. Good evidence pointing towards a universe teeming with life.

[KerikBalm]

If life is super common, it is very likely to be prokaryotic. Life on Earth was single-celled and prokeryotic for so long, that most other life will still be in that cylce (if they're newer...)

The terms prokaryotic and Eukaryotic probably aren't even applicable to alien life.