Posted on 12/29/2021 5:57:37 AM PST by Red Badger
A summary of decades of research on a rather 'out-there' idea involving viruses from space raises questions on just how scientific we can be when it comes to speculating on the history of life on Earth.
It's easy to throw around words like crackpot, rogue, and maverick in describing the scientific fringe, but then papers like this one, from 2018, come along and leave us blinking owlishly, unsure of where to even begin.
A total of 33 names were listed as authors on this review, which was published by Progress in Biophysics and Molecular Biology back in August 2018. The journal is peer reviewed and fairly well cited. So it's not exactly small, or a niche pay-for-publish source.
Science writer Stephen Fleischfresser goes into depth on the background of two of the better known scientists involved: Edward Steele and Chandra Wickramasinghe. It's well worth a read.
For a tl;dr version, Steele is an immunologist who has a fringe reputation for his views on evolution that relies on acquiring gene changes determined by the influence of the environment rather than random mutations, in what he calls meta-Lamarckism.
Wickramasinghe, on the other hand, has had a somewhat less controversial career, recognized for empirically confirming Sir Fred Hoyle's hypothesis describing the production of complex carbon molecules on interstellar dust.
Wickramasinghe and Hoyle also happened to be responsible for another space biology thesis. Only this one is based on more than just the origins of organic chemistry.
The Hoyle Wickramasinghe (H-W) thesis of Cometary (Cosmic) Biology makes the rather simple claim that the direction of evolution has been significantly affected by biochemistry that didn't start on our planet.
In Wickramasinghe's own words, "Comets are the carriers and distributors of life in the cosmos, and life on Earth arose and developed as a result of cometary inputs."
Those inputs, Wickramasinghe argued, aren't limited to a generous sprinkling of space-baked amino acids, either.
Rather, they include viruses that insert themselves into organisms, pushing their evolution into whole new directions.
The report, titled "Cause of Cambrian Explosion – Terrestrial or Cosmic?", pulls on existing research to conclude that a rain of extra-terrestrial retroviruses played a key role in the diversification of life in our oceans roughly half a billion years ago.
"Thus retroviruses and other viruses hypothesized to be liberated in cometary debris trails both can potentially add new DNA sequences to terrestrial genomes and drive further mutagenic change within somatic and germline genomes," the authors wrote.
Let that sink in for a moment. And take a deep breath before continuing, because that was the tame part.
It was during this period that a group of mollusks known as cephalopods first stretched out their tentacles from beneath their shells, branching into a stunning array of sizes and shapes in what seemed like a remarkably short time frame.
The genetics of these organisms, which today include octopuses, squid, and cuttlefish, are as weird as the animals themselves, due in part to their ability to edit their DNA on the fly.
The authors of the paper make the rather audacious claim that these genetic oddities might be a sign of life from space.
Not of space viruses this time, but the arrival of whole genomes frozen in stasis before thawing out in our tepid waters.
"Thus the possibility that cryopreserved squid and/or octopus eggs, arrived in icy bolides several hundred million years ago should not be discounted," they wrote.
In his review of the paper, medical researcher Keith Baverstock from the University of Eastern Finland conceded that there's a lot of evidence that plausibly aligns with the H-W thesis, such as the curious timeline of the appearance of viruses.
But that's just not how science advances.
"I believe this paper justifies skepticism of the scientific value of stand alone theories of the origin of life," Baverstock argued at the time.
"The weight of plausible, but non-definitive, evidence, great though that might be, is not the point."
While the idea is as novel and exciting as it is provocative, nothing in the summary helps us better understand the history of life on Earth any better than existing conjectures, adding little of value to our model of evolution.
Still, with solid caveats in place, maybe science can cope with a generous dose of crazy every now and then.
Journal editor Denis Noble concedes that 'further research is needed', which is a bit of an understatement.
But given the developments regarding space-based organic chemistry in recent years, there's room for discussion.
"As space chemistry and biology grows in importance it is appropriate for a journal devoted to the interface between physics and biology to encourage the debates," said Noble.
"In the future, the ideas will surely become testable."
Just in case those tests confirm speculations, we recommend being well prepared for the return of our cephalopod overlords. Who knows when they'll want those eggs back?
This research was published in Progress in Biophysics and Molecular Biology.
A version of this article was first published in August 2018.
Not bad, other than a cat. I just finished 70 minutes on the treadmill and will be heading to the shower.
Good for you!!
I just had my shower and will finish getting dressed in a minute. Then I’ll sort papers for shredding (once more, maybe to finally finish the job) then try to put away some of the stuff I got out yesterday.
Then, who knows? Maybe my door is here and will be installed, she states, wistfully.
The swimming suit finally made it back so now I can order another, two piece, this time.
So I’m off and slogging through my day!
With yesterday’s, I had a lot of constants left, paired... took three shots to land the right pair...
I had a rough Wordle outing yesterday...
Good Morning!
Glad that they are both doing better, ArGee.
I’ve moved to the strategy of not using pure ‘elimination’ words (at the expense of ignoring clues already in hand).
I thought that I had it in 3, but needed 4 today:
Wordle 235 4/6
⬛⬛🟨⬛🟨
⬛🟨🟨🟨⬛
🟩⬛⬛🟩🟩
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩
They usually baffle me. Until they don’t. I don’t know how to explain it.
Are a lexiconophilist or are you omnilegent?
Inquiring minds, and all that. An answer would help me grandiloquently!
Today is Read In The Bathtub Day!
That’s a long time to sit on a treadmill.
I’ve actually seen people who walk on them. Too much work for me.
Both. I don’t read in the bathtub, though. Often I read on the treadmill, while walking.
Jake and Shannon sometimes nap on the treadmill when the sunbeam is there.
OK. Down to me then!
I was going to fold the article and send it, but that would detract from it, I think, so it will come flat. Sorta.
The inspection has taken place, and maybe we will have some progress made in the near future. There is no excuse for me having to live the way I am. But don’t get me started!
Work like that fascinates me. I could watch it for hours. *groan*
That’s right, you shouldn’t!
I finally remembered to text my hairdresser. Maybe I can get an appointment early next week.
Yes, all of a sudden you can see the word!
I have a tentative plan to go to the pool tomorrow morning when it won’t be crowded.
I have a tentative plan. I got sidetracked again. I hate when I do that.
I got an online copy of my utility bill and had culture shock.
That cold spell last week really blew the lid off things. Unngh.
I had a a bit of nap. Now I’m going to Walmart.
Good luck at Walmart!
My crates came. Again. Perfect for the bedroom.
A neighbor came over to tell me how rotten her inspection was. She said she was told she couldn’t keep any pans in her oven or in the drawer underneath. Since we have no storage space, where are we supposed to put our cookware? Never heard of such rubbish in all the pre-HUD inspections I’ve been through over the years.
My night is trying to catch up with me so all I want to do is curl up for a nap. It’s just going to have to wait. *yawn*
Tomorrow’s high is foregnosticated to be 42.
Forgive me if I don’t join you.
Cat is beautiful.... Looks Stoned..
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