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.
I’ve managed to make some busy work for myself, and now, I’m going to finish up the shredding job and call it a day. I’ve moved the paintings into other out-of-the-way places and put in my Walmart grocery order, to be delivered in the morning because the Other Folks are going shopping tonight. Because I didn’t sleep last night, I need to make sure I don’t over-do it tonight, or something will have to give either tomorrow or Sunday.
I’m tired. But I’m going to see this through! It will get done! Sooner or later. This has been a really tough move. And it’s not over with, yet.
Soon. Maybe by my birthday! Hey! That’s it! A birthday present for myself! YAY!
I’m glad you’re progressing. We’re having lunch, and then we’ll see about the outing. The non-optional participants are gripy.
Oops. I got side-tracked again. It’s what happens when I don’t get the rest that I need. My mind just doesn’t function like it should when I’m tired, but I often forget that, and bite off more than I can chew.
All that really got done was the shower, the letter to Charlie, some busy work and surfing the web. Unngh.
Good luck on your outing! Keep me informed, please! It may give me incentive! ;o]
*tagline*
Oh, what a huggable little squee that is!
Set for more than 70F’s today. Light breeze, clear as a bell. Got the house opened up to let all the fresh air in. Should be a repeat of yesterday when I had the house up to 73 indoors by 2pm.
I separated three sweet white onions that had sprouted in my pantry. Rooted them in water for a few days then planted them out back. If things go well I’ll get seven out of the three, which is about as many as were in the bag when I bought it.
I’ve never grown onions. We went for a nice walk in the woods, temp in the 60s. James and Vlad are so much taller than Frank, Kathlee, and me and so much younger than their dad that they were finished four miles at least half an hour before the rest of us.
When we’re at the state parks, we make them stay with the group, or at least stop at junctions, but this park is completely enclosed by town and highway, so all trails lead back to the building.
Kitteh is thinking of sumpin’ E-bil to do!
Good morning!
I woke up to the alarm and I sure didn’t want to. Why I set it, I’ll never know! My right upper torso, including my rib cage, arm and part of my neck are in so much pain this morning. It must be because I slept on my right side for so long and didn’t move. I dunno, but that part of me doesn’t want to function without protest.
Still, it will be a good day. It would have been my dad’s birthday today, and Monday would have been my first husband’s birthday. The man who decided Valentine’s Day had been invented just because he was born on the 14th, and therefore, he was entitled to all the cards and presents. In retrospect, that’s pretty funny! :o])
It always amazed me that my son could be so tall. He could probably outwalk a lot of people, but not me!
Maybe James and Vlad don’t like walking slow. I mean, they’re at the age when parents are an embarrassment, aren’t they?
Sounds like your Friday was very busy. What’s on the agenda for today? More choir practice?
Where I grew up, we celebrated Labor Day weekend by having “Onion Days” with a parade, carnival, horse races and rodeo. The Onion Days were to celebrate the onion harvest in that part of the valley. Sugar beets were also grown, but I don’t know if either of them still is.
We had choir last night, so today is a day off. I’m going to clean the stove. DP is talking about going to the gym. Maybe I’ll go for a walk outdoors later. I don’t want to overwork my right foot. Jake wants a nap.
Hiking can work out when Tom and the teenbros make one group, and DP and I and the short kids make another. However, if it’s too hilly, James will give out at Tom and Vlad’s pace.
Tom said he and Bill and their friend Malcolm are going to Congaree Preserve in South Carolina for hiking in the swamp today.
The groceries were delivered about 15 minutes ago, so that’s good. They’re all put away, now, so the morning is mine! When I get up from here, I may do some rearranging in the kitchen and/or bathroom. It depends on how my arm feels.
I can outwalk my FS any day of the week! “Mom! Could you slow down, please?” When he was a short person, I never walked faster than he could, and I carried him long distances when we had no car. But he’s older now, and he wants Mom to wait for him! LOL!
So yeah, I know what those long-legged byos are like!
I don’t think I’d want to hike a swamp. They fall into the category of “Things To Stay Away From.” But if they enjoy it, then I hope their day is excellent!
The weather is very nice for it today, and we’ve had below-freezing temperatures recently, so mosquitoes shouldn’t be an issue. They’re all Eagle Scouts.
Well, I ain’t gonna worry ‘bout no Eagle Scouts, then! LOL!
And Malcolm has a degree in Outdoor Recreation Management from Western Carolina University.
Oh, see? G-Ma types and their propensity to worry.... Of course, I grew up at a time and in a place where learning survival was a “given,” but these days, unless folks are into Scouting, they don’t know how to do that stuff.
So I’m glad to know they are all survivors!
For a while there, I thought my laptop had died, and no one is around the UT on weekends to consult with.
I got this horrible black screen with “instructions” that made no sense to me, so I just hit “ESC”. Safe. Anyway, I managed to get back up and running, but I don’t know what happened. This has been a good laptop, and it has lasted almost three (?) years, at least 18 months longer than the rest of them have.
I’ll nurse it and hope to find a way to keep the Favorites file intact, without having to rebuild it.
Unless they get a massive fit of the Sillies, I don’t think anything will go wrong, and that seems unlikely. Malcolm is married, Bill has a high-paying job and a cat who needs him, and Tom is outnumbered.
I bought some Girl Scout cookies outside the Walmart. $5 a box! but the kids appreciate it. My kids, I mean, as well as the Girl Scouts.
I think your boys know how to take care of themselves in the great out of doors, so it sounds like they’ll do OK.
Mmmm...! Girls Scout cookies!! Yum!
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