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.
“With that bright light, I can barely see...”
Rescue kittens.
Today was one those “luck of the draw” days. Clearly I used a valid word guess from the 2nd row forward...
But it took 3 more tries to pick the correct letters...
Wordle 249 5/6
⬛🟨⬛🟨⬛
⬛🟩⬛⬛🟩
⬛🟩⬛⬛🟩
🟩🟩⬛⬛🟩
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩
Nasty bugs are... well just plain nasty!
Feel better soon!
I love rescue kittens. (Boy. The dyslexia is strong this morning. Funny how it translates right to my fingertips and they type what the brain sees.)
I’m going to type up a short note to go with the copies, then walk the bunch of it over to the office. They can do what they want with it. The worst they can do is raise the rent. Again.
Unnngh.
It’s raining here. We’re listening to French songs and not doing much.
I just walked the packet over to the office and had to slip it under the door because the mail drop wasn’t wide enough. I’m hoping I don’t have to submit any more paperwork until such time as my annual renewal. GAH! (Thought I was going to freeze! The wind was in my face coming and going!)
My first real “introduction” to the French was a series called “Balthazar.” It was funny, witty, and murder reigned. I hate when they kill off the main character just when the planets align for him to have a good life.
He was cute, had a nice body, a sense of humor and he could cook! He also liked American jazz.
And it was worth the watch. My entire attitude on all things French has changed. There may be a lot of things in the culture that aren’t pleasant, but there are in America’s, too.
Quite so.
Every culture has a wide variety of things.
France has cool old stuff in it and lots of scenery.
just my thought somewhere in the deepest part of the ocean is an elder god.
Today’s special animal friend is the Humboldt squid, Dosidicus gigas. These extraordinary cephalopods are named for Alexander von Humboldt at one remove: that is, they are named for the Humboldt Current, in which they were first observed by the kind of people whose names for things end up sticking. IUCN has not assigned the Humboldt squid a classification. I would suggest they are of Least Concern as long as you stay out of the Pacific Ocean.
Humboldt squid are the largest in their family, the Ommastrephidae. A female (larger than males) can grow up to 8’2” long and weigh 100 lbs., but don’t worry: five feet is the average. If five feet is about your height, stay out of the Pacific Ocean. Size isn’t the real problem, though: quantity is. Humboldt squid, carnivorous predators, hunt in packs of up to 1,200. They hunt with their appendages, of which they have ten. Two are considered “arms” and the others “tentacles.” The tentacles have suckers ringed with sharp “teeth,” the arms are covered with hooks, and they have a beak like a parrot’s that can tear you to shreds.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UxvzjrDE1Kk
What can I say? It these things lived more than two years, they’d rule the world. Like, OMG. They swim in these huge mobs, water-jet propelled at up to 15 mph, cooperatively herding fish schools and then eating them all. They catch food and eat it faster than a film camera can film. They can eat a fish on a line as it’s being reeled in, leaving nothing but bits on the hook. Also, they eat each other. Studies of their stomach contents show that other squid are more than half their diet.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Hv17U2z2q0
Basically, don’t go in the Pacific Ocean, ever. Daughter A went swimming in the Marianas Trench when her cutter was in the Pacific, and some of the sailors were stung by jellyfish and had to be air-evacuated to Guam. But squid: The Humboldt squid is known in Mexico as the “red devil,” because they turn themselves red, in flashes, when they are caught. And they bite you, like the guy in the video above who stupidly got in the Pacific Ocean.
In addition to red, they can turn themselves a lot of other colors, up to 28, it is said. They are also bioluminescent. The colors and light allow them to coordinate their large shoals and, I assume, decide which of them will be eaten by the others.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pEhELGPsnfU
They can leap out of the water, so don’t even go near the Pacific Ocean. Their range is expanding northward up the coast of California, Oregon, Washington … you’re not safe anywhere.
Observations of their mating are few. Some egg masses have been found, containing 5,000 to 4,000,000 eggs. Lots of Humboldt squid are eaten in South America. The meat is saturated with ammonium chloride, making the animal neutrally buoyant in the water, so it tastes nasty when fresh. It is treated with lactic and citric acid, soaked in brine, and mechanically tenderized to make it edible.
Good thing it was just for Tax-chick, because even though I love Kermit, I don’t understand a word of French and if it weren’t for subtitles, I’d have no clue what was being said.
Since you didn’t supply subtitles, I’ll just think my own thoughts into Kermie’s brain... “Why does it always have to rain when I want to go play?”
Wow! Thanks!
I think my days of swimming in the Pacific Ocean are over. I suspect I won’t see any ocean again, unless it’s the one to the east. Maybe the one to the south, but I’d have to see it by car, since I won’t get the jab unless I have to.
Still, I’m comforted by knowing there won’t be any chance encounters with the Humboldt Squid. ;o]
It rains because you’re sad, baby. </Jay, Men in Black>
I think I need to watch that movie again, Nully... ;o]
Tom the Son thinks Humboldt Squid are great. He’s a threat to society.
Today started too early. I have lab work of the worst kind, fasting. Up too early. Let the 100 lb wrecking ball out in 18° light dusting of snow. He promptly sneezed a hole in the snow on the deck.
Start the coffee I can’t have, so it will be ready the instant I get home. Pour breakfast kibble and wiggle my way past the aforementioned 100 lb. wrecking ball.
Arrive at the local lab at oh-dark hundred. I’m third in line waiting for the door to open. Hungry, uncaffeinated, cold, and irritated.
Signed in and waited (not long) to get processed in.
‘Oh, your insurance isn’t valid here.’
‘umm, I’ve been coming here for 3 or 4 years on that insurance.’
‘We can’t accept it. You’ll have to go to brand X or brand Y with that insurance.’
‘How 'bout if I pay cash?’
‘We can’t take your cash since you have other insurance, you have to go to a provider that takes yours. Here’s a list, in 9 pt. pica, with brand Y’s locations in slightly dark grey on a slightly light grey background.’
Grumble grumble, grumble, leave. Look at the distances to the nearest. Grumble some more.
Decide to come home since I promised the 100 lb. wrecking ball that I’d be home within an hour (like he call tell time!).
Have enough time to get a couple sausage burritos with added jalapeños at the French restaurant, Jacque in the Box, for which my son was most grateful.
Call the insurance company.
‘Oh. We don’t have a list of companies that accept our insurance...’
(insert shocked silence here)
‘...but anyone who takes Medicare will accept it.’
‘hmmm, I’ve got Medicare.’
‘Well then, your provider screwed up, call them.’
Call the provider.
Phone tree heck, if you have any one of the following issues press 1 through 9 as each issue is listed...
Of course mine isn’t on the list.
‘...or briefly describe your problem.’
(I did in great detail, see all of the above)
‘I don’t understand what you want, let me get you a person.’
Eventually, ‘Let me call that office and see what happened, (short hold), she screwed up, was very busy and misread the screen, you’re good to go!
Except I’m no longer fasting.
Yup. She was the only one doing receiving, it was busy , and she did make a verbal error and apologized saying she was multitasking and not doing it well. What I missed was she said Medicaid not Medicare to me. We’ll split the blame on that one when I go back tomorrow...
Prayers up for a swift recovery!
Ohjeez, Nully. I’ve had too many of those experiences and I empathize with you completely! (Well, except for the 100 lub wrecking ball. That wasn’t part of the equation.) But the wrecking ball knew you were good at your word, even though he may have timed you a little. Like, the instant the door closed behind you, he was wondering why you were so LATE!
Still, all’s well that ends.
So I take it you’ll try again tomorrow? With much better results this time, I hope!
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