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 will be disappointed only if James and his hair do very poorly. I haven’t graded his test yet!
Here’s hoping that the Jameses and their hair do well.
I was going to hang the wind chime back up today, and somehow, it slipped my mind. I can do it tomorrow, though. I miss hearing it.
Maybe progress will be made towards getting the rest of the boxes unpacked this week. There really aren’t that many, but the dumpster is full, so nothing can be done until it’s emptied again on Tuesday. Monday, of course, I won’t get much done because of laundry and the walk to Walgreen’s.
I need to kick Kathleen out of the shower. *sigh*
I hope you were successful!
I watched the conference and there were some very good speakers! It was weird, though because I got a text at the same time I was heading for the bathroom to change into my nightclothes before I tried to get the Zoom link to work, but at the same time that my pill alarm rang. All of that took place within 60 seconds! Crikey!
Anyway, I’ll check a few things then head for bed. I’m very tired again. But then, I have been for several days, so nothing new there. I hope I sleep well tonight. I need it!
See you in the morning!
Good morning. I read a book to Kathleen for an hour or so, and then we went to bed. She drew a picture of a dog sled and team while she was listening. She’s funny: she doesn’t seem to be paying attention, but once I said “he” when it was really “she,” and Kathleen said, “She!” I gave her the stink-eye!
We have sleet or freezing rain and ice accumulating on the cement out back, where I put my pot of bean soup. I’ll bring it in to thaw for lunch.
All the hostages in the Colleyville, Texas, synagogue are safe, and the terrorist is dead.
Two kittehs, seeing the world for the first time! Sweet!
Did you sleep well?
Snow was forecast here, but all we got was rain and lots of it. Today is supposed to be sunny again. Tomorrow is supposed to be nice, as well, which is good, because I have to go to Walgreen’s to pick up the prescription that wasn’t ready yesterday.
Today, I’ll just stay in where it will eventually be warm and do Sunday Things.
As I understood it, the gunman was a Pakistani. He obviously didn’t study up on Things Not To Do In Texas, or he would never have pulled such a stupid stunt. Texicans don’t take lightly the threatening of their citizenry.
I expect the Islamic terrorism angle will be covered up.
I just told the choir to stay home. Roads are a mess, and it’s not going to get better this afternoon, with rain/ice continuing and temperatures in the low 30s.
That was probably the wise thing to do, in view of conditions.
I decided, since I actually got some “organic” eggs yesterday and some bacon on sale, that I would treat myself to baconeggs for brekkity. HAH! My toaster died. Now I have to try and find another one for not a lot of money. Marmalade just doesn’t taste the same when it’s on bread rather than on toast.
But it will have to wait until this session of conference is over (90 minutes from 1000.) I hope nothing else has broken in the move. I was going to replace my toaster oven, but I have no place to put it. Looks like I’ll need to buy another microwave cart for the appliances. Dang me. UNNGH!!!
Life is full of Unnngh. I’m about to start watching Mass on Youtube. No point in waiting for the Spanish service since we’re not there in person.
How was Mass?
The speakers were almost as good this morning as they were last night. Or maybe I should say, “some were better.” Oddly (or not) one of the topics was something I asked for in my prayer this morning, almost word for word.
I’m taking a risk by walking tomorrow morning, but it has to be done. This is definitely a relapse. I realized it in my groggier thinking this morning. “Weight gain/loss with no change in diet.” The chills. The stammering. The list is endless.
But I’ll get through it just as I always have! :o])
I was going to pay my utility bill online this morning but every page I clicked on trying to get to the portal was “error page.” GAH! Some days....
So I’ll watch a soothing British murder mystery. I watched the first season of “Dalgliesh” yesterday. Set in the late 50’s. Very good! I hope they’re filming another season of it. ** It looks as if it will be continued, but information is scanty. Maybe I’ll look again in three months. It’s really very good.
It was fine. Father talked about catacombs. There were two old people and a younger couple with four children and Father Gary.
Later, I had a nap with Jake. Sally made a cake for James’s birthday, which is actually Wednesday.
After yesterday’s would-be insults, I’m anxious to either have my car up and running, or I’ll be watching church via Zoom.
There were quite a few people in attendance today, almost 300 via Zoom plus another almost 300 at the various chapels and branches, so it was a good turnout, (Closed circuit at the other buildings) in spite of the upsurge in Covid.
I just got my clothes sorted for tomorrow, because if I can, I’d like to come back and take a nap when I’m done at the laundry room. I have to make sure this thing isn’t too serious.
One day this week, the vehicle will be registered, so that will be one worry I won’t have for a bit. FS thought he was going to have it ready by now, even after I told him we should probably get it registered shortly after I got it. He loses patience with me and then realizes that I was right. I’ll get an apology of sorts, but nothing of the kind from the other person. Ohwell... She’s still not paying my bills, so why should I care? ;o]
That’s right. Just let her roll along on her own.
Now is the time for all good pippels to realize life is too short to dance with ugly men. Or women.
This has been a long day, for some reason, but I’m still not quite ready to give up on it. I’m thinking there must be another 90 minutes in it for me, at least! :o]
How is Sally doing? Is she adjusting to life without someone else in the picture? Is she still working where she was? (Car parts store??)
Sally is doing fine. She tends to hang around here on the weekends. She’s working at the auto dealership still and got a raise recently.
I’m hoping to go to bed pretty soon. It’s snowing.
I figured Sally came home on weekends, if for nothing else that to do her laundry and get some “mom-cooked” meals.
It’s that time (bedtime) for me, as well, since I need to get up early in the morning. Not that I want to, but if I don’t, the laundry room is liable to be occupied.
So I’ll see you in the morning. I hope you have a good night and that you sleep well!
Same! I won a game of Trivial Pursuit on the Switch and then read to Kathleen while she finished her dogsled picture.
Up, off and running. Oh, how I hated to hear that alarm!!
See ya in a bit!
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