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.
test Fail.
They just want to weed out the ones who resist, so they keep making more and more demands on the unwilling who are too afraid to not comply.
I’ve lost several people to Covid who have not only been vaccinated but who have dutifully gotten the boosters. Some were healthy, others had health problems but all were past middle age. And people just keep getting the next strain and the next until they die. So, no thanks. I’ll take my illness and use it as an excuse for a healthy immune system!
I don’t know how to do screen shots, period, so I just post links.
It’s so good to have you back, Fan! How’s Mr Fanfan? You still have your store?
*hugs*
You can make a pie!
Afraid because they can’t keep their job unless the’re jab. Coerced. It’s inhumane.... to be forced to join a drug trial or stop feeding you kids, lose your house, commit suicide and hope the insurance pays.
I am so sorry that you lost those people, Face. It didn’t need to happen.
Everything they said was a lie. Money laundering, on a global scale.
Mr. Fanfan is scared but good. I still haven’t been able to convince him to leave Canada.
We went Galt on the business late in 2020.
It’s gone now.
Have you canned meat?
Never.
It's the same way in most countries who have caved to the politician's power grabs, and the entire thing is so shameful. All I can really say about it is that there WILL be a Day of Reckoning. Not in time to prevent the worst, but it will happen.
If only you could leave Canada! Where I live is a good place to be because we seem to be flying under the radar. FReepmail me and I'll give you details!
I'm so sorry to hear about the business, Fan. That must have been hard for each of you to take. I hope it was close enough to retirement to make it enticing, anyway.
LOL!
Wasn’t close to uncle Jim.
But he did play Santa a couple times when we were visiting grandma back in Bradner.
Was hilarious because he was taller than most Santas..
From what I heard he was sitting in his recliner sleeping because he had some congestion, apparent heart attack.
It’s very sad for all the family.
I’m so sorry, Darks. Losing a loved one, no matter the circumstances, is always a shock. My condolences to you and your family.
It’s a kick in “der thinger” to be sure.
We expected my aunt to go before him, she had a calcified pericardium that was removed.
She can’t drive because of a possibility of a heart attack.
So when he passed first, well.
Still don’t know exactly how she is doing.
I hope there is someone nearby to help her.
Ditto me.
Good morning. Mama kitteh wants you to understand that you will never be that beautiful.
Gorgeous kitteh! Looks like the Late Great PV himself.
Good morning.
How was your night? Cats in or out?
It’s a whopping 6° this morning.
I seem to have gray lint for a brain this morning.
Who could ever be as beautiful as a cat?
Now I’m going to take a shower and hope SOME beauty is restored! ;o]
Right, they have to be hosted somewhere.
Use the syntax I shared (without the single-quotes) and put the link in between the double-quotes.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.