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.
Congratulations on the new pet!
It’s a warm day here. I’m considering going back to bed again.
I got a small white package in the mail today, and I think whoever sent it really didn’t want me to open it, it was that well wrapped. Very sturdy!
But I persevered and found, to my delight, a little stone frog! A new thing for my collection in my new place! Just in time for the New Year! Woo-hoo!
We didn’t want it to be opened until it reached the intended recipient! I’m glad you like it. It’s from Linville Caverns, source of the bat refrigerator magnets. I got Kathleen a unicorn.
It didn’t appear to even be slightly damaged, not like the “tube” that came yesterday, made of two paper towel rolls. Only the joining of the rolls and the two ends were reinforced and withstood the battering that UPS gave it. What amazed me was the fact that the fabric inside wasn’t enclosed in plastic, but the tube hadn’t appeared to have gotten wet.
The whole thing looked like a cooked ramen noodle by the time it got here.
FS called a while ago and invited me to dinner. I think it was an afterthought, though, but it’s OK. I asked him to come early so he can pull the fridge out far enough for me to wash under and behind it, and while he’s here, I’ll have him put fresh batteries in the smoke alarms. That way, I don’t have to worry about the things waking me up in the middle of the night six months from now.
Anyway, I need to set things in motion.
Happy New Year!
I’ll be back before the actual event of course, but I may be the only one here, so...
Happy New Year. I hope you have an okay time, remember, “The only way to win is not to play!” And also get your fridge moved.
Frank is dropped off at his friend’s, and no young adult persons have turned up, although one never knows.
Happy imminent new year, all y’all.
Be careful out there and remember to update your letters and checks.
I wrote a check for the church collection earlier today and thought, “Last time for 2021.”
Happy New Year, Bob!
I didn’t play. There were other people there so she was on her best behavior. Until it was time for me to go. Then she asked me if I wanted a plate and I said Ok, and then I took some little sandwiches and some brownies.
She then cut me a big slice of cheesecake but not happy with that, she smothered it with Cool Whip and put some strawberries and smushed the whole thing with Saranwrap when I had specifically asked for foil. I’ll probably trash it in the morning, when I get ready to take the trash to the dumpster.
I just smiled and thanked her and had FS bring me home.
He pulled out the fridge and replaced the battery in one of the smoke detectors. I washed the wall and the floor, so the back wall is the only one left to wash.
It sounds like you win. We just finished the Death in Paradise Christmas episode. It sure was cute, and I’m glad there was a happy ending for Colin. Nothing was his fault!
Happy New Year, Bob! It’s good to see you again! I hope you and your family are well!
Yes, the checks...I used to write the new year date on the first 10 or so checks just to make sure I didn’t put the wrong year in. I don’t write too many checks, these days... Debit cards and all that. ;o]
I just decided she wasn’t going to set the tone for a bad evening. FS wanted me there, and that’s what counted. He didn’t replace the battery in the second smoke alarm because it has a self-contained battery. I will give it back to maintenance because with them only coming once a week, there is no way I’m going to listen to that. It can’t be shut off, once it starts.
I loved that episode of Death in Paradise because I got to see “Richard Poole” again, and “Camille.” Just those few minutes were worth the whole thing. Well, and Danny John-Jules was worth it, too.
So much fun dialog in those episodes! I watch them because I need the laughs.
Those aren’t octopuses...
They’re Space Squid!!!
😱😱😱
We haven’t seen the back from the dead episode yet.
Ah. OK, my bad. I watched them back-to-back, and only once so I’ve started at the beginning again. I’m in season four, skipping a few episodes, but will get to the Christmas episode by this time next week. Again.
But it’s one of the best written shows to come out of GB for a long time. The plots are sometimes repeated with a twist, but there is always humor, so they’re worth watching. (I’ve also been toying with watching Midsomer Murders from the beginning again!)
I’m staying up because my stomach is upset. I’m either going to eat some gingersnaps or take some charcoal. I don’t have to get up tomorrow at any specific time. I left the water in the bucket in case I feel up to washing walls. I really need to get the smell out of here!
I’m not in charge of TV. It sounds like DP is watching some ghost show now.
I somehow don’t think I’d do too well if I had to give up the remote to someone who had less tolerance for murder than I do. It would be a trying time.
I’m with Richard Poole: ghostly events and voodoo can be explained by logic and science. Or something.
There is great pleasure in figuring out who did it! :o])
Rambling, I am. It must be the hour. But the food was heavy and I don’t want to go to bed feeling like I am.
This is me, going to wish myself a New Year in bed!
Happy New Year to your family!
Have a good night!
Judging by the sounds outside, either war has been declared or it’s the new year.
I’m going to bed.
Happy New Year! Thanks for the morning 🌄 kitten/cat pics ....
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