Jeez! Sterling, I would hope that those who have read the suggested assignment in your post would read something a bit more current than my hero Issac's half a century old treastise. They might as well read Genesis.
Best personal regards, Count Deiro IMCA 3536 -----Original Message----- >From: "Sterling K. Webb" <[email protected]> >Sent: Mar 13, 2013 9:46 PM >To: Richard Montgomery <[email protected]>, Michael Mulgrew ><[email protected]>, Mark Ford <[email protected]>, >Meteorite List <[email protected]> >Subject: Re: [meteorite-list] Astrobiologists Find Stuff > >Guys, List, > >What life needs is a source of energy that can be >stored and utilized when needed. Without these >energy exchanges there is no life. That's why you >have to eat breakfast. > >This energetic system requires elements that are >cosmically abundant, on planets large and cool >enough to retain a gaseous reservoir of a reactive >element (called an atmosphere) and a fluid reservoir >of a working solvent to facilitate and participate in >those reactions (called an ocean). > >There are many possible systems of energy >exchange, but their LIKELIHOOD depends on >the cosmic abundance of the elements involved >and the likelihood of their entering into >combinations with other common elements. > >If you grab a fistful of solar nebula you have >hydrogen, helium, and as impurities, oxygen and >nitrogen, BUT the oxygen and nitrogen combine >easily with hydrogen, so you end up with an >atmosphere of hydrogen, helium, with ammonia >and methane as impurities. > >We represent a CHON life system, but fluorine is >more energetic than oxygen and yields more bang >for the buck. So, why don't we have a CHFN life >system? The reason is that fluorine grabs on so >tight it can't be split off again with the energies >available at a planetary surface. Ammonia is a >better solvent than water but its liquid range of >fluid temperatures is so narrow that it would make >a lousy ocean. > >The reactive elements for life are all right there on the >periodic chart in a stack: fluorine, oxygen, chlorine, >bromine, iodine. At first blush, life could be based on >any of them, but some are more unlikely than others. > >Since I don't want to write twenty pages of chemistry, >I suggest you go the link given below; >http://www.bestebooksworld.com/showeBook.asp?link=24235 >and download the PDF of this little 1957 book, "Only >A Trillion." Read Chapter Six, "Planets Have An Air About >Them," by Isaac Asimov who, being both a chemist by >trade and a better writer than I, can explain the whole >range of possible life systems and how they might work >in a marvelous fashion. > > >Sterling K. Webb >------------------------------------------------------------------------------ >----- Original Message ----- >From: "Richard Montgomery" <[email protected]> >To: "Michael Mulgrew" <[email protected]>; "Mark Ford" ><[email protected]>; "Meteorite List" ><[email protected]> >Sent: Wednesday, March 13, 2013 7:16 PM >Subject: [meteorite-list] Astrobiologists Find Stuff > > >> Michael M and List, >> >> First, apologies to be so Sci-Fi...not the intention. If I had a >> better rocker I'd probably be knocked off of it for remotely, even >> slightltly suggesting this, especially to this credentialed List; best >> a slap upside-the-head to get me back to reality... >> >> Meanwhile, here goes....it falls into the X-curiousity factor of all >> equations: how can we rule out everything that hasn't already been >> ruled in? To wit: given what we know about >> Life-to-develop-needs-100%-water, what don't we know? Is our >> silly-human insignificance bound only by what we currently know and >> entertain as possibilities? >> >> This is NOT an endoresment for rice-paddy science; nor a support for >> the previous thread. I've just always wondered why we assume that all >> elemental progressions are known. >> >> Big stew out there! I really would like to hear from you >> heavy-weights...it'll rest better when I read. >> >> Sincerely, and good thing I'm not a B-movie producer, >> Richard Montgomery >> >> >> ----- Original Message ----- >> From: "Michael Mulgrew" <[email protected]> >> To: "Mark Ford" <[email protected]>; "Meteorite List" >> <[email protected]> >> Sent: Wednesday, March 13, 2013 9:28 AM >> Subject: Re: [meteorite-list] Astrobiologists Find Ancient >> FossilsinFireballFragments >> >> >>> Considering our current understanding of what it takes for life to >>> develop, i.e. water is 100% absolutely necessary, I would say the >>> recent evidence of Mars' wet past increases the chances of >>> extraterrestrial life discovery by much, much more than "a tiny tiny >>> amount". >>> >>> Michael in so. Cal. >>> >>> On Wed, Mar 13, 2013 at 9:03 AM, Mark Ford >>> <[email protected]> wrote: >>>> >>>> Sure and I don't deny finding water or evidence of it is very >>>> exciting, but what I question, is 'the building blocks of life >>>> claim'. This is pure hype. Sure water and amino acids are essential >>>> for life, but I would question exactly how certain life is to evolve >>>> when water alone is present. The answer is it's massively more >>>> complex than just having flowing water. So finding water does not >>>> immediately mean there is any life. From some of the recent press >>>> and Nasa coverage, you would get the impression that finding water >>>> on Mars automatically means the hunt for extraterrestrial life is >>>> nearly over, but the truth is very far from it! It just makes it a >>>> tiny tiny amount more likely.. >>>> >>>> Mark >>> ______________________________________________ >>> >>> Visit the Archives at http://www.meteorite-list-archives.com >>> Meteorite-list mailing list >>> [email protected] >>> http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list >>> >> >> ______________________________________________ >> >> Visit the Archives at http://www.meteorite-list-archives.com >> Meteorite-list mailing list >> [email protected] >> http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list > >______________________________________________ > >Visit the Archives at http://www.meteorite-list-archives.com >Meteorite-list mailing list >[email protected] >http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list ______________________________________________ Visit the Archives at http://www.meteorite-list-archives.com Meteorite-list mailing list [email protected] http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list
