MyQJ | QJ.NET | Apple | Mobile | Science | MMORPG | Nintendo DS | Wii | World of Warcraft | PlayStation 3 | PSP | Xbox 360 | Gadgets | PC Gaming | Age of Conan | Downloads | QJ.NET Forums

Did Life on Earth Come from Space Microbes?

Posted Jul 24, 2006 at 01:52AM by Alaric S. Listed in: Astrobiology Tags: Tom Dehel, Beijing
Ó

martian meteorite


A new study suggests life on Earth could have sprung from electrically charged microbes from space!

Previously, some researchers think living microbes could have been commuting between Earth and Mars via meteors based on the discovery of a Martian space rock known as meteorite ALH84001. They think that living microbes could have travelled back and forth between the two planets, succeeding in seeding one with life. That planet is, of course Earth. Otherwise we'd all be in Mars right now.

Like all theories, there are holes in this fascinating scenario. Such a trip could only happen after a huge asteroid collided with one of the planets powerful enough to blast rocks off the planet's surface. It does happen but not every day. In fact, such strikes are extremely rare only a handful are thought to have occurred since the solar system formed.

Now, the new study suggests another way for microbes to travel through space. Tom Dehel from the US Federal Aviation Administration, calculated the effect of electric fields at various levels in the atmosphere on a bacterium that was carrying an electric charge. He says electrically charged bacteria could easily be ejected from the Earth's gravitational field by the same kind of electromagnetic fields that generate aurora. And this happens every day.

The field strength vary greatly at different levels of the atmosphere but the strongest ones are near the surface, generated by thunderstorms. If the fields extend through the whole air column, the process of launching bacteria high into the atmosphere could be an ongoing process.

"Since the upward forces of the magnetic field would balance the force of gravity for tiny organisms, they could float in the upper atmosphere for years and reproduce there, giving them a chance to evolve capabilities to endure the hardships of that environment, including coping with strong UV and a near-vacuum. Such organisms would thus be well equipped to endure the rigours of a journey through space," says Dehel.

Another route the microbes could take is through the “magnetospheric plasmoids.” These are independent structures of plasma and magnetic fields that can be swept away from the Earth’s magnetosphere. Bacteria surfing these structures could attain speeds capable of taking them out of the solar system and on to the planets of other stars. "And because of the potential for a steady outflow of the particles pushed by the electric fields, a single life-bearing world might seed an entire galaxy with life", said Dehel at the biennial meeting of the International Committee on Space Research (COSPAR), in Beijing, China.

If Dehel's theory is true that would make all of us Martians!

[Via New Scientist] Permalink  |   Email this  |   Linking Blogs   |   Digg It!

Bookmark / Find this article on:

2 Jumps     Dead Sea Scrolls to be put up for display on the Internet
2 Jumps     Another victim: tequila threatened by demand for biofuels
2 Jumps     Laptops aboard ISS infected with password-stealing virus
2 Jumps     Mythbusters tackle the Moon landing conspiracy theory
1 Jumps     Dubai-based Timelinks looking to construct modern-day Ziggurat

2 Comments


Sort by:
   by Advertising -
   by jeffy777 - 2006-07-24
 » hmmm
Interesting, but it's just someone using their imagination.

   by TeChno (Unregistered) - 2006-08-03
 » it could possiby be true
It could be true because when the asteroid hit the earth it made life start from cells so thats the answer



Featured Content
Contact
QJ.NET Blog Network RSS Feeds
MyQJ Feed / PDA
MyQJ RSS / PDA
Blog of Blogs Feed / PDA
QJ.NET RSS / PDA
Gaming Consoles Feed / PDA
Nintendo DS RSS / PDA
PlayStation 3 RSS / PDA
PSP Updates RSS / PDA
Wii RSS / PDA
Xbox 360 RSS / PDA
PC Gaming Feed / PDA
Age of Conan RSS / PDA
Games for Windows RSS / PDA
MMORPG RSS / PDA
Tabula Rasa RSS / PDA
World of Warcraft RSS / PDA
Science Feed / PDA
Science RSS / PDA
Technology Feed / PDA
Apple RSS / PDA
Gadgets RSS / PDA
Mobile RSS / PDA
Photography RSS / PDA
Tech RSS / PDA
Add QJ.NET
Add to My Yahoo!
Google Reader Subscribe with Bloglines
Add to your Kinja digest Subscribe in NewsGator Online
Subscribe with Pluck RSS reader Add 'www.qj.net' to Newsburst from CNET News.com
Subscribe with SearchFox RSS del.icio.us www.qj.net
Add to Technorati Favorite! Add to My AOL
furl! it Stumble for Treehugger!
User Favorites - August
Most Commented
(11)
(9)
(8)
(7)
(7)
(6)
(5)
(5)
(4)
(4)
(4)
(4)
(4)
(4)
(3)
(3)
(2)
(2)
(2)
(2)
User Favorites - August
Top Jumps
Mars webcam now live (65)
Mythbusters tackle the Moon.. (24)
Who owns the moon? (23)
Ancient Roman temple uneart.. (21)
University of California: l.. (21)
How to make your own Large .. (19)
Scientists create rare bloo.. (19)
First proton particles inje.. (19)
Dubai-based Timelinks looki.. (18)
Microbatteries made out of .. (18)
NASA's plan to bomb the Mo.. (17)
Nanotech dates back to midd.. (17)
Study: Bad jokes may induce.. (17)
M2E developing phone charge.. (16)
The mammatus cloud: otherwi.. (16)
Rat-brained robot provides .. (15)
ReWalk: medical exoskeleton.. (15)
2008 set to become coldest .. (15)
Dead algae suffocates ocean.. (13)
Nanoantennas to harvest sol.. (13)
Teeth may hold key to stem .. (12)
Fingerprints inside the bod.. (12)
Dead Sea Scrolls to be put .. (12)
Beijing Olympics: world rec.. (12)
Iran: Sanctions? What sanct.. (10)

 Username: 
 Password:
Forgot password
New user registration



Poll
Are unidentified flying objects (UFOs) really alien spaceships?
Earth Science
General Science
Health Science
Space
Archives


Use of this Web site constitutes acceptance of the TERMS & CONDITIONS and PRIVACY POLICY
Copyright © 2006, Content Holdings, LLC. All Rights Reserved. Version. 1.31