New evidence that comets could have seeded life on Earth
Tuesday, March 5, 2013 - 14:01
in Physics & Chemistry
Scientists have shown that complex molecules can form on icy dust in space, suggesting that comets may have brought these molecules to Earth and seeded the growth of more complex building blocks of life. The team zapped icy snowballs of carbon dioxide and hydrocarbons, producing complex molecules, such as dipeptides, that are capable of catalyzing the formation of more complex structures.