Eldorado 61,180 #1 Posted March 16 Lightning strikes -- perhaps a quintillion of them, occurring over a billion years -- may have provided sparks of life for the early Earth. A new study by researchers at Yale and the University of Leeds contends that over time, these bolts from the blue unlocked the phosphorus necessary for the creation of biomolecules that would be the basis of life on the planet. "This work helps us understand how life may have formed on Earth and how it could still be forming on other, Earth-like planets," said lead author Benjamin Hess, a graduate student in Yale's Department of Earth & Planetary Sciences. In part, it starts with phosphorus, Hess said. Full monty at EurekAlert 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jethrofloyd 3,922 #2 Posted March 18 Lightning strikes may have been key to the origin of life on Earth The emergence of the Earth's first living organisms billions of years ago may have been facilitated by a bolt out of the blue — or perhaps a quintillion of them. Researchers said on Tuesday that lightning strikes during the first billion years after the planet's formation roughly 4.5 billion years ago may have freed up phosphorus required for the formation of biomolecules essential to life. https://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/lightning-origin-of-life-1.5952917 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
and then 48,077 #3 Posted March 18 I walked home in about 30 minutes of such a light show. I hate being out when the flashes start blinding me... 1 1 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
the13bats 13,986 #4 Posted March 18 1 hour ago, jethrofloyd said: Lightning strikes may have been key to the origin of life on Earth I would think so... 4 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sir Wearer of Hats 36,004 #5 Posted March 18 Lightning strikes.... or exploding Jaggeroth Spacecraft. One of the two. 1 1 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jethrofloyd 3,922 #6 Posted March 18 No wonder that 'Thor' - the god of thunder and lighting is the most important of all of gods in Norse mythology. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Essan 7,733 #7 Posted March 18 2 hours ago, President Wearer of Hats said: Lightning strikes.... or exploding Jaggeroth Spacecraft. One of the two. Only recently finished reading about that 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
OpenMindedSceptic 236 #9 Posted March 20 This theory has been around at least a couple of decades. I can recall a BBC1 program dedicated to it. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Seti42 1,475 #10 Posted March 21 I don't think this a 'new' idea at all. In fact, I heard this in high school biology class in the early 90's. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
