I once saw a television program about the organisms that
live in the oceans. That program reported that the
currents of the oceans bring nutrients from other more
fruitful parts of the oceans and provides it to life that
resides in more barren parts of the oceans. That program
also stated that the currents never stop. They are
constantly shifting material throughout the oceans. I was
also very impressed by how far the currents moved all
that material. At the Earth's polar caps the oceans' water
is cooled down and then sinks to the sea-floor. Where it
would be once again taken by the currents to the
equatorial regions delivering oxygen to the sea life there.
Where it again loses oxygen, heats up, and rises to the
surface of the ocean. Where the water once again is
taken by the oceanic currents-all the while regaining
oxygen- back to the Polar Regions. And this recycling, the
program said, has been going on since the formation of
the oceans.
Now jump a couple of years later to my organic chemistry lab. Where at that instant, I was reacting two chemical compounds inside a beaker which was on crushed ice. At that moment I was thinking to myself “How did nature provide the cold temperature for these reactions to occur so that life could start?” At that instant, I remembered the program that I had watched and what It had taught me about the oceanic currents going to the Polar Regions. If currents have been running since the formation of the oceans, then the prebiotic Earth could have easily provided cold, as well as hot, conditions for any chemicals contained in its oceans.
When I got home after lab, I did a little more research on oceanic currents. I discovered that oceanographers had created a computer simulation of a planet with only water on its surface. When they ran the simulation they discovered that the rotation of the planet, by itself, would create currents in its oceans. These currents would form without the need of heat from this planet's sun. They formed solely from the gravity and rotation of the planet. Also because there were no land masses, the currents circulated in bands around the planet. What I also then realized was that- as soon as the oceans formed on the early earth- currents would have immediately formed as well; churning up the contents of the prebiotic oceans. Exposing that content to different conditions around the globe.
While I was thinking about that, another memory resurfaced. This time, it was about swimming at the community pool as a teenager. One summer, I do not remember which, the lifeguard formed us into a circle inside the pool while holding hands. He then instructed us to walk in a clockwise direction fallowing the walls of the pool. After only traveling half way around the pool, he instructs us- the tallest and strongest boys- to get out of the pool. Needless to say- we failed to get out and my shorts ended up at the other end of the pool in the attempt. The current was so relentless it would not let me escape. The point of the exercise, of course, was for us not to underestimate the power of water currents. Little did they, nor I, know then that that simple and valuable lesson would lead me to discover how Life began on Earth.
Those vivid memories also brought about other realizations about how life must have begun. One was that the relentless currents had to be involved in the formation of life. Another was that, not only did, the relentless currents expose their contents to different conditions that existed at different parts of the globe at that time, but that they would have endlessly recycled them. These relentless currents pose a major problem for those hypothesis of abiogenesis that require accumulation of material in rock cavities or on mineral surfaces. These relentless currents would have stripped any cavity of its content and ripped away any starting material located on mineral surfaces before they would have had enough time to react effectively. This fact also poses a problem for any hypothesis that requires prolonged exposure to local phenomena- such as volcanic vents; therefore, any hypothesis of abiogenesis would either have to account for these relentless currents, explain how they are insignificant, or said theory must be abandoned.
These relentless currents were the starting point for my investigations into the origins of life. That the Earth was covered in water at life's beginning- as far as I knew has never been challenged. So any theory of abiogenesis would have to not only account for them but incorporate those currents. Even if the current was moving at a snails pas, do you know how many hydrogen or oxygen atoms would rub up against any reacting molecules by the passage of just one inch of water? Well let us work it out. A water molecule is approximately 2.75 angstroms long. There are 254 million angstroms in an inch. We then divide 254 million by 2.75 we get 92.36 million. So at the very least, because it is a liquid, we would have 92.36 million water molecules rubbing against the reactants. Everyone of them either wanting to form a hydrogen bond or to bond with an oxygen atom from an hydroxide ion. Any working theory would have to do one of three things. One is to completely shield molecules from the currents which further adds to the problem of explaining how, why, and then when they got free after reacting. Two, show how the currents would not effect the reactants. Or three, show how those currents helped the reactions take place; which is the position I take in this, my, theory
Now jump a couple of years later to my organic chemistry lab. Where at that instant, I was reacting two chemical compounds inside a beaker which was on crushed ice. At that moment I was thinking to myself “How did nature provide the cold temperature for these reactions to occur so that life could start?” At that instant, I remembered the program that I had watched and what It had taught me about the oceanic currents going to the Polar Regions. If currents have been running since the formation of the oceans, then the prebiotic Earth could have easily provided cold, as well as hot, conditions for any chemicals contained in its oceans.
When I got home after lab, I did a little more research on oceanic currents. I discovered that oceanographers had created a computer simulation of a planet with only water on its surface. When they ran the simulation they discovered that the rotation of the planet, by itself, would create currents in its oceans. These currents would form without the need of heat from this planet's sun. They formed solely from the gravity and rotation of the planet. Also because there were no land masses, the currents circulated in bands around the planet. What I also then realized was that- as soon as the oceans formed on the early earth- currents would have immediately formed as well; churning up the contents of the prebiotic oceans. Exposing that content to different conditions around the globe.
While I was thinking about that, another memory resurfaced. This time, it was about swimming at the community pool as a teenager. One summer, I do not remember which, the lifeguard formed us into a circle inside the pool while holding hands. He then instructed us to walk in a clockwise direction fallowing the walls of the pool. After only traveling half way around the pool, he instructs us- the tallest and strongest boys- to get out of the pool. Needless to say- we failed to get out and my shorts ended up at the other end of the pool in the attempt. The current was so relentless it would not let me escape. The point of the exercise, of course, was for us not to underestimate the power of water currents. Little did they, nor I, know then that that simple and valuable lesson would lead me to discover how Life began on Earth.
Those vivid memories also brought about other realizations about how life must have begun. One was that the relentless currents had to be involved in the formation of life. Another was that, not only did, the relentless currents expose their contents to different conditions that existed at different parts of the globe at that time, but that they would have endlessly recycled them. These relentless currents pose a major problem for those hypothesis of abiogenesis that require accumulation of material in rock cavities or on mineral surfaces. These relentless currents would have stripped any cavity of its content and ripped away any starting material located on mineral surfaces before they would have had enough time to react effectively. This fact also poses a problem for any hypothesis that requires prolonged exposure to local phenomena- such as volcanic vents; therefore, any hypothesis of abiogenesis would either have to account for these relentless currents, explain how they are insignificant, or said theory must be abandoned.
These relentless currents were the starting point for my investigations into the origins of life. That the Earth was covered in water at life's beginning- as far as I knew has never been challenged. So any theory of abiogenesis would have to not only account for them but incorporate those currents. Even if the current was moving at a snails pas, do you know how many hydrogen or oxygen atoms would rub up against any reacting molecules by the passage of just one inch of water? Well let us work it out. A water molecule is approximately 2.75 angstroms long. There are 254 million angstroms in an inch. We then divide 254 million by 2.75 we get 92.36 million. So at the very least, because it is a liquid, we would have 92.36 million water molecules rubbing against the reactants. Everyone of them either wanting to form a hydrogen bond or to bond with an oxygen atom from an hydroxide ion. Any working theory would have to do one of three things. One is to completely shield molecules from the currents which further adds to the problem of explaining how, why, and then when they got free after reacting. Two, show how the currents would not effect the reactants. Or three, show how those currents helped the reactions take place; which is the position I take in this, my, theory
Comments
Post a Comment