Complex organic molecule found in interstellar space

[dipsydoodle]

Scientists have found the beginnings of life-bearing chemistry at the centre of the galaxy.

Iso-propyl cyanide has been detected in a star-forming cloud 27,000 light-years from Earth.

Its branched carbon structure is closer to the complex organic molecules of life than any previous finding from interstellar space.

The discovery suggests the building blocks of life may be widespread throughout our galaxy.

Various organic molecules have previously been discovered in interstellar space, but i-propyl cyanide is the first with a branched carbon backbone.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-29368984

[postulater]

1. I hope there's more than one complex organic molecule out there. It could get lonely.

Awesome discovery!

[AlbertCat]

2. Complex organic molecule found in interstellar space

Is friendly and loving.

Answers to the name of Cyndie.

If you've lost yours please call 555-2413 between 6 and 8 PM.

[eppur_se_muova]

3. *SIGH* Again ? Journos sure do love these headlines.

Too bad the most complex organic molecules in space have no connection to life on Earth, which is what they want to imply, but which makes no practical sense. "Organic" molecules are just carbon-containing molecules. There are lots of carbon atoms in space -- stars make them. Once they cool off, they form bonds to something -- whatever happens to be available, and nothing is more available than hydrogen, so they form lots of them ("isopropyl cyanide", bka 2-methylpropanonitrile, has seven C-H bonds, three C-C bonds, and one C-N triple bond). So there all kinds of simple organic molecules floating around in interstellar space, where they will remain for biiiiiiillions and biiiiiiillions of years at extremely low concentrations, **NEVER INTERACTING WITH ANYTHING**, unless/until they fall into the gravitational grip of a collapsing nebula and get cooked into a new solar or planetary body, where they will react with other chemicals present to give simpler molecules like methane, ammonia, water, nitrogen, CO2, etc., which are what we find in the atmospheres of planets today. The structure of these organic molecules will be lost in those planetary bodies that are heated to magma, and remain dead and inconsequential in those that freeze out to form comets etc. The role of these molecules in the development of life is simply that they provide carbon to forming planetessimals, and it really doesn't matter what form that carbon is in when it arrives. It's going to be cooked together with rock, dust, water, etc., and whatever survives at thermodynamic equilibrium will carry no imprint of its origin, except possibly for a small variation in isotopic composition. But there's no magic "life originated in space" interpretation there, so who wants to write headlines about that ?