Astronomers discover complex organic matter in the universe

[DavidDvorkin]

In today's issue of the journal Nature, astronomers report that organic compounds of unexpected complexity exist throughout the Universe. The results suggest that complex organic compounds are not the sole domain of life but can be made naturally by stars.

Prof. Sun Kwok and Dr. Yong Zhang of the University of Hong Kong show that an organic substance commonly found throughout the Universe contains a mixture of aromatic (ring-like) and aliphatic (chain-like) components. The compounds are so complex that their chemical structures resemble those of coal and petroleum. Since coal and oil are remnants of ancient life, this type of organic matter was thought to arise only from living organisms. The team's discovery suggests that complex organic compounds can be synthesized in space even when no life forms are present.

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2011-10/tuoh-adc102511.php

Life everywhere!

[AngkorWot]

1. PAHs aren't particularly complex.

And they've been discovered in space before.

Also, it's got nothing to do with life.

[DavidDvorkin]

2. It's the quantity and ubiquitousness that this implies that excites me.

[AngkorWot]

6. But why?

These clouds are always huge, literally of astronomical proportions. And their ubiquitousness implies a rather simple, mundane method of synthesis.

[DavidDvorkin]

18. Mundane because no extraordinary conditions or processes are required

which again implies that the precursors of life are common in the universe.

[Lochloosa]

3. Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon (PAH) molecules

for the nonnerds here. :evilgrin:

Simple organic molecules made of carbon and hydrogen atoms.

[eppur_se_muova]

8. Actually, the article says it's NOT PAH's ...

it's the spectral features that couldn't be assigned to PAH's that they analyzed.

ETA: Totally agree that the word "complex" is being misused here. This is the complexity of many random piles of atoms thrown together, not the complexity of ordered structure.

Personally, I'm a little skeptical ... when you take a bunch of C,H,O, and N and cook it at high temps you will get "complex" mixtures, but they may or may not have a hell of a lot to do with the molecules useful to life. Glycine is particuarly misleading in this regard, as it's readily formed from formaldehyde, ammonia, hydrogen cyanide, and water, all of which are readily available commodities in interstellar clouds, and it's the simplest amino acid, AND amino acids form proteins ... so it's inevitable that non-chemists get over-excited that "components of proteins have been found in interstellar space!" when the reality is that even the next most complex amino acid is a big step up in difficulty of prebiotic synthesis, and most are just not going to be formed in that environment.

Finding organic molecules (in the technical sense of "organic" as "carbon-based") in outer space has been going on for decades, but it seems to be a fad lately to claim evidence that the materials of actual living organisms originated in space. My expectation is that it will fade with time, for lack of supporting evidence.

ETA: On rereading the article, the researchers themselves aren't claiming evidence of anything to do with life -- they're saying that living organisms are not the only source of complex organic molecules. This would come as not surprise to anyone familiar with the Miller-Urey experiments. Carl Sagan named the oily gunk formed in these experiments "tholin" (from the Greek word for "mud"), and that seems to be all these scientists are claiming -- stars and/or instellar clouds make oily gunk, which, frankly, isn't surprising. What would you expect the surface of an eroded carbonaceous asteroid to be like? Oily gunk, probably.

[DavidDvorkin]

14. I didn't mean that I'm taking it as evidence of life

I'm taking it as evidence that the precursors of life are ubiquitous.

[eppur_se_muova]

15. My comments added on editing address that.

I got a completely different take on the first read. One shouldn't pay too much attention to the headlines, since these aren't written by the scientists. ;)

[DavidDvorkin]

16. Admittedly, I'm prone to letting my enthusiasm wash away my skepticism.

[Evasporque]

4. We have been slowing digesting in the belly of a giant space goat...

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_DqhXVlhKkhM/SuHdZrmYpFI/AAAAAAAAAPY/wd6qZA_vTmo/s400/space+goat.jpg

[DavidDvorkin]

5. I'm not looking forward to the end result of that.

[Javaman]

7. Personally, I welcome our complex organic compounds overlords. nt

[flamingdem]

9. Great. We are going to be ruled by petroleum products nt

[Javaman]

11. You mean we already aren't?

could have fooled me.

[flamingdem]

12. true dat

nt

[immoderate]

10. A fart in the cosmic wind.

--imm

[Fumesucker]

13. ...

[FarLeftFist]

17. That means we are literally standing on a living breathing entity.

Wish we treated it like so.