Panspermia

For the sake of argument, assume Panspermia is true, that life began
somehwere in space and is carried on comets many which wander from
star to star not being gravitationally bound to a star.
I have no idea of the speed such comets move but take 1000 mph, not
really very fast. At that speed it could travel a light year in
600,000 years. Consider it might interact with other comets on the
outer reaches of another star system with comets that are not well
bound there infecting them with life. Some of these follow hyperbolic
orbits round their star warming enough to allow the life to briefly
flourish, more interactions and then some comets go on their way to
other stars.
At such slow speeds, in the 3 billion years we have had life on earth,
we could expect to find earth-like DNA based life out to a distance of
roughly 5000 light years.
You say this is unlikely? You say that the probability of such
cometary interactions is very low? What is the probability of life
arising from inanimate matter in only 3.5 billion years?
At least the panspermia scenario gives it about 3X that time to arise
since the beginning of the universe.

Frogwatch wrote:
For the sake of argument, assume Panspermia is true, that life began
somehwere in space and is carried on comets many which wander from
star to star not being gravitationally bound to a star.
I have no idea of the speed such comets move but take 1000 mph, not
really very fast. At that speed it could travel a light year in
600,000 years. Consider it might interact with other comets on the
outer reaches of another star system with comets that are not well
bound there infecting them with life. Some of these follow hyperbolic
orbits round their star warming enough to allow the life to briefly
flourish, more interactions and then some comets go on their way to
other stars.
At such slow speeds, in the 3 billion years we have had life on earth,
we could expect to find earth-like DNA based life out to a distance of
roughly 5000 light years.
You say this is unlikely? You say that the probability of such
cometary interactions is very low? What is the probability of life
arising from inanimate matter in only 3.5 billion years?
At least the panspermia scenario gives it about 3X that time to arise
since the beginning of the universe.

I'm beginning to warm up to the panspermia theory myself, surely when
stars go supernova, material is spread far and wide. But I'm also
convinced that self-organization on a quantum molecular level (duality)
is also involved, because life has originate somewhere to start the
panspermia chain reaction. Bacteria are intrinsically very hardy.

"kT" wrote in message
...
Frogwatch wrote:
For the sake of argument, assume Panspermia is true, that life began
somehwere in space and is carried on comets many which wander from
star to star not being gravitationally bound to a star.
I have no idea of the speed such comets move but take 1000 mph, not
really very fast. At that speed it could travel a light year in
600,000 years. Consider it might interact with other comets on the
outer reaches of another star system with comets that are not well
bound there infecting them with life. Some of these follow hyperbolic
orbits round their star warming enough to allow the life to briefly
flourish, more interactions and then some comets go on their way to
other stars.
At such slow speeds, in the 3 billion years we have had life on earth,
we could expect to find earth-like DNA based life out to a distance of
roughly 5000 light years.
You say this is unlikely? You say that the probability of such
cometary interactions is very low? What is the probability of life
arising from inanimate matter in only 3.5 billion years?
At least the panspermia scenario gives it about 3X that time to arise
since the beginning of the universe.

I'm beginning to warm up to the panspermia theory myself, surely when stars go
supernova, material is spread far and wide. But I'm also convinced that
self-organization on a quantum molecular level (duality) is also involved,
because life has originate somewhere to start the panspermia chain reaction.
Bacteria are intrinsically very hardy.



Let's just apply some common sense and some new math.

Since the Earth has conditions which are the best for life that
we can find anywhere in the solar system. And comets and such
are not even close, the Earth must be considered the strong
favorite for the source of it's life.

And if we combine that with a clear idea of the abstract processes
which are responsible for increasing order and evolution, we'll see
just why. To answer this question we must figure out the
ultimate source of Creation.

Imagine a persistent temperature gradient.

Or imagine an object being pulled in opposite directions by
two equal forces. Ideally that object would be suspended
motionless between them. But the forces are slightly unstable
as the real world is prone to be. So the object begins quickly
moving back and forth, unpredictably so due to the unstable
level of connectivity or force. Here, the connectivity is neither
complete or nonexistent, neither zero or one. But a non integer
or fractional level of connectivity. A fractal.

It then 'vibrates' back and forth. Or in the jargon it 'trembles'.

So that one can't tell which force dominates, both and neither
at the same time.

That chaotic vibration, call it quantum motion at some scales, fractal
instability in others or self similarity across scale, are the outward signs
of this ultimate unstable equilibrium. And that is how you transition
from a totally disordered or random (quantum-like) motion, to ...
cyclic order or classical motion.

This vibration or fractal order shows the objects and forces are acting
in a 'complex' way. Neither static or chaotic, but both at once....complex.
Complex because a critically interacting system requires both classical
and quantum like methods at once. Rendering classical or quantum
motion by themselves simple to solve by comparison. Since each
takes only one method.

Or ...the unstable equilibrium between static and chaotic attractors.

This the source of the particle wave duality. It's the source of
order from disorder, and the source of self organization or life.
Only through life can we mathematically relate the quantum
and classical realms.

Then, the unstable equilibrium between Newton and Heisenberg
yields....DARWIN. The Grand Theory, encompassing
quantum, classical /and/ living realms.

At criticality, the parts tremble. Hence they are unpredictable
and never repeat.

The Earth itself is an ideal example of this universal duality.
Neither too hot, or a static ball of rock, nor too chaotic
like a huge ball of gas. The unstable equilibrium is clearly
demonstrated by active ice ages. The pendulum unpredictably
or in a non-linear way swings slightly/chaotically back and forth
between tropical and arctic conditions. It trembles.

Proving ideal conditions for life while showing how it forms.


When the parts 'tremble' the whole shows increasing order
and predictability. In the jargon the whole....'self tunes as
if by magic with Adam Smith-like invisible hands'.
Or more simply.

When the parts tremble, the whole acts with invisible hands.

A dictatorship for instance, would have global behavior which
is opposite of naturally evolving, it would be brittle and unstable
on the output side.

So a dictatorship, or man-made system, would act with trembling hands.

Now, look at those Martian spheres once again

At the part level, silicon and iron...the simplest of geology.
While the outward or global behavior is a sphere, the simplest
level of organization. Result in emergent order at the larger scales....

http://areo.info/mer/opportunity/180...5L5L6.jpg.html
http://areo.info/mer/opportunity/012...5L5L6.jpg.html

As it does with the smaller scale....
http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/galle...P2907M2M1.HTML
http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/galle...P2932M1M1.HTML

Unexplained or emergent order is the ultimate sign of life.
There must be simpler life on Mars. The spheres aren't life
but a result of life. Like with banded iron formations on earth
these signs of life I believe show where geology makes the
huge leap to biology. Spherical concretions, on Earth or Mars
are the by-products or 'missing link' between non-living
and living.



Imho.

"jonathan" wrote in message
...
Unexplained or emergent order is the ultimate sign of life.
There must be simpler life on Mars. The spheres aren't life
but a result of life. Like with banded iron formations on earth
these signs of life I believe show where geology makes the
huge leap to biology. Spherical concretions, on Earth or Mars
are the by-products or 'missing link' between non-living
and living.



I forgot, so this should be the answer to the original question.
Since there are spherical concretions on Earth and Mars
each has experienced First Life, so life on Earth is
indigenous.



Imho.