Research
Did comets bring building blocks of life to Earth? Scientists aren't so sure anymore
Space.com · By Keith Cooper ·
The Brief
- New research reported by Space.com concludes that comets almost certainly did not bring the chemical building blocks of life to Earth.
- The origin of life on Earth remains unresolved.
- The building blocks in question are complex organic molecules, the carbon-based chemistry on which life as we know it depends.
Why it matters
It challenges a widely discussed explanation for where Earth's organic molecules came from, which affects how origin-of-life research frames the source of life's ingredients.
Who’s affected
- astronomers and planetary scientists
- origin-of-life and astrobiology researchers
- #comets
- #origin of life
- #astrobiology
- #organic chemistry
- #planetary science
The origin of life on Earth remains a mystery. New research shows that comets almost certainly did not bring the chemical building blocks of life to our planet. Life as we know it is based around carbon chemistry, also known as organic chemistry. Complex organic molecules are the…