Amino acids form the building blocks of cells, so it is possible that life on earth came from space. This does two things:
1. Means that life across the galaxy is more likely.
2. Means that life might have come from the explosion of some mega planet where an ancient civilisation ruled...
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I'm not a big fan of the space-life concept.
There have been plenty of experiments to demonstrate how easily amino acids can be generated (for example, a general suspension of chemicals and a bit of electricity does the trick).
From a sheer probability POV it's far more lightly that life on this planet evolved on this planet, as you'd need a fairly decent density of the right soup to get the fluke that actually made "living structures". Amino Acids are not living structures, but the building block (it's like finding a box of lego bricks, shaking them and expecting a formula 1 car with working steering to drop out).
I'm not discounting life on other planets (after all, none of the chemicals required are rare, it's just a matter of getting the right conditons), however from a pure probability perspective having life evolve on another planet, and then have that life get to earth via;
1) Massive explosion
2) Fucking cold vacuum
3) Re-entry
and be viable just puts more obstacles. Occams Razor suggests evolution of life on this planet.
In a shock move, I'm going to agree with Pete.
Agree with everything Pete said, plus not only does it seem pretty unlikely, but the diaspora theory also doesn't actually solve anything; you still have to answer all the questions about how life got started, you just have to do it somewhere else (or in the same place, but talking about somewhere else.)
OK - all three of us? The only safe conclusion is that it's unquestionably true, and should be adopted as an article of faith by all Earth religions. And all scientists, too. :)
Let's hope EMW, from foreign parts, wades in with a "You're all talking bollocks" comment else we might have a frightening conjunction like the 1908 Tunguska Event.
I've actually been trying to think of grounds on which to disagree... Sadly I just don't. This is terrible!
Even I can't disagree with anything said so far...
www.aserash.com
Well this is just un-fucking-acceptable!
Of course life started on other planets! Probably just one, that then exploded, sending comets containing the base ingredients for life across the universe, to seed planets. Exogenesis makes way more sense than geogenesis.
Hell, some fucker even probably aimed the comets at planets with suitable conditions. Panspermia is quite obviously the only way that life could have evolved on Earth!
Pete: Rubbish!
I think you'll find that life began when a giant space toad spaffed so hard its helmet came off and showered the galaxy with its toady froth. Every planet that his seed touch sprouted new life, including ours. This comet it clearly one of his astrospems.