AW: [meteorite-list] space bugs...

From: Norbert Classen <trifid_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu Apr 22 09:46:23 2004
Message-ID: <NCBBKMGDKLMGIBALJOFCEEODCCAA.trifid_at_timewarp.de>

Dear Jamie, dear list members,

you wrote:

> I did a research paper on the subject of panspermia
> and found that some studies have been done with E.
> coli that were subjected to close to 20 seconds of
> flash heating up to 700 C and survived.
> I also found information on a bacterium called
> Deinococcus radiodurans which can survive a dose of
> radiation 3,000 times stronger than that which would
> kill a human. There never was radiation that strong
> on Earth, though I could be wrong.
> If life originated on this planet, I am kinda curious
> how one could explain the evolution of this survival
> capability.

There are several good explainations, like the one that
sees the origins of life on earth in a primordial
environment that has been very different from the
world we know today. 3.5 billion years ago the earth
has been quite hot and hostile, and there has been no
blue skyes since the atmosphere had no oxygen ;-)

A good reading on this subject is: "The Fifth Miracle -
The Search for the Origin and Meaning of Life" by Paul
Davies (Simon & Schuster). Especially the chapter on
"super bugs" and their properties. Really spooky...

All the best,
Norbert Classen
Received on Sat 12 May 2001 02:19:43 PM PDT