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NASA finds Titan's lakes may be creating vesicles with primitive cell walls

(www.sciencedaily.com)
277 points Gaishan | 3 comments | 10 Sep 25 00:10 UTC | HN request time: 0.019s | source
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andrewflnr ◴[10 Sep 25 00:59 UTC] No.45191739[source]▶
The linked paper is open access: https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/international-journa...

Among other things, it contains details on what amphiphiles might actually be present on Titan, a very nice set of diagrams explaining their proposed process, and proposals for lab experiments to verify whether the process is possible. I've had a soft spot for the vesicle-first theory of abiogenesis since I first heard of it, so I hope someone runs the experiments. But as far as I can tell, this is all theoretical so far.

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rolph ◴[10 Sep 25 01:28 UTC] No.45191950[source]▶
amphiphillic vesicles are a stepping stone for persistent molecular forms. essentially a reaction vessel, insulating the contents from the extravesicular mayhem.
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jojobas ◴[10 Sep 25 04:10 UTC] No.45193162[source]▶
It's thought that life on Earth started with RNA mayhem, not with vessels to isolate from it.
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andrewflnr ◴[10 Sep 25 05:02 UTC] No.45193492[source]▶
RNA world is mainstream, but a few scientists have proposed that something like cell membranes, such as these vesicles, came first and provided the environment for more complex chemistry.
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evrimoztamur ◴[10 Sep 25 05:44 UTC] No.45193767[source]▶
Life exists at the boundaries of density changes.

It makes absolutely no sense that the code would precede the hardware, and the hardware needs shielding.

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1. bongodongobob ◴[10 Sep 25 06:22 UTC] No.45193980[source]▶
I think the idea is that if you have a nice bubbly froth and some proteins/RNA type thing end up inside and help reinforce the bubble wall through electrostatic forces you get a symbiotic relationship. The soup inside reinforces the bubbles around it.
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2. dsign ◴[10 Sep 25 08:44 UTC] No.45194975[source]▶
And everything that we hold dear happens after that.

I don't object to this explanation of the world, but I reckon it's an uphill battle convincing people that all of the living natural world, and all of human history, their culture, their religions and their science and all the beliefs in-between had their origin in some electrostatic forces. I'm of the opinion that even well-informed people of science haven't had time to fully adjust their world-view during the handful of decades we have known this much.

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3. igleria ◴[10 Sep 25 10:39 UTC] No.45195780[source]▶
Dunno about everyone else, but if that is the origin of everything that lives on this planet, I'd find relief. One less question in an ever increasing sea of questions is better than just an ever increasing sea of questions.