Response to Below Article: A Pre-Garden of Eden
That which I find really interesting about this article is the fact that it unveils entire new revelations about the ways in which life, as we know it, began—and, especially, where. Scientists are utilizing various forms of new information to leverage invigorating theories and studies that we, among all other races of species, diversified from our origins since the very beginning. I contend that, regardless of my religious upbringing, that life did not commence in the Garden of Eden, alone—but that it is because of stories that like that has the lay community bewildered and feeling misled. It is necessary that all who have access to this information and systematic knowledge recognize the sheer magnitude of studies like the one I have chosen to discuss. Via my research alone, I have seen so many variations of beliefs on “the origin of the world” that my mind does, at times, dizzy itself into a frenzy of possible outcomes and often careworn attempts to stay afloat in the midst of vigorous science and its fortitude. By my saying all this, I am asserting that periods like the ice ages of our fascinating history, no matter how long and seemingly enigmatic—yet effable—have formed a grounding point on which to base our still foundling understanding of the meaning of our existence, and the ways in which existence is even possible. So it can be within reason to state that our sea-dwelling friends can and have provided a wealth of intriguing and mind-altering data regarding likely locations of biomes and ecosystems that hold such import to any who wish to seek and later find. This study refers back to our introduction to climate in our Meteorology 1010 class that began recently—as we learned that one way of learning about past climates is to descend below the surface of the ocean and see all the wonders that realm can afford us.
From ScienceDaily.com: "Ice Tubes in Polar Seas -- 'Brinicles' or 'Sea Stalactites' -- Provide Clues to Origin of Life"
Article:
Apr. 24, 2013 — Life on Earth may have originated not in warm tropical seas, but with weird tubes of ice -- sometimes called "sea stalactites" -- that grow downward into cold seawater near Earth's poles, scientists are reporting.
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Their article on these "brinicles" appears in ACS' journal Langmuir.
Bruno Escribano and colleagues explain that scientists know surprisingly little about brinicles, which are hollow tubes of ice that can grow to several yards in length around streamers of cold seawater under pack ice. That's because brinicles are difficult to study. The scientists set out to gather more information on the topic with an analysis of the growth process of brinicles.
They are shown to be analogous to a "chemical garden," a standby demonstration in chemistry classes and children's chemistry sets, in which tubes grow upward from metal salts dropped into silicate solution. But brinicles grow downward from the bottom of the ice pack.
The analysis concluded that brinicles provide an environment that could well have fostered the emergence of life on Earth billions of years ago, and could have done so on other planets. "Beyond Earth, the brinicle formation mechanism may be important in the context of planets and moons with ice-covered oceans," the report states, citing in particular two moons of Jupiter named Ganymede and Callisto.
Story Source:
The above story is reprinted from materials provided byAmerican Chemical Society.
Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.
Journal Reference:
Apr. 24, 2013 — Life on Earth may have originated not in warm tropical seas, but with weird tubes of ice -- sometimes called "sea stalactites" -- that grow downward into cold seawater near Earth's poles, scientists are reporting.
Related Ads:
See Also:
Plants & Animals
Earth & Climate
Fossils & Ruins
Reference
Their article on these "brinicles" appears in ACS' journal Langmuir.
Bruno Escribano and colleagues explain that scientists know surprisingly little about brinicles, which are hollow tubes of ice that can grow to several yards in length around streamers of cold seawater under pack ice. That's because brinicles are difficult to study. The scientists set out to gather more information on the topic with an analysis of the growth process of brinicles.
They are shown to be analogous to a "chemical garden," a standby demonstration in chemistry classes and children's chemistry sets, in which tubes grow upward from metal salts dropped into silicate solution. But brinicles grow downward from the bottom of the ice pack.
The analysis concluded that brinicles provide an environment that could well have fostered the emergence of life on Earth billions of years ago, and could have done so on other planets. "Beyond Earth, the brinicle formation mechanism may be important in the context of planets and moons with ice-covered oceans," the report states, citing in particular two moons of Jupiter named Ganymede and Callisto.
Story Source:
The above story is reprinted from materials provided byAmerican Chemical Society.
Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.
Journal Reference:
- Julyan Cartwright, Bruno Escribano, Diego L. González, Claro Ignacio Sainz-Diaz, idan tuval. Brinicles as a case of inverse chemical gardens. Langmuir, 2013; : 130403173604005 DOI: 10.1021/la4009703