New research suggests that life on Earth may have started with tiny “microlightning” sparks generated by water droplets from crashing waves and waterfalls, rather than a dramatic lightning bolt striking the ocean.
Scientists at Stanford University found that when mist and sprays collide, they create microlightning capable of forming essential organic molecules. These molecules include uracil, a fundamental component of DNA and RNA. The discovery challenges old theories and suggests that life may have begun in places as simple as waterfalls or ocean waves.
The researchers used high-speed cameras to document the flashes of light caused by microlightning and demonstrated that these tiny sparks can produce organic molecules with carbon-nitrogen bonds, including hydrogen cyanide and glycine. They argue that these findings indicate that it was not necessarily lightning strikes, but the tiny sparks made by crashing waves or waterfalls that jump-started life on this planet.
The study provides fresh support for the Miller-Urey hypothesis, which suggests that life began with a lightning strike. However, the researchers found that electricity wasn’t necessary, and microlightning created the same organic molecules without an external energy source. This new mechanism challenges traditional theories and offers a possible explanation for how biological components came about.
The discovery highlights the potential power of small bits of water in chemistry and suggests that water is highly reactive when divided into droplets. The researchers propose that this “microlightning” could have played a key role in the origins of life on Earth, potentially overcame many of the problems with the Miller-Urey hypothesis, and provides new insights into the process of prebiotic synthesis of molecules that constitute the building blocks of life.
Source: https://scitechdaily.com/tiny-sparks-big-discovery-could-water-droplets-have-created-life