Exploring Life's Origin

This site on the origin of life on Earth is visually quite captivating. What's interesting, though, is the fact that, as reflected even on other sites, scientists seem relatively comfortable with the variety of possible situations that led to the appearance of the first cells, while the appearance of multi-cellularity just boggles everyone's minds. One of the most common explanations given for the existence of multi-celled organisms is that they evolved as a result of symbiotic relationships between types of cells that were already in existence. When it comes to providing details regarding the mechanism that led from symbiosis to full-fledged multi-cellularity, though, the data come up somewhat short. Once multi-cellularity appears, scientists breathe a sigh of relief and once again feel comfortable speculating on mechanisms and processes, invoking natural selection and other safety blankets. But that HUGE gap between the first cells and structurally complex organisms sticks out like a sore thumb and will have to be addressed sooner or later.

NASA's Astrobiology Roadmap

Because Astrobiology is such an interdisciplinary field, requiring input from a vast array of scientific areas, NASA decided to put together a document that outlines concepts and research "pathways" to help organize this still emerging field. It was first published in 2003, but is scheduled for regular updates to accommodate new discoveries. A large part of the Roadmap, and of Astrobiology in general, is dedicated to understanding the origin of life. Indeed, if scientists aren't sure as to how life originated on Earth, or what conditions are necessary (besides the mere presence of liquid water) for the emergence of life, how will they know what to look for on other planets, short of the presence of living creatures (or their obvious remains) in existence at the moment of exploration? Therefore, origin of life research, as well as research studying the evolution of life, is at the core of astrobiological initiatives.

The visibility of the field of Astrobiology and its scientists is continuing to increase. Check out Suzan Mazur's interview with Roger Buick, University of Washington.

So what exactly is ASTROBIOLOGY and why is it important? (Better yet, why are millions of dollars of government funding being spent on it annually?) NewScientistSpace has a special section on the field of astrobiology, which you can check out here. (It's a few years old, but it gives a good overview)

From Molecular Clouds to the Origin of Life

Many evolutionary biologists are wary of the "origin of life" debate, as Darwinian dogma and the laws of natural selection can do little to explain how life arose from non-life. A great number of astrobiologists, on the other hand, don't fear the issue, as they are not limited by Darwin. They look to concepts of self-organization, though they mainly focus on chemical processes, as discussed in this paper, authored by researchers in the Astrobiology Group at Leiden University.

Interview with Robert Hazen

Independent journalist Suzan Mazur, of "Altenberg 16" fame, has recently posted her interview with Geophysicist (and trumpet player, it turns out) Robert Hazen. Read the interview here.