How cosmic rays may have sparked life on Earth — and what this could mean for life on other planets


Long before animals roamed the Earth, before the first bacteria, and even before the development of DNA, tiny molecules found they could make simple copies of themselves. Cosmic rays pouring down from space constantly bombarded those molecules as they replicated, and developed over time. These particles, raining down from distant stars and galaxies, could have played a significant role in the what would become the chemistry of life. Mirror, mirror, on the wall… Molecules can take on various shapes as they form during reactions. Some of these molecules can be mirror images of molecules having the same number and types…

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