Gamma rays convert CH4 to complex organic molecules, may explain origin of life | Hacker News Reader

Gamma rays convert CH4 to complex organic molecules, may explain origin of life

phys.org

3 pointswesturner5 comments

ScholarlyArticle: "γ-Ray Driven Aqueous-Phase Methane Conversions into Complex Molecules up to Glycine" (2024) https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/anie.202413296 :

> Abstract: γ-Ray is capable of driving an aqueous-phase CH4+H2O+O2 conversion selectively into CH3COOH via ⋅CH3 and ⋅OH radical intermediates, and driving an aqueous-phase CH3COOH+NH3 conversion into NH2CH2COOH via ⋅CH2COOH and ⋅NH2 radical intermediates. Such γ-ray driven aqueous-phase methane conversions probably play an important role in the formation network of complex organic molecules in the universe, and provides a strategy to convert abundant CH4 into value-added products at mild conditions.

Glycine: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glycine :

> Glycine (symbol Gly or G;) is an amino acid that has a single hydrogen atom as its side chain. It is the simplest stable amino acid (carbamic acid is unstable). Glycine is one of the proteinogenic amino acids. It is encoded by all the codons starting with GG (GGU, GGC, GGA, GGG). [8]

"Gamma radiation is produced in large tropical thunderstorms" (2024) https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=41726698 :

"Flickering gamma-ray flashes, the missing link between gamma glows and TGFs" (2024) https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-024-07893-0

A terrestrial life origin hypothesis: gamma radiation mutated methane (CH4) into Glycine (the G in ACGT) and then DNA and RNA.

Virtual black hole: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virtual_black_hole ; "planck relics in the quantum foam"

Gamma ray: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gamma_ray

How are gamma rays causally linked to virtual black holes or planck relics in the quantum foam?

And, is there Hawking radiation from virtual black holes, at what points in their lifecycle?

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