Researchers at Stanford University have proposed a new theory about the origin of life on Earth, suggesting that the first essential compounds could have formed from 'micro-lightnings' between droplets of water under conditions similar to those on primitive Earth. This study, led by Professor Richard Zare, suggests that the small electric charges generated when water droplets collide and break apart could have triggered the chemical reactions necessary for the formation of the first organic molecules. In their experiments, the team observed how, by spraying water droplets into a mixture of gases typical of the primitive atmosphere, electrical discharges capable of forming carbon-nitrogen bonds essential for life were produced.
The phenomenon behind this theory is known as the Lenard effect, where droplets of different sizes acquire opposite charges, causing small electrical discharges, akin to static electricity, to form as they approach. These 'micro-lightnings' release enough energy for the gases to react and form organic compounds such as hydrogen cyanide and the amino acid glycine. This study suggests that natural processes, such as breaking waves or waterfalls, would have been able to generate these compounds, offering a new perspective on how life could have begun on the planet without the need for an external source of electricity.
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