Do Non-Living Systems Hold the Secret to Origin of Life?

Today’s news stories include: Phosphate is present in Enceladus’ ocean at levels at least 100 times higher — and perhaps a thousand times higher — than in Earth’s oceans.

Lifelike chemicals may hold the secret to the origin of life--Origin of life studies have always focused on a set of strict environments that could give rise to life. Ante-life opens new possibilities, reports Big Think. "New research encourages a shift to the qualities of "ante-life" — that is, non-living systems that behave in a "viable" manner that maintains and optimizes their existence."

Phosphorus, in the form of phosphates, is vital for all life on Earth. It forms the backbone of DNA and is part of cell membranes and bones. The new study by the University of Washington, published June 14 in Nature, is the first to report direct evidence of phosphorus on an extraterrestrial ocean world. The team found that phosphate is present in Enceladus’ ocean at levels at least 100 times higher — and perhaps a thousand times higher — than in Earth’s oceans.

The two roads to quantum gravity--"Efforts to build a theory that brings forward quantum physics and the modern theory of gravity (Einstein’s general theory of relativity) have so far failed," explores Marcelo Gleiser for Big Think.