3 ms·

Not an expert here at all but asteroids often do carry precursors for life. Asteroids on Earth have been found carrying organic compounds: https://www.smithson

• RosanaAnaDana 7y ago
  Sure, but my point here isn't about presence, but quantity. We've known that radiation can cause the creation of bio-molecules and precursor molecules for a very long time. But there almost no way that process can generate a significant enough quantity of these molecules to really seed planets. Largely its about concentration gradients, which is why I personal have found arguments about life forming via early oceans unconvincing. A couple asteroids (or even hundreds) worth of bio-molecules spread out over an ocean, is still basically nothing. You have to have enough material concentrated in a small enough space; you need a thermodynamic process that postpones equilibrium; then you need a gradient to drive the formation of more and more complicated molecules. Like, Pluto type objects are far and away more common then earthlike objects. If there is a process that can accumulate bio-molecules in mass on these types of bodies, that's pretty game changing.