[ExI] Eternity in six hours: intergalactic spreading of intelligent life and sharpening the Fermi paradox

[BillK]

On Tue, Sep 10, 2013 at 12:54 PM, Eugen Leitl  wrote:
> On Tue, Sep 10, 2013 at 12:41:21PM +0100, BillK wrote:
>> Quote:
>> New research has revealed that chemical reactions previously thought
>> to be 'impossible' in space actually occur 'with vigour,' a discovery
>
> The abstract alone says no such thing.
>
>

Perhaps you should read more than just the abstract then?

>
>
>> that could ultimately change our understanding of how alcohols are
>> formed and destroyed in space - and which could also mean that places
>> like Saturn's moon Titan, once considered too cold for life to form,
>
> Thought by whom? Liquid water and water/ammonia are pretty
> common all over the solar system.
>

Eugen, you seem to have developed a recent tendency to automatically
rubbish anything which contradicts your current worldview. How about
trying for a bit more consideration that maybe, just maybe, somebody
may, just possibly, have something a bit different?

Here are quotes from one of the authors of the paper, from the New Scientist:
Quote:
The team also found that the reaction occurred 50 times faster via
quantum tunnelling than if it occurred normally at room temperature by
hurdling the energy barrier. Empty space is much colder than 63
kelvin, but dust clouds near stars can reach this temperature, adds
Heard.

"We're showing there is organic chemistry in space of the type of
reactions where it was assumed these just wouldn't happen," says
Heard.
--------

Let's hope you don't claim the authors have misunderstood their own paper.

BillK