[ExI] Life began with a planetary mega-organism?

[Kelly Anderson]

2011/11/28 Dan <dan_ust at yahoo.com>:
> http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg21228404.300-life-began-with-a-planetary-megaorganism.html
>
> Someone sent this to the Lem list. Naturally, I was wondering why no one
> here picked up on it... Or did I miss the post?
>
> Anyhow, I think they're taking this too far, but it might be a useful idea
> to stimulate further thought and speculation.

It's really a matter of semantics... was the first life form really a
single planet sized cell? Or a soup of replicating chemicals of some
sort?

The article talked about the first evidence of chemical life being
detected some time before the first fossil cells. Does anyone know
what this evidence is?

I'm having a "discussion" with the local Jehovah's Witnesses, and I
don't know enough about the chemical origins of life to rain on that
part of their parade... Though I have thoroughly rained on other parts
of their festive procession.

How much do we know about the chemical origins of life? Their book is
quite out of date (circa 1985) so I'm assuming that a lot of the stuff
they are talking about is entirely out of date, in addition to being
misleading. I really don't understand why they have to resort to
quoting people out of context so very much... sigh. If the truth is on
your side, why would you have to be so tricky about it??

-Kelly