How did life begin? The biggest question mankind has asked itself.  Where did we come from? The idea that gods from the heavens had provided the seed of life has been supported by many researchers. End of the day we may have been looking into the correct direction: a breakthrough study claims that the so-called building blocks of life, the elements that are the backbone of organic molecules which form living matter, came to Earth from outer space.

Evidence of seeding

According to a team of researchers from the University of Hawaii at Manoa and their colleagues from France and Taiwan, phosphates and diphosphoric acid, two major chemicals that form chromosomes carrying our genetic information, were generated billions of kilometers away from our planet and were delivered to Earth by space wanderers such as asteroids or comets.

The scientists used a vacuum chamber cooled down to near absolute zero to simulate interstellar icy grains coated with carbon dioxide, water, and phosphine.

When exposed to radiation, these grains created both phosphates and diphosphoric acid. “On Earth, phosphine is lethal to living beings,” said Andrew Turner of the University of Hawaii.

“But in the interstellar medium, an exotic phosphine chemistry can promote rare chemical reaction pathways to initiate the formation of biorelevant molecules such as oxoacids of phosphorus, which eventually might spark the molecular evolution of life as we know it.”

Scientists suggested that these phosphorus oxoacids could be traced back to an interstellar medium, the materials that fill the space between stars, which are delivered to Earth by comets or meteorites.

Panspermia is a mechanism that allows biology to spread through space without needing a spaceship. Living matter “hitches a ride on sunlight or inside rocks.” Some scientists believe that Mars was indeed inhabited at one time. Some space rocks were “kicked” off the planet and landed in a “suitably welcoming patch” on Earth. Biological material from Mars that was in the rocks may spur exploration into the search for the solution to the age-old question: Where do we come from and why are we here? There are several theories that relate to extraterrestrials.

There are suggestions that aliens escape from an unknown planet and come here due to dire circumstances on their home planets and most likely we are descendants of this race.  Environmentalist and ecologist turned author Dr. Ellis Silver believes we may have come from Alpha Centauri. The planet may have suffered some type of cataclysmic event from which a few residents were able to escape and come to Earth.

Other scientists believe that, eons ago, Humanoids inhabited Mars but a war destroyed the livability of the planet. This could have been due to the equivalent of two hydrogen bombs exploding on Mars 300,000 to 1 million years ago. Is it possible some living beings were able to escape to Earth before the destruction?

There are many mysteries and controversial theories for which there seems to be more questions than answers.