CMC'S
NEWS' REVIEW (II)
News' title: Space clouds may hold clue to life's origins.
Date
of publication: October 13,
2014.
Source
of information: Student Society for Science:
Scientific
field: Chemistry and astronomy
Extract:
A branched molecule has
been found in a cloud called Sagittarius B2. This cloud sits about 26,000 light-years away in interstellar space. The
molecule found there is an isopropyl cyanide. The term isopropyl
means that a single atom from a branch may connect to two or three
others. This molecules are the basic building block for
proteins, that are as well crucial to life.
Finding
out those molecules wasn't an easy task. The movement of those
molecules produced energy, that in turn took the form of radio waves.
The study, set in the mountains of Chile, picked up and identified
those radio waves.
Critical
appraisal:
This
article talks about a recent science discovery in the astronomy
field, the finding of a branched molecule in an interstellar cloud.
I think that this finding gives hope
to find life someday in other planets of the Universe, as organic
molecules are the bases of life as we know.
Besides, having found a molecule in a
planet which is about
26,000 light-year demostrates the
research capacity of science, which is developing very rapidly in the
last decades, and the pointer equipment they use. I'd also like to
point out the clear correlation between science and technology. I
believe it's like a kind of cooperation in which both components help
each other to get to knowledge. For example, I'm sure that the
improvement of the telescopes and other techniques has helped
a lot
to discover what hides in other galaxies.
On
the other hand, there are bad sides in this news. Scientists have
been able to identify this molecule, but I guess that the incredibly
large distance will prevent them from analysing and studying the
situation more deeply. Moreover, I found that this kind of news, and,
by extension, all science news, have really little impact in media. I
think the journalistic world should give more importance to this
fields to
inform people of the latest scientific advances.
![]() |
Example of isopropyl |

Glossary:
-
Aminoacids: simple
molecules that occur naturally in plant and animal tissues and that
are the basic constituents of proteins.
-
Chemical:
a
substance
formed from two or more atoms that unite (become bonded together) in
a fixed proportion and structure. For example, water is a chemical
made of two hydrogen atoms bonded to one oxygen atom. Its chemical
symbol is H2O.
-
Interstellar:
between
stars.
-
Isopropyl
cyanide: also
known as isobutyronitrile, it has a chemical formula of (CH3)2CHCN.
It is very toxic. On Earth, it forms during an intermediate stage of
the production of some chemicals, including some insecticides.
-
Milky
Way: the
galaxy in which Earth’s solar system resides.
-
Proteins:
compounds
made from one or more long chains of amino acids. Proteins are an
essential part of all living organisms. They form the basis of living
cells, muscle and tissues; they also do the work inside of cells.
-
Radio
waves: waves
in a part of the electromagnetic spectrum; they are a type that
people now use for long-distance communication. Longer than the waves
of visible light, radio waves are used to transmit radio and
television signals; it is also used in radar.
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