CMC'S NEWS' REVIEW (II), by Marina Dorca

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:

https://student.societyforscience.org/article/space-cloud-may-hold-clue-life%E2%80%99s-origins

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.