The Theory of Cosmic Grains

Hoyle, F.; Wickramasinghe, N. C.

doi:10.1007/978-94-011-3402-6

Cited by 71 publications

(66 citation statements)

References 0 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Therefore, as the spectra of the ISM and the bacterium across the 2.5È10 km wavelength region do not match, we conclude there is no spectral evidence for bacteria in space. This is consistent with the earlier conclusions of Davies et al (1984), Duley (1984), and Whittet (1984), among others, despite continued e †orts to promote this idea (Hoyle & Wickramasinghe 1991, 1993.…”

Section: Other Carbonaceous Materialssupporting

confidence: 91%

The Organic Refractory Material in the Diffuse Interstellar Medium: Mid‐Infrared Spectroscopic Constraints

Pendleton

Allamandola

2002

ASTROPHYS J SUPPL S

342

408

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

This is an analysis of the 4000È1000 cm~1 (2.5È10 km) region of the spectrum of di †use interstellar medium (DISM) dust compared with the spectra of 13 materials produced in the laboratory which serve as analogs to the interstellar material. The organic signatures of extragalactic dust, carbonaceous chondritic material, and E. coli bacteria are also presented because these have been discussed in the literature as relevant to the di †use interstellar medium. Spectral analysis of the DISM allows us to place signiÐ-cant constraints on the applicability of proposed candidate materials. The spectra of candidate materials are evaluated using four spectral characteristics based on the interstellar data : (i) comparisons of the proÐle and subpeak positions of the 2940 cm~1 (3.4 km) aliphatic CH stretching-mode band, (ii) the ratio of the optical depth (O.D.) of the aliphatic CH stretch to the O.D. of the OH stretch near 3200 cm~1 (3.1 km), (iii) the ratio of the O.D. of the aliphatic CH stretch to the O.D. of the carbonyl band near 1700 cm~1 (5.9 km), and (iv) the ratio of the O.D. of the aliphatic CH stretch feature to the O.D. of the CH deformation modes near 1470 cm~1 (6.8 km) and 1370 cm~1 (7.25 km). We conclude that the organic refractory material in the di †use interstellar medium is predominantly hydrocarbon in nature, possessing little nitrogen or oxygen, with the carbon distributed between the aromatic and aliphatic forms. Long alkane chains with n much greater than 4 or 5 are not major constituents H 3 Cw(CH 2 ) n w of this material. Comparisons to laboratory analogs indicate the DISM organic material resembles plasma processed pure hydrocarbon residues much more so than energetically processed ice residues. This result is consistent with a birth site for the carrier of the 3.4 km band in the outÑow region of evolved carbon stars. The organic material extracted from the Murchison carbonaceous meteorite and the spectrum of E. coli bacteria reveal spectral features in the 5È10 km region that are absent in the DISM. Although the presence of unaltered circumstellar components in the Murchison meteorite has been established through several lines of evidence, it is unclear whether or not the aliphatic component which gives rise to the 3.4 km band is in that category. Considering the complete 2È10 km wavelength region, there is no spectral evidence for a biological origin of the 3.4 km interstellar absorption band. The similarity of the aliphatic CH stretch region of dust from our own Galaxy compared with that of distant galaxies suggests that the organic component of the ISM is widespread and may be an important universal reservoir of prebiotic organic carbon.

show abstract

Section: Other Carbonaceous Materialssupporting

confidence: 91%

The Organic Refractory Material in the Diffuse Interstellar Medium: Mid‐Infrared Spectroscopic Constraints

Pendleton

Allamandola

2002

ASTROPHYS J SUPPL S

342

408

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Infrared observations showed absorptions due to CH, OH, C-O-C linkages consistent with organic polymers (Wickramasinghe, 1974;Hoyle et al, 1982). The best overall agreement over the entire profile of interstellar extinction from the infrared to the ultraviolet was a mixture of desiccated bacteria, nanobacteria, including biologically derived aromatic molecules (Hoyle and Wickramasinghe, 1991, 2000, 2015.…”

Section: Interstellar Dust Pah and Biological Moleculesmentioning

confidence: 94%

“…Whilst PAHs (Polyaromatic Hydrocarbons), presumed to form inorganically, are the favoured model for the UIBs, no really satisfactory agreement with available astronomical data has thus far been shown possible for abiotic PAHs (Hoyle and Wickramasinghe, 1991;Rauf and Wickramasinghe, 2010). This is a particularly serious problem if we require the set of UIB emitters and the 2175A absorbers as manifest in the ultraviolet extinction curve to be one and the same.…”

Section: Interstellar Dust Pah and Biological Moleculesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Introduction

2017

Proofs That Life Is Cosmic

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

“…Because the prior teaching of evolution-as noted by Carl Woese in 2001 [105]-seemed to require modifications of Crick's "central dogma" of molecular biology in order to allow for backward flow of information from proteins to RNA and from RNA to DNA-retroviruses held out hope for the reconciliation of the conflicting claims-e.g., along that line see Hoyle and Wickramasinghe in 1991 [106], also Forterre in 2006 [107]. However, the hope for making viruses the engines of DNA production seems to reach an impasse at just the point where the retroviruses are most critically needed as pointed out in 2009 by Forterre and Prangishvili [108].…”

Section: Symbol To Object Genotype To Phenotypementioning

confidence: 98%

The Antithesis of Entropy: Biosemiotic Communication from Genetics to Human Language with Special Emphasis on the Immune Systems

Oller

2010

Entropy

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Entropy can be defined as the antithesis of well-formed true reports that agree with each other and with the material facts accessible through the experience of one or more competent observers. The abstract convergence (strictly formal, logical agreement) of true narrative representations (TNRs)-ordinary valid reports of facts of experience-makes them formally more complete than fictions, errors, lies, and nonsense. A limit of absolute entropy is theoretically reached if all resemblance to a TNR is lost. As argued here, TNRs-formally defined along the lines of Peirce's exact logic-provide the necessary foundation for functional human languages and for biosemiotic systems. The theoretical concepts of pragmatic mapping-the fitting of a TNR to whatever facts it represents-and the constructive cycle of abstraction that enables a child to discover the systems underlying such mappings are introduced and illustrated from child development and then shown to apply to the human neuroarchitecture, genetics, fetal development, and our immune systems. It is also argued that biological disorders and disease conditions logically must involve corrupted (damaged, undeveloped, or otherwise incomplete) representations at one or many levels.Keywords: abstractive cycle; biosemiotics; brain architecture; embryological development; immune systems; information theory; language acquisition; learning to read; human neuroarchitecture; pragmatic mapping; self-consciousness; sign hierarchy; systems grammar; theory of abstraction; true narrative representations OPEN ACCESSEntropy 2010, 12 632 Building a General Theory of SignsSince this treatise is not a stand-alone book but is rather a longer-than-expected contribution to this special issue of Entropy, as pointed out by several anonymous expert readers and the distinguished invited editor of this issue, I have been asked to put a paragraph up front about its content and length.Four major sections are incorporated: Section 1 deals with both the development and testing of a general theory of sign systems (general semiotics) by examining the early cognitive and linguistic development from birth forward. That section, I believe, is essential reading, providing the necessary groundwork for the three sections that follow where the theory is applied respectively to the neuroarchitecture of the human brain and body in section 2; to genetics, epigenetics, and certain aspects of biochemistry in section 3; and to the immune systems incorporating critical elements of embryological development in section 4. Because of the various threads running throughout the whole, it was decided not to set any one or more of the parts aside as appendices, but rather to advise readers here at the start concerning the organization, and to invite them, if they wish, to pick and choose their sections. The coherence and intelligibility of the general theory depends mainly on sections 1.1-1.5 (roughly the following 8 pages). To appreciate the depth and power of the general theory will require digesting also the p...

show abstract

The Theory of Cosmic Grains

Cited by 71 publications

References 0 publications

The Organic Refractory Material in the Diffuse Interstellar Medium: Mid‐Infrared Spectroscopic Constraints

The Organic Refractory Material in the Diffuse Interstellar Medium: Mid‐Infrared Spectroscopic Constraints

Introduction

The Antithesis of Entropy: Biosemiotic Communication from Genetics to Human Language with Special Emphasis on the Immune Systems

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About