January 2025

Science: Nature astronomy, space

1. I am sorry to report that Howard’s efforts with the hydrogen energy storage enthusiast were unsuccessful; hence we won’t have a speaker for this upcoming meeting. Therefore we all need to bring a topic. My topic, just to warn you is a comparison of the famous Miller-Urey Chicago experiments in 1952 under conditions thought to be similar to those in the Early earth and the very recent experiments of S. A. Krasnokutski, et al in Germany, just reported in Nature Astronomy, "A pathway to peptides in space through the condensation of atomic carbon".

Organic molecules are now known to be widely present in the dense interstellar medium,; many have been synthesized in the laboratory on Earth under the conditions typical for an interstellar environment. The Miller-Urey experiments assumed that they needed very hot conditions and there’s no doubt the early earth was hot. 

The Krasnokutski experiments sought to duplicate the conditions of interstellar space, which are close to absolute zero.

2. I’m sorry to report that I wrote down my notes from the February meeting on 2 small pieces of paper, which I can’t put my hands on now. If I can find them in my small, messy apartment I will prepare a summary of that meeting. I certainly wouldn’t have thrown them out. Also, I’ll learn from stupid mistakes and put my summary notes in a notebook.

Best wishes to you all. I look forward to our meeting and productive discussions.

Best wishes and don’t forget,

Bob Snodgrass