Re: Article from space.com -- "Deadly Radiation Spurs Life"

[Franz Schoenhofer <schoenho@via.at>]

At 09:06 27.01.2000 -0600, you wrote:
>RADSAFER's, RAD RAPper's, etc.
>
>Greetings from the frozen tundra ... and
>your home of the 2000 Super Bowl (if
>Georgia Power can keep the lights on at
>the Georgia Dome over the weekend!)

I do not know whether I compete from the cold Vienna.....


>I ran across the following article (a portion
>of which is copied below) at the
>space.com web site this morning while
>doing my daily news search ... does
>anyone else see find the juxtaposition of
>"deadly radiation" and "providing fuel for
>life" kind of odd? Guess the press can't
>just use the word "radiation" without
>prefacing it with "deadly".
>

You are right and you are not right. I do not believe that the journalists
really knew what they were talking about. To me it seems that they refer to
the (possible) origin of life from ammoniak, carbondioxide (and oxygen?)
with the help of radiation or by electrical discharges from thunderstorms
to form amino acids. If radiation was involved it sure had to be at a
doserate which would  have been deadly for nowadays humans. 

While not thinking that the journalist knew what his article really meant I
would recommend to take it easy - there are much worse reports in the mass
media.

Regards,

Franz

 



>The URL for the full article is:
>http://www.space.com/science/solarsystem/europa_life_000126.html
>
>P.S. Salt and sand trucks are loading up
>now, snow plows (Yes! We DO have
>some down here!) are being hooked up
>now, and "the powers that be" will insure a
>Super Bowl broadcast Sunday evening ...
>how good it is depends on the combatants
>... not us!
>
>Jim Hardeman, Manager
>Environmental Radiation Program
>Environmental Protection Division
>Georgia Department of Natural Resources
>4244 International Parkway, Suite 114
>Atlanta, GA 30354
>(404) 362-2675  fax: (404) 362-2653
>Jim_Hardeman@mail.dnr.state.ga.us
>
>==========
>
>Jupiter's Deadly Radiation Could
>Power Life On Europa
>
>Scientists Look to Jupiter's Moon for
>Possible Life 
>
>In the search for microbial life on Jupiter's
>icy moon Europa, a new idea has
>emerged, suggesting that heavy doses of
>lethal radiation surrounding the massive
>planet might spur chemical reactions on its
>tiny satellite, providing fuel for life in the
>suspected liquid ocean below.
>
>
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>
Franz Schoenhofer
Habicherg. 31/7
A-1160 Vienna
Austria
Tel.: +43-1-495 53 08
Fax.: same number
mobile phone: +43-664-338 0 333
e-mail: schoenho@via.at

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