Bubbly beginnings for life's first molecules
Gas bubble simulations support the idea that life began in hydrothermal vents
Tiny heated gas-filled bubbles in hydrothermal rocks could have kick-started life’s emergence on prebiotic Earth, research has shown. Simulation experiments suggest that bubbles could enrich prebiotic molecules and enable six essential processes that could eventually give rise to life, adding weight to the idea that conditions at hydrothermal vents were ideal for life to first form.