How Early Could Life Have Appeared In The Universe?

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Written by @PaulMSutter

Narrated by David Kelly
Edited by Manuel Rubio and David Kelly
Sound Editing by Craig Stevenson
Huge thanks to Bone Clones for footage of their fantastic skulls:

Galaxies, space videos from NASA, ESO, and ESA.
Music from Epidemic Sound, Artlist and Silver Maple.
Stock footage from Videoblocks, Artgrid and Shutterstock.

00:00 Introduction
05:23 What Is Life?
18:44 How To Make Life
31:30 The Earliest Possible Life
43:44 Where Is Everybody?

#aliens

[Merennulli]

One note - the "solidified core" theory for Mars has been largely abandoned because the data we now have shows it isn't. Seismology data from the InSight lander has determined that it has a fully liquid core that is much less dense than Earth's core. There is still a lot of research being done on the subject, but the current theory for why Mars had a magnetic field and lost it, based on extreme temperature and pressure experiments using the data from InSight, is a different dynamo mechanism. The iron-sulfur-hydrogen mix of Mars' core originally was mixing and creating a dynamo by circulation, but it eventually settled into layers of high sulfur and low sulfur concentrations. By stratifying, the core of Mars no longer has the circulation to make a dynamo.

Earth's core by contrast has more iron, and less sulfur and hydrogen and it's divided into an inner and outer core. The inner core is solid and helps maintain the dynamo in 3 major ways. The first is by the rotation of the inner core (which is currently slowing in a long-scale cycle it's gone through before), the second is heat convection between the inner and outer core, and the third is the confining of the outer core into a shell that constrains its flow.

For anyone wondering why we believe Mars once had a magnetic field - ferrous igneous rock is magnetized when it forms in a magnetic field, and much like similar rock formations on Earth, the oldest Mars rock is similarly magnetized in a sort of "fossilized magnetic field" that even gives some details about the structure of the field. This is the same sort of "fossilized magnetic field" that lead researchers to realize the Earth's magnetic field reverses periodically.

[artdonovandesign]

It's an absolute JOY to see
a new 'History of the Universe' episode appear. Thank you so much!

[DonFervo]

This series is better than 99% of pay-to-view content out there, for free. Thank you so much for your effort

[laridd]

This is great! Thank you. My students ask me sometimes, if I believe in aliens. I always say, "Yes. But I just don't think they've been here." I used to love Ancient Aliens, but then I became a historian and realized that we just don't give ancient cultures enough credit. I have often wondered, "What if we are just the first one that's risen? Or what if intelligence only arises once in a million years?" It's a little depressing and reminds me of the movie As Good As it Gets. What if we are as good as it gets? But then I think, we've only searched such a small portion of the sky. Once scientist I in an interview with Neil Degrasse Tyson, said that of the sky, we have only searched the equivalent of a glass of sea water. You can't look at a glass of sea water and say that fish don't exist. Definitely something to wonder about. And be hopeful about.

[neIntangible]

This wouldn't be a legitimate documentary and discussion on the origins of life, unless it included the required obligatory footage of meercats at 8:56.

[mgaesthetic]

The quality of production for these videos is simply astounding, truly a gift on this platform. Your ability to breach into and enhance our imagination to explore these thought-provoking topics genuinely is deserving of great celebration!

[Naowakk]

It's hard to explain how much I love this content, it's incredibly well made and well presented. Hard science with a kind of romantic touch just makes my day

[christopherlawman]

This YouTube channel is better than most of the stuff on mainstream channels like Discovery. Your voice, narration and scripts are absolutely spot on. The music is perfectly matched to the visuals and the information put forward is deeply interesting. Absolute bang up job. Thank you and please keep it coming. Liked and subscribed!

[davidschilling]

I took an astrobiology course in college and did a presentation on the meteor 'fossils' found discussed in this video. Microscopic balls of aligned iron were noticed, which are similar to Magnetotactic bacteria found on earth. Some organisms use magnetic material to orient and migrate along geomagnetic field lines. Using this mechanism they are able to find optimal oxygen gradients in the soil to thrive.

[wessla]

These videos with this voice is curing my depression. When I'm stressed out and have anxiety I used to pop pills not to get suicidal. Now I pop an episode of History of the Universe and my mind just instantly settles and my worries dissappear. I am truly greatful for this. I hope you the best. ❤️❤️🙏

[EthelredHardrede-nzyv]

19:45 amino acids are NOT the building blocks of RNA or DNA. They are the building blocks of proteins.

[joeryans]

I love this channel! Educational, relaxing, thought inspiring. I use these videos to sleep every night. Drift off pondering about the subject matter. Then go back the next night to make sure I don’t miss anything.
Keep doing what you’re doing please and thank you

[Boneless_Chuck]

In before the folks who practically brag about only using these vids as a cure for insomnia.

[kairi]

first a lemmino video and now a History of the universe upload, WHAT A BLESSING

[marpatnboots]

Another banger of a video, David! This is by far, and away, my favorite channel on any form of media. Please never stop making these videos.

[sakurakinomoto]

Shortly before 20:00 - Amino acids are NOT the building blocks of RNA and DNA, but of proteins.

[themightypen]

I love this channel. Such interesting subject matter and it's presented in a way that even a smooth brain like myself can understand.

[JasonHowdenNZ]

This channel is better than most studio documentaries, tv is dead.

[TheSpaceLibrary]

I've been listening to these entire series. Wonderful work, Folks. Each episode is incredibly well crafted and the narration is absolutely eloquent. Thank you for this!

[foxbutterfly-eden]

Regarding Gobekli Tepe, don’t forget that it may be dated at over 10, 000 years old, but we don’t know how long ago it was actually built. The date we have for it is from carbon dating some material left at the site that long ago, but that doesn’t mean it was built then. The site could potentially be much older.