Solar activity has long been considered a possible contributor to the origin of life on Earth, with researchers at NASA weighing in on the idea.
To understand how life began, scientists pursue explanations for how amino acids—the essential building blocks of proteins and all cellular organisms—were first formed. In mid-20th century experiments, researchers simulated an ancient Earth environment using a so‑called primordial soup: a model of early oceans, atmosphere, and electrical discharges. Since those early studies, science has learned that Earth’s atmosphere contained far less ammonia and methane than once thought. Instead, abundant carbon dioxide and molecular nitrogen required more energy to drive chemical reactions. Although these gases can yield amino acids, the amounts produced under those conditions are comparatively modest.
More recently, Vladimir Hayrapetyan and his team conducted laboratory tests showing that the Sun’s energy could drive the chemical reactions needed to assemble life’s precursors. They prepared gas mixtures that reflected early atmospheric composition, combining carbon dioxide, molecular nitrogen, and water, while varying small amounts of methane. The precise share of methane in ancient air remains uncertain, but researchers suspect it was fairly low. The experiments used two energy sources to mimic natural processes: streams of protons resembling solar wind particles to irradiate the gas mixtures, and electrical sparks to simulate lightning discharges.
In one setup, when the methane content exceeded 0.5 percent and the gas mixture was hit with proton irradiation, amino acids and related carboxylic acids began to form in the experimental vessel. When using spark discharges to achieve similar chemistry, the methane level had to be raised to about 15 percent, a quantity regarded as exceptionally high for early Earth conditions. These results hint that a young and active Sun could plausibly have supplied the energy needed for the chemical pathways that eventually led to life.
Taken together, the findings offer a narrative in which solar radiation helps push early atmospheric chemistry toward the outcomes required for biomolecule formation. They complement a broader line of inquiry that seeks to map the sequence of events—from simple inorganic compounds to the complex organic molecules that underpin living systems. The work also underscores how subtle shifts in atmospheric composition, energy input, and environmental context could steer chemical networks toward different products, ultimately shaping the likelihood of life arising in a given planetary setting.
The final note remains terse: ancient scientists described a new type of activity observed in the brain of a dying person.