FOIA: Essay on Chemical Evolution

ORIGIN_1.pdf
Chemical Evolution and the Origin of Life
A condendensed version of a presentation given by Cyril Ponnamperuma at the University of Missouri submitted for publication in Journal of Nature.
Document date: 1963-06-03
Department: Exobiology Division, NASA.
Author: Cyril Ponnamperuma
Document type: Condensed version of address
pages: 16


Archivist's Notes: A fairly good quality essay on Chemical Evolution. Essentially an academic essay. Complete text with references.

This document is a scientific study that deals with the Chemical Evolution and the Origin of Life done by Exobiology Division, National Aeronautics and Space Administration at Amos Research Center in Moffett Field, California. The document has been available only for NASA offices and centers.

According to the study the big question is: Does life belong to what we call matter or is it an independent principle inserted into matter at some suitable epoch when the physical conditions became such as to permit the development of life? The report goes on with evaluating the possibility of the Chemical Evolution and stating that in the first stage of this evolution the primeval cloud of hydrogen gas by a series of reaction-implosion, fusion and fission gave rise to the elements of the periodic table around 20 billions years ago. And a long chemical evolution was considered necessary for the origin of life. Three distinct chemical phases of this evolutionary process could be postulated: inorganic, organic chemistry and biological chemistry.

Without going to much into details the study concludes that: 'The new discoveries and developments contribute to the unfolding of a magnificent universe...'

As I said this document is very specific and interesting for the questions that raises regarding the evolution not only on Earth but in other planets and universe it self. What I can't understand is the why this document has been considered classified and only for NASA eyes?

I know that threads with a subject like that are hard to follow. Not everybody is a scientist and not everybody has an interest in chemical evolution, however alot of members are supporters of the theory of evolution and the document above is all about evolution and it implication in a scale way larger than humans and our planet.

Maybe will be easier for ATS members to understand the importance of this document if I try to explain in a simple way what is the Chemical Evolution. Chemical evolution describes a variety of theories that posit the view that life originated through purely chemical transformations of nonliving matter. Starting from primordial simplicity such chemical transformation are supposed eventually to have brought about a living cell. In other words, Chemical Evolution starts by looking at the elements. It goes through the history of their discovery, classification and structure and then goes on to look at their origin and their distribution throughout the universe.

As the theory goes on, the chemical history of the universe began with the generation of simple chemicals in the Big Bang. Hydrogen and helium, the two lightest chemical elements, were and still are the most abundant elements in the universe. All stars derive their energy through the nuclear fusion of these light elements into heavier elements. Once stars have exhausted their energy supply by converting all of their hydrogen to helium, the star cools and contracts, with the increased pressure from the contraction initiating the fusion of helium to form carbon.

See the picture below of a supernova which can give an idea of what the study is dealing with.