Gifts from above?

[FLO]

I was wondering: Have we ever obtained or discovered something from space - chemical, mineral, whatever - that is not already here?

[GordonCopestake]

I think all the elements that are in space are present here on the earth, the only difference is the quantities. For example the iridium layer from the astroid that supposedly wiped out the dinosaurs, common in space, rare here on the earth as far as im aware. Also Helium 3, very rare on earth, but the moon is full of it apparently.

[Darron]

A fundermental question for the beginning of life, perhaps?

Darron

[Mike Godfrey]

Greetings guys,

If memory serves me right..the Buckminsterfullerene discovered recently in 1985 by Robert Curl, Harold Kroto and Richard Smalley were also seen in space

Check out http://www.uwnews.org/article.asp?articleID=3131.

So the answer is still 'No' to Steves question.

Heres to cloudless skies :occasion5: javascript:void(0);

Mike

[Naz]

Buckminsterfullerene

Sorry Mike, I read your reply, and had a senior moment, wondered what the heck "Buckfast" had do with answer, then I reread your post and all became clear. hic!

naz

[Mike Godfrey]

Hi Naz,

there could be a Buckfast fullerene out there somewhere?

cheers,

Mike

[FLO]

Very interesting article Mike

Particularly the part where it says:

While the findings illustrate that impact with large space bodies can be detrimental to life on Earth, Becker noted that there also is evidence they might have been key to life starting here in the first place. Some scientists believe the first life-forming chemicals were deposited on Earth in collisions with comets or asteroids, and some believe comets carried virtually all of the water that exists on the planet today

[The Warthog]

I don't know if this counts, but helium was discovered on the sun, by spectroscopy, before it was discovered on Earth.