Thomas Gold's abiogenic hydrocarbons generated by the stars?

icarus · Post by **icarus** » Fri Oct 28, 2011 10:53 am

wow.

http://www.space.com/13401-cosmic-star- ... ounds.html

"A new look at the interstellar dust permeating the universe has revealed hints of organic matter that could be created naturally by stars, scientists say.

Researchers at the University of Hong Kong observed stars at different evolutionary phases and found that they are able to produce complex organic compounds and eject them into space, filling the regions between stars. The compounds are so complex that their chemical structures resemble the makeup of coal and petroleum, the study's lead author Sun Kwok, of the University of Hong Kong, said. "

kcdodd · Post by **kcdodd** » Sat Oct 29, 2011 1:02 am

hehe. space oil.

icarus · Post by **icarus** » Sat Oct 29, 2011 1:47 am

kcdodd wrote:hehe. space oil.

Yeah. Some wit called it "star poop".

Bussard RAM scoop for hydrocarbon rockets?

pbelter · Post by **pbelter** » Sat Oct 29, 2011 2:14 am

Yeah, we discussed it on this forum couple of years back. This picture of the hydrocarbon lake on Titan's pole show how much of the stuff is out there.

http://www.scientificamerican.com/galle ... F36ABC123C

What is really disturbing is that given all the evidence the Malthusian oil peakers keep predicting the scarcity of oil and other resources. According to them for at least 60 years the oil peak is just around the corner, so far new technologies make new resources available, and the greatest limiting factor seem to be legal impediments.

With the new laser drills the Colorado School of Mines is working on, and the overall progress of laser technology, Gold's theory can be put to the test and we will find out if the major oil resources are really located in the mantle.

With technological progress we continue to create resources. Uranium wasn't one 100 years ago.
There are at least 100 billion of stars in our galaxy. There are at least 100 billion galaxies. It will take some time to utilize it all...

krenshala · Post by **krenshala** » Tue Nov 01, 2011 4:04 am

pbelter wrote:There are at least 100 billion of stars in our galaxy. There are at least 100 billion galaxies. It will take some time to utilize it all...

I'm all for us attempting to do so. With proper environmental protection, of course. I like my planetary life-support system just as much as I like my modern technology.

D Tibbets · Post by **D Tibbets** » Thu Nov 03, 2011 1:13 am

pbelter wrote:Yeah, we discussed it on this forum couple of years back. This picture of the hydrocarbon lake on Titan's pole show how much of the stuff is out there.

http://www.scientificamerican.com/galle ... F36ABC123C

What is really disturbing is that given all the evidence the Malthusian oil peakers keep predicting the scarcity of oil and other resources. According to them for at least 60 years the oil peak is just around the corner, so far new technologies make new resources available, and the greatest limiting factor seem to be legal impediments.

With the new laser drills the Colorado School of Mines is working on, and the overall progress of laser technology, Gold's theory can be put to the test and we will find out if the major oil resources are really located in the mantle.

With technological progress we continue to create resources. Uranium wasn't one 100 years ago.
There are at least 100 billion of stars in our galaxy. There are at least 100 billion galaxies. It will take some time to utilize it all...

Two problems with harvesting this 'fuel'. Like any minerable it has to be aviable in sufficient concentrations to warrent harvesting. If it costs more than it is worth then it is useless.
And, while lots of hydrocarbons may have fallen to Earth during it's formation, the Planet was molten and any hydrocarbens would have burnered up. This is why it has been generally accepted that the Earth's oceans were formed from comet ices during the latter phases of Earths formaltion ehen the crust has cooled and solidified.
Admittedly views are changing. and the ethylene lakes on Titan are suggestive.
In any case, there are well excepted huge deposits of fossilized (or primordial) hydrocarbons in the form of methane ices on the floor of the oceans. The problem is harvesting them safely and economically.

Dan Tibbets

D Tibbets · Post by **D Tibbets** » Thu Nov 03, 2011 1:14 am

pbelter wrote:Yeah, we discussed it on this forum couple of years back. This picture of the hydrocarbon lake on Titan's pole show how much of the stuff is out there.

http://www.scientificamerican.com/galle ... F36ABC123C

What is really disturbing is that given all the evidence the Malthusian oil peakers keep predicting the scarcity of oil and other resources. According to them for at least 60 years the oil peak is just around the corner, so far new technologies make new resources available, and the greatest limiting factor seem to be legal impediments.

With the new laser drills the Colorado School of Mines is working on, and the overall progress of laser technology, Gold's theory can be put to the test and we will find out if the major oil resources are really located in the mantle.

With technological progress we continue to create resources. Uranium wasn't one 100 years ago.
There are at least 100 billion of stars in our galaxy. There are at least 100 billion galaxies. It will take some time to utilize it all...

Two problems with harvesting this 'fuel'. Like any mineral it has to be available in sufficient concentrations to warrent harvesting. If it costs more than it is worth then it is useless.
And, while lots of hydrocarbons may have fallen to Earth during it's formation, the Planet was molten and any hydrocarbons would have burnered up. This is why it has been generally accepted that the Earth's oceans were formed from comet ices during the latter phases of Earth's formation when the crust had cooled and solidified.
Admittedly views are changing. and the ethylene lakes on Titan are suggestive.
In any case, there are well accepted huge deposits of fossilized (or primordial) hydrocarbons in the form of methane ices on the floor of the oceans. The problem is harvesting them safely and economically.

Dan Tibbets