Sydney Scientists Recreate Cosmic Dust to Probe Life’s Origins

Researchers say cosmic dust may explain how life began on Earth.
Much of this dust burns up as it enters the atmosphere.
Scientists study surviving meteorites for clues about the early universe.
At the University of Sydney, Linda Losurdo recreated cosmic dust in a laboratory.
She simulated dying stars by energising gases inside a near-vacuum tube.
The process produced dust rich in carbon-based organic compounds.
These compounds form the chemical building blocks of life.
Scientists debate whether such materials formed on Earth or arrived from space.
The work may reveal how meteorites gained their organic matter.
The study appears in the Astrophysical Journal published by the American Astronomical Society.