So, uh, hey, we may have just found a key puzzle piece in the riddle of how life came to Earth. No biggie.
Scientists using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array have found molecules of glycolaldehyde floating around a sun-like star. Glycolaldehyde, as you of course already know, is the simplest sugar molecule, and one of the key parts of RNA.
These sugar molecules are essentially in the right place and the right time, not to mention traveling in the right direction, to stick to new planets forming around this Sun-like star.
The question now becomes… how complex can these sugars get before they start raining down on planets like sweetener in your morning coffee? And will they actually do so?
Either way, it’s a compelling result and if nothing else, at least when we explore the deep reaches of space, we’ll have something to make cookies with.