Sydney Scientists Recreate Cosmic Dust to Probe Origins of Life

Researchers at the University of Sydney have recreated cosmic dust in a laboratory to study life’s origins.
PhD researcher Linda Losurdo produced the dust by simulating conditions around dying stars.
Cosmic dust contains organic molecules that form the building blocks of life.
Scientists debate whether these molecules formed on Earth or arrived via meteorites.
The experiment used plasma created by high voltage inside a vacuum tube.
Researchers matched the dust’s infrared signature to real cosmic samples.
The work could explain how meteorites acquired organic material.
The study appeared in the Astrophysical Journal.