The first molecule

[Bombadil]

When the universe formed during the Big Bang 13.8 billion years ago, the chemical reactions of the aftermath formed the first molecules. Those first molecules were crucial in helping form everything we know, but they're also absent.

And although HeH+, the helium hydride ion, has been proposed for years as that first molecule, scientists couldn't find any evidence of its existence in space.

Essentially they had a hypothesis but no evidence that hypothesis was true.

"The chemistry of the universe began with HeH+. The lack of definitive evidence of its very existence in interstellar space has been a dilemma for astronomy for a long time," said Rolf Güsten, study author and astronomer at the Max Planck Institute for Radioastronomy, in a statement.

Technically it only occurs in extreme circumstances.

"Despite the unpromising ingredients that are available, a mixture of hydrogen with the unreactive noble gas helium, and a harsh environment at thousands of degrees Celsius, a fragile molecule forms."

Basically you need some hydrogen atoms, some helium atoms, pop them in the oven and then burn them at temperature of more than 100, 000 degrees. Wait til the nebula is ionised and hey presto, you have a molecule..

"The discovery of HeH+ is a dramatic and beautiful demonstration of nature's tendency to form molecules," said David Neufeld, study co-author and professor in the Physics and Astronomy Department at Johns Hopkins University, said in a statement.

Essentially one could argue this was the very first step in evolution, the start of an infinite array of combinations that leads to the complexity of the modern human.

However HeH+ is not a name to excite anyone, so I propose we come up with a better name.. I'm thinking Herbie, the first molecule! A good animated cartoon following the Adventures of Herbie the First Molecule would go a long way to ingraining the fundamentals of science, evolution and a clear understanding of the long journey to where we are, and possibly a greater appreciation and little less arrogance about our planet and relations with each other.

How do we get governments to fund and enforce the phenomenon that will be Herbie, first of his kind?

EDIT: Oh yeah, and a link for the link nazis..

[Grenartia]

Sounds pretty bloggy and there's no link, despite there's something being quoted, apparently.

EDIT: Apparently, I'm a "link nazi".

[Xmara]

Herbie? Meh.

Let's give it a name relating to the fact that it's the first molecule, such as Alpha, Genesis, or Recrudescence.

Or Dave. Yeah, Dave works too.

[Jean-Paul Sartre]

When the universe formed during the Big Bang 13.8 billion years ago, the chemical reactions of the aftermath formed the first molecules. Those first molecules were crucial in helping form everything we know, but they're also absent.

And although HeH+, the helium hydride ion, has been proposed for years as that first molecule, scientists couldn't find any evidence of its existence in space.

Essentially they had a hypothesis but no evidence that hypothesis was true.

"The chemistry of the universe began with HeH+. The lack of definitive evidence of its very existence in interstellar space has been a dilemma for astronomy for a long time," said Rolf Güsten, study author and astronomer at the Max Planck Institute for Radioastronomy, in a statement.

Technically it only occurs in extreme circumstances.

"Despite the unpromising ingredients that are available, a mixture of hydrogen with the unreactive noble gas helium, and a harsh environment at thousands of degrees Celsius, a fragile molecule forms."

Basically you need some hydrogen atoms, some helium atoms, pop them in the oven and then burn them at temperature of more than 100, 000 degrees. Wait til the nebula is ionised and hey presto, you have a molecule..

"The discovery of HeH+ is a dramatic and beautiful demonstration of nature's tendency to form molecules," said David Neufeld, study co-author and professor in the Physics and Astronomy Department at Johns Hopkins University, said in a statement.

Essentially one could argue this was the very first step in evolution, the start of an infinite array of combinations that leads to the complexity of the modern human.

However HeH+ is not a name to excite anyone, so I propose we come up with a better name.. I'm thinking Herbie, the first molecule! A good animated cartoon following the Adventures of Herbie the First Molecule would go a long way to ingraining the fundamentals of science, evolution and a clear understanding of the long journey to where we are, and possibly a greater appreciation and little less arrogance about our planet and relations with each other.

How do we get governments to fund and enforce the phenomenon that will be Herbie, first of his kind?

EDIT: Oh yeah, and a link for the link nazis..

This is especially cool because it confirms the predictions of MO Theory! (I would know; I had a test question on this last semester)

[Bombadil]

Herbie? Meh.

Let's give it a name relating to the fact that it's the first molecule, such as Alpha, Genesis, or Recrudescence.

Or Dave. Yeah, Dave works too.

"I'm sorry Dave, I'm afraid I can't do that"

Sounds pretty bloggy and there's no link, despite there's something being quoted, apparently.

EDIT: Apparently, I'm a "link nazi".

I felt it was cool enough news to note, but certainly struggled to make a talking point out of it.. and created a roundabout way of asking how we better instils science at a young age, and thought taking the youngest building block of our planet was a good starting place.

But bloggy?

This is especially cool because it confirms the predictions of MO Theory! (I would know; I had a test question on this last semester)

This is the sort of thing to send me down a Wiki-hole.