Cosmic 'Booze' Created In Quantum Brewery 52
astroengine writes "The intense cold of interstellar space shouldn't be conducive to chemical reactions between methanol and hydroxyl radicals — two molecules that are known to exist in stellar nurseries and cold interstellar clouds — and yet the product of this reaction, methoxy radicals, are found in abundance throughout the universe. What is creating them? In a paper published in the journal Nature Chemistry (abstract), Dwayne Heard and colleagues from the University of Leeds think that interstellar alcohol is undergoing a destruction mechanism facilitated by a weird quantum effect known as tunneling. On encountering hydroxyl radicals, methanol molecules should be repelled by the electrostatic force. But at very low temperatures, when both chemicals are mixed in a cold gaseous state, quantum tunneling becomes extremely efficient at allowing chemical reactions to occur. The researchers write: 'at temperatures relevant to the interstellar medium, almost every collision between methanol and OH (hydroxyl) would result in a successful reaction to form CH3O (methoxy).' What's more, they find that the reaction rate is 50 times higher in the cold interstellar environment than it is at room temperature. 'If our results continue to show a similar increase in the reaction rate at very cold temperatures, then scientists have been severely underestimating the rates of formation and destruction of complex molecules, such as alcohols, in space,' said Heard."
Cold chemistry ? (Score:5, Insightful)
This finding could led to the development of a new phase in chemistry - very low temperature chemistry
We are led to believe that chemicals get to mix better when temperatures are applied, but from what I read from TFA, that quantum tunneling process, if we can harness it, could save us a lot of energy in the many laboratories / factories all around the world
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It isn't just the potential energy savings. It may offer ways to build compounds that aren't feasible to create today since part or all of it may decompose at higher temperatures. I think that is quite interesting. Of course the energy savings could be important in some specialized applications such as synthesis of compounds on space missions, undersea, a few other things I can think of, etc. Depending on the range of reaction temperatures, there may be some very curious possible interactions between ch
Re:Cold chemistry ? (Score:5, Interesting)
This finding could led to the development of a new phase in chemistry - very low temperature chemistry
We are led to believe that chemicals get to mix better when temperatures are applied, but from what I read from TFA, that quantum tunneling process, if we can harness it, could save us a lot of energy in the many laboratories / factories all around the world
I suspect that the degree to which heat-pumping to achieve very, very, low temperatures is a pain in the ass(and quite energy intensive) compared to conventional resistive or combustion heating will limit the economy of using it as a replacement for existing high-temperature processes; but there are probably a lot of interesting products that won't form in useful amounts at modest temperature; but won't survive high temperatures. Those could be very promising candidates...
Re:Cold chemistry ? (Score:5, Insightful)
I suspect that the degree to which heat-pumping to achieve very, very, low temperatures is a pain in the ass(and quite energy intensive) compared to conventional resistive or combustion heating will limit the economy of using it as a replacement for existing high-temperature processes;
Right up until we start doing it in orbit. Put a mirror in front of a thing and paint it black...
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Don't you mean paint it white?
Otherwise, it will absorb heat instead of reflect it.
Are you trolling, or did you fail to read the part about the mirror before replying?
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Don't you mean paint it white? Otherwise, it will absorb heat instead of reflect it.
No, black. As well as absorbing energy better, black surfaces also emit energy better. That's actually why the SR-71 Blackbird is black, because the black paint helps it to cool faster.
The GP mentioned putting a mirror in front of it to block incoming radiant energy, and the black paint would help it radiate.
headache... (Score:5, Insightful)
Alcohol in space? No news! (Score:3)
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This is methanol. You're allowed to drink it if you want.
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So might even RNA/DNA or other kinds of self-reproducing molecules be created that way?
If true, that might have big implications for the Panspermia hypothesis.
Amino acids are found in deep space. IIRC Wikipedia has a list of all the molecules that have been found.
Re:More complex molecules? (Score:5, Informative)
http://www.kurzweilai.net/dna-and-amino-acid-precursor-molecules-discovered-in-interstellar-space [kurzweilai.net]
To be exact, 'precusor' molecules were found so far. They have like half of complexity of what we are talking about, which makes it quite probable that amino acids are out there.
But there is a far way from single particle of adenine to DNA chain. (a lot, lot further than from single atoms flying in space to group of 7or so atoms in adenine). And then there is a mystery of DNA/RNA replicating with help of cellular structures which themselves are encoded in DNA...
It is a bit like throwing a CD with cd-ripper program on top of pile of pure silicon wafers, hoping that somehow they will turn into PC with CD drive, read the program and start copying the CD around.
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Nah. You're getting too complicated.
God is a lush, that's all. Makes sense.
Yep. (Score:1)
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The next question, could this be used as a fuel for long term space travel? Or even just harvested?
Fortunately for anybody planning on travelling at nontrivial fractions of c, less fortunately for anybody planning on gathering fuel, there just isn't much 'there' there [wikipedia.org]. Some denser regions; but plenty of space with less than an atom per cubic centimeter.
Booze? (Score:5, Insightful)
I'm pretty sure you don't want to use methanol for booze.
Re:Booze? (Score:5, Informative)
./ editors have a special liver that can process it.
If memory serves, the trick to avoiding ill effects with methanol is to not process it. Methanol itself isn't that nasty, with initial effects approximately equivalent to the same amount of ethanol(so you can drink yourself to death; but it takes some work); but you metabolize it into delicious formic acid, which proceeds to do you no good at all. If you can avoid metabolizing it, you'll excrete it reasonably quickly without substantial further harm.
Fomepizole is the fancy, expensive, science-tastic alcohol dehydrogenase competitive inhibitor; Ethanol is the more common and well loved one.
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So, what'll it be? For $1000 we can give you an IV or we can keep you drunk on top shelf vodka for a fraction of that.
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I don't know if Fomepizole is superior on some respects to ethanol(lower toxicity, say, allowing you to saturate the patient more heavily); but that's my impression of why it isn't more popular. Now, as any number of contaminated-rotgut-itis demonstrate, just mixing some ethanol with your methanol isn't necessarily good enough to save you; but it apparently can be done correctly.
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I think the problem with the rotgut is that the ethanol clears your system before the methanol is gone.
To the best of my armchair physician knowledge (I am not a doctor nor do I play one on TV) the onl;y advantage is that it doesn't make you drunk.
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> I think the problem with the rotgut is that the ethanol clears your system before the methanol is gone.
I don't think there is that much methanol in rotgut.
I did some looking into distilling a while back. Fermented liquid contains a number of chemicals, including entirely other alcohols, mostly in small enough quantities to not be worth talking about. However, when distilling, these tend to be concentrated. The main difference between "rot gut" and the good stuff is in how well controlled that process i
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I don't know if Fomepizole is superior on some respects to ethanol(lower toxicity, say, allowing you to saturate the patient more heavily); but that's my impression of why it isn't more popular.
I can think of another reason something called "foam pizzle" wouldn't be a popular drink.
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./ editors have a special liver that can process it.
no they don't.. they don't just care about being blind since they don't read the submissions anyways.
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Cheap way to get drunk? (Score:1)
This one's on me.... (Score:2)
I'm not drunk! (Score:2)
I'm exploring the galaxy.
News for Luddites? (Score:2)
weird quantum effect known as tunneling
Is this news for nerds, or news for Luddites? If you think tunneling is "weird" instead of just "fact of life", you don't belong here in /.
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Pretty sure something can be considered 'weird' and still a 'fact of life'.
It's weird because its not something you would expect to be true, on a scale we normally work with such a thing is impossible.
Seems like the only one who doesn't belong here in slashdot, is you.
And on the 7th day.. (Score:2)
..God rested. And, obviously wanted a cold one, just like those made in His image.
Q.E.D. the universe is laced with booze.
Any other questions Intelligent Design can answer for you?
Thnxbyeseeya.