Great Country Academician

Jinling, Xinghai Research Institute.

Phased research has been completed on samples collected from the lunar south pole caves.

In the office, Academician Rong Jiayu of the Jinling Institute of Geology and Palaeontology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences rushed over with the research results in person, together with the team leaders of two other university research institutions.

On the one hand, it is a legitimate report on the results of research work.

After all, nominally, these moon rock samples belong to the Xinghai Research Institute, and they are just cooperating with each other to study them.

On the other hand, I took the opportunity to come over and get to know the famous academician Xu in China.

Research on paleontology and geology has little connection with Xu Chuan's work and research. In the past, even if they wanted to get to know each other, there was no way.

Xu Chuan was not surprised at all. He greeted the three of them with a smile, said hello and made a pot of tea.

Taking over the research report from Academician Rong Jiayu these days, he smiled and said: "I have troubled you very much in the analysis of lunar rock samples."

Academician Rong Jiayu smiled and said: "You're too polite. It's no trouble to talk about it. Others are eager to do this kind of research work. When the news gets out, everyone has to rush for it."

"On the contrary, we would like to thank you for giving us this opportunity."

After a few pleasantries, Xu Chuan got to the point and said, "I have heard about the research results. Judging from this phased result, it is very likely that it is a fossil of extraterrestrial life?"

Academician Rong Jiayu nodded and said: "Yes, for this rock sample, we have conducted characteristic observations, physical and chemical tests on the chemical composition and structure of the fossils, and conducted experiments with similar fossil specimens and paleontology on the earth. Carbon-14 isotope determination and other methods have been used to conduct research, comparison and identification.”

"Judging from the current analysis results, there is more than 99% possibility that the special structures on the lunar rock samples are two different life forms."

"The first is a single-celled organism similar to ancient bacteria."

"Combining the lunar environment and the investigation data of the cave where the sample was found, we made a bold judgment about this life. There is more than 92% possibility that it is an anaerobic bacteria, which may use sulfur compounds as a source of life. food."

"The second type is multicellular life with a special porous structure similar to the glass sponge on Earth."

"Through the analysis of the special structure of its fossil, we confirmed that the outer wall of this life form, possibly the cell wall as a whole, exhibits a silicon sulfide structure."

"Although it is not ruled out that it is a sulfur-based life form or a silicon-based life form, on the whole, we think it is a carbon-based life form similar to a glass sponge."

"That is, the outer cell wall is constructed of silicon sulfide, but the core inside is still a carbon-based structure."

"Of course, it cannot be ruled out that these two life forms are sulfur-based life forms that are completely different from the carbon-based life forms on Earth."

"pity."

Speaking of this, the excited expression on Academician Rong Jiayu's face was tinged with regret and gloom.

"Unfortunately, these samples are all fossils. We have no way of knowing how these extraterrestrial beings moved, ate, and reproduced 1.8 billion years ago."

For paleontologists, the biggest regret is that almost none of the things they study can appear as vividly as the life that normal biologists study.

Most of the time, paleontologists study fossils. Moreover, fossils usually contain two types of cast fossils and trace fossils with less information.

Physical fossils and chemical fossils, which contain more information, are usually very rare.

Because both of them have very strict requirements on the environmental conditions for preservation.

The former physical fossils, as the name suggests, are the remains of ancient organisms. Preservation requires a special environment.

For example, it can isolate air oxidation, prevent bacterial corrosion, adapt to temperature and humidity, etc.

The latter refers to the biological information preserved in the remains such as proteins and fats.

In most fossils, proteins and fats have long been decomposed over a long period of time.

For example, the fossil samples discovered in the lunar south pole cave this time are mold fossils and some chemical fossils.

The reason is partly due to the special porous structure of multicellular life found in the sample.

The surface legacy products of this kind of fossil sample can be detected and observed in detail through equipment such as gas chromatography-mass spectrometer, gas chromatography-thermal conversion-same-mantissa mass spectrometer, etc.

If planning is required, it can be divided into chemical fossil sample materials.

However, compared to the overall cast fossils, the number of these chemical fossils is too rare.

A total of seven samples were transported from the lunar scientific research base, and among these seven, only two fossil samples have porous special structures and multi-cellular life.

And among these two pieces, not every piece retains part of its chemical structure.

Only one fossil sample showing a cluster of porous life has reference value.

So he was very sorry for these things.

Not being able to know the difference between extraterrestrial life and life on earth is simply the most painful thing for a scholar who studies biology.

Xu Chuan nodded and said curiously: "Speaking of which, I'm a little curious about how you judge these things? Especially whether the structures in the samples are really fossils formed by life."

"Fossil samples found on the earth can be compared, but this is the first time on the moon. How did you determine that they are biological fossils?"

After he finished speaking, he thought of something again and added: "Of course, I'm not questioning your expertise, I'm just curious about identifying these things."

Academician Rong Jiayu smiled and said: "It doesn't matter."

After a slight pause, he continued: "Actually, we don't dare to say for certain whether the structures on these lunar rock samples are indeed fossils formed by organisms."

"It's just that judging from the various data and comparisons we have observed so far, the possibility of it being life is extremely high."

"What makes us boldly make this conjecture is the special phenomenon we found in a very small number of chemical fossil samples."

Hearing this, Xu Chuan showed an interested look on his face and asked: "What is the phenomenon?"

"Symbiosis!"

"Symbiosis?"

Academician Rong Jiayu took a deep breath, with an excited look on his face, and said: "Of course, it is not necessarily symbiosis, it may be parasitism, or even a relationship such as a common life form."

"It is currently difficult to judge from a small number of fossil samples what their relationship was when they were alive."

"After all, fossils leave too little information."

"But with the help of equipment such as gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and gas chromatography-thermal conversion-same mantissa mass spectrometer, we found that these sample materials are rich in a substance that is almost difficult to form naturally in nature."

"It is a new type of sulfide crystal that has never been discovered by humans. Its chemical formula is based on the thiol functional group (-SH) of thiol."

"This new type of sulfide fine crystals is highly abundant around multi-cellular life with a special porous structure in the sample, and then decreases outward."

"And we have detected high sulfur levels in the first single-celled organisms similar to ancient bacteria."

"This content is not average in all samples. Judging from the elemental analysis results, some are high and some are low. At the same time, these single-celled organisms of ancient bacteria almost exclusively gather near higher concentrations of sulfide crystals."

Hearing this, Xu Chuan's expression changed and he said: "This means that this new type of sulfide crystal is produced by the second multi-cellular glass sponge life with a porous structure, and another single-cell life similar to ancient bacteria is Feeding on this new type of sulfide crystal."

Academician Rong Jiayu nodded and said, "Yes, this is the greatest theoretical possibility."

"And judging from these rock samples, it is difficult for nature to generate such highly complex structures with special laws."

"So overall, the likelihood that these samples contain fossils of ancient life forms is raised to a very high level."

"It's a pity that we won't be able to live to see how these extraterrestrial life survive and evolve."

Sighing with some regret, the lonely look on Rong Jiayu's face quickly dissipated and was replaced by excitement.

He quickly said: "Academician Xu, I would like to apply for an on-site inspection in the XY·HH091 cave in the lunar South Pole!"

Although they observed the general structure of these two types of extraterrestrial life through lunar rock samples, the details that could be observed from the fossils and the inferences that could be made were far from enough.

If possible, he would like to personally go to the caves at the south pole of the moon to conduct on-the-spot investigation and exploration of the local geological environment.

After all, this may be the first discovery of extraterrestrial life in human history, and its significance and importance are extraordinary.

Xu Chuan looked at the old academician of the Jinling Institute of Geology and Paleontology, then said with a smile: "I said it doesn't count. You have to go to the space agency."

Judging from his appearance, Academician Rong should be in his seventies.

Although their current aerospace technology has reduced the physical requirements of astronauts a lot, it is so low that an ordinary person can fly into space without special training.

But that doesn’t mean the same goes for older people.

After all, the low gravity environment in space may induce various basic diseases for such elderly people.

Although he admired the academic pursuit of this old academician, Xu Chuan could not agree to this kind of thing. He could only leave it to the space agency and let the space agency be the 'evil man'.

After all, in theory, any passenger who needs to take the space shuttle to space and the moon needs to be approved by the Xinghai Research Institute and the space agency.

PS: There is another chapter in the evening, it should be before 12 o'clock, please vote for me.