Gain Train Central

Today I Learned about Assembly Theory & it’s blowing my mind. Assembly Theory, at its core, is a mathematical way to determine whether something is alive or not. Every molecule has an "assembly index”, basically how many steps it takes to build that compound from scratch. For example, for simple molecules like water? Maybe 2 steps. DNA? Probably hundreds. The creators of this theory, Lee Cronin and Sara Walker, have identified the “magical number” called the complexity threshold above which only living things exist. They found that random chemistry in the universe maxes out at 15 steps. Above 15? You need evolution, selection, memory, in other words, you need life. The Murchison meteorite, 4.6 billion years old and insanely complex, still scored below 15. Biological samples? Above 15. Now Walker wants to use this theory to detect alien life with mass spectrometry. Using Assembly Index, theoretically they would just need to find ANY molecules scoring above 15 in multiple copies to be considered as living. But the deeper implication is that complex molecules are literally compressed time. Your DNA isn't just a molecule, it's a 3.8-billion-year archive of evolutionary problem-solving crystallized into matter with a detailed blueprint of how to create itself. We're not just made of star stuff, we're made of history itself. While this is incredibly interesting, I would be remiss to not note that a fair few scientists find this theory lacking or even controversial, stating the maths are too simplistic to identify life across the board like that. Some say the math is there and on the right track, but not yet complete. What do you think?

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I can’t believe I’ve lived in Southern California my entire life & didn’t know about this. RIP Catalina Island if we don’t do something and soon.

Group 7 let’s talk about this 3I/ATLAS update!!! Y’all have been nonstop messaging me to talk about it, so let’s goooo ☄️

This is the start of some apocalyptic movie I swear…let’s maybe not open Pandora’s box 👀 Spooky Science Series is still going strong on YouTube! Go watch our latest episode to cap off spooky season

Just a reminder that going willingly into caves is OPTIONAL people 😩 Mammoth Cave in Kentucky is supposed to be one of the most haunted places in the US with more than 150 documented paranormal encounters. It’s also the longest cave system in the world with 420 MAPPED miles (that’s only 10% of it) Some of the cave is just a bottomless drop into nothingness. One wrong step… 👋 Today is the official end of Spooky Science Series & we’re ending with a bang with a full YT episode on the Loch Ness Monster & the latest sonar scan that revealed something massive underneath the loch 👀 watch that now on my YT channel!!

It’s FINALLY here!!! Spooky Science Series Grand Finale on YT is live NOW We’re diving deep into the Loch Ness Monster & it’s recent sightings

did I do this right?? The ocean is scary, but lakes are creepy as HECK! Spooky Science Series is almost over and that means we’re capping it off with a Spooky Science Series YT video dropping TOMORROW 10/30 at 10 am PST, so make sure you’re subscribed so you don’t miss out!!

This is Spooky Science with a Capital “S” - Scientists are sounding the alarm about “mirror life” Life on Earth follows a strict molecular “handedness” rule: DNA twists right, proteins use left-handed amino acids. This homochirality is one of biology’s greatest mysteries - and now 38 scientists (including Nobel winners) warn that creating organisms with opposite handedness could be catastrophic. Mirror bacteria would carry molecular “fake IDs” our immune systems can’t read. No natural predators, no existing antibiotics would work. Think ultimate invasive species, but microscopic. The science: While mirror molecules show promise for stable drugs, entire mirror organisms could spread unchecked through ecosystems. Currently impossible to create, but AI advances might make it feasible within a decade. This is preventative science at its best - researchers raising alarms before the technology exists, not after. The mystery of why life chose its molecular handedness remains unsolved, but maybe we’ll crack it without creating new existential risks in the process.

Things are crawling out of the permafrost 👀 The best analogy for the permafrost is it’s a freezer full of organic matter, meat and dead things that we accidentally left WIDE open. Now all that organic matter is slowly melting and coming back to life after 20,000 to 50,000 years If that ain’t spooky enough for ya idk what is. New YT episode Halloween themed drops THIS THURSDAY make sure you’re subscribed to my YT channel with notifications on so you don’t miss it!! 🎃 👻