You could call the two linked aluminium containers in Mike Russell's lab the biological equivalent of a particle accelerator. But rather than simulating the birth of the Universe, he hopes that this apparatus will recreate the first moments of life on Earth, and give experimental support to his ideas about how geology begat biology. Alternatively, you could call it a machine for making 4-billion-year-old waste.rnOne of the containers holds a liquid that mimics the oceans of the early Earth. The water is rich in carbon dioxide and iron, has a pH of 5.5 and is held at room temperature. The other container is heated to 130 ℃, and its water is laden with hydrogen and sulphide.
展开▼
