Evolution is quite
a complicated thing. On the one side it should be quick if in 5 millon
years pre-monkeys had to become humans, on the other side it shouldn't be
too fast because it would create monsters, which in the second generation
would not be able to communicate with their grandparents. It is reasonable,
that the evolution sometimes speeds
up, sometimes slows down. It is possible that cosmic rays incoming to the Earth
in higher bursts, from time to time, suddenly accelerate the evolution.
Problem is, that such rays - fast protons, electrons and
gamma rays, can made a lot of damage, destroying delicate structure of
DNA (in that way cancer radiotherapy
works). And we are seeking not for a reason of someones death, but of his
change - it means a mutation. Recently, it has been found that probably such
mutations can be caused not by fast beta or gamma rays but by innocent slow electrons.
Complicated measurements of the slow
electrons collisions with DNA molecules [Science, 3 March 2000,
nr. 287 str. 1658] showed, that these small "amberlets" cut genes
like a sharp scissors. It is done in intelligent way: electron attaches himself to the DNA molecule
in a selected place and there breaks it without damaging other parts. Loose
ends of DNA chain can be regrouped connecting with other ones creating new
DNA, still "alive" but different one. A mutation!
Are slow electrons and dissociative attachment process to DNA capable to influence the Evolution?
So far (20.09.2003)
it is only a hypothesis...