NASA: National Aeronautics and Space Administration

  1. Special Note


    Ask an Astrobiologist has received more than 2500 questions about Nibiru and 2012, with more than 200 answers posted. Please read a summary of the answers that have already been posted, view a video on these topics, use the search feature and read the FAQ’s before submitting questions on these topics.

  1. Question

    What was the reason for Urey & Miller's experiment?

    The Miller-Urey experiment was a clever way to obtain laboratory data on the synthesis of organic compounds in natural systems. In particular, they tested the hypothesis that complex organics could be formed in an environment that was similar to that of the early Earth, as they understood it at the time. You can find several comments on the significance of the Miller-Urey experiment in reply to other questions posted on "Ask an Astrobiologist".

    David Morrison
    NAI Senior Scientist

    February 20, 2004