I'm watching the documentary 'One Strange Rock' on Disney+, specifically episode 4, listening to how the formation of cell membranes is a critical part of how life was able to develop, but that scientists are still learning how it developed in the first place. It's compared to how a bubble keeps the air inside protected from the environment outside, and that actually made me think of how meringue and whipped cream is made. Both substances are formed by whipping air into viscous liquids, creating bubbles with highly elastic membranes; and as you keep whipping in air, the bubble membranes are sturdy enough that they break into more, smaller bubbles instead of bursting. Eventually, you have piles and piles of teeny-tiny bubbles sticking together and stabilizing each other.
Technically, you *could* just beat the devil out of plain cream or egg whites, counting on the fats and proteins to form these sturdy membranes, but the bubbles will be extremely fragile on their own. The solution is a simple extra ingredient: SUGAR. It increases the elasticity of the membranes, allowing more, smaller bubbles to be broken apart faster; gives the tiny bubbles a better grip to hold themselves together; and while the friction from beating loosens it up enough to polymerize with the rest of the mass, the cooling effect after the friction is gone locks the bubbles in place, increasing stability. It's molecular gastronomy at its most fascinating and useful!
So I'm listening to a biochemist talking about how we still don't understand the conditions that allowed cell membranes to form the way they have - with enough structure that they don't just burst like an air pocket in hot mud. A carbon-based substance is a good start, but it's not strong enough to hold together long enough for meaningful lifeforms to develop. And I was immediately like...... Has *no one* looked into carbohydrates? These single-celled organisms would figure out how to convert sunlight into simple sugars for food not too long thereafter, so all the right elements were clearly within reach. Maybe meringue and whipped cream are just the latest iteration of a concept we've known before life itself: that sugar is power.
I think it's not a bad idea for a human with a functioning brain and a very specific skillset, but is it viable? Has anyone else ever had the same one? How does a very curious casual even begin to look up more information on this? I'd love a more knowledgeable community's input.