four billion years ago, the Moon orbited much closer to the Earth than it does now, causing massive tides to flow every few hours. These tides could have led to the evolution of early dna-like molecules. Richard Lathe of the uk-based organisation Pieta Research has recently propounded this hypothesis in the journal Icarus (Vol 168, No 1, March 2004). His premise could radically change the notions about life's genesis.

According to a popular theory for the origin of life, self-replicating molecules such as dna emerged when small precursor molecules in the