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| title | chunk | source | category | tags | date_saved | instance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cosmic ray | 8/8 | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cosmic_ray | reference | science, encyclopedia | 2026-05-05T13:32:02.154183+00:00 | kb-cron |
=== Potential role in biological evolution === Cosmic rays, as a form of ionizing radiation, can, in principle, interact with biomolecules. A minority of researchers have speculated that long‑term or episodic variations in cosmic‑ray flux — for example following nearby supernovae or changes in heliospheric or geomagnetic shielding — could have influenced evolutionary processes on Earth. High‑energy primary particles and their secondary cascades can produce ionisation and chemical damage that increases background mutation rates in exposed organisms. Cosmic‑ray–driven changes in atmospheric chemistry (for example, ozone depletion with consequent increases in surface ultraviolet flux) could alter selection pressures and ecological conditions. A small body of theoretical work has also proposed that magnetically influenced or spin-polarized radiation might bias the formation or destruction rates of chiral molecules; this idea is usually discussed in origin‑of‑life or homochirality contexts rather than as a primary driver of later macroevolution. Direct empirical evidence linking variations in cosmic‑ray flux to macroevolutionary patterns is limited. Laboratory and modelling studies show that ionizing radiation can cause molecular damage and mutations, and astrophysical and geochemical work documents episodes of enhanced cosmic radiation, but robust, multidisciplinary demonstrations (e.g., temporally correlated geochemical markers and biological signals with clear causal chains) are lacking. Most recent reviews treat cosmic‑ray‑driven evolution as a plausible but unproven set of hypotheses.
== Research and experiments ==
There are a number of cosmic-ray research initiatives, listed below.
=== Ground-based ===
=== Satellite ===
=== Balloon-borne ===
== See also ==
== References ==
== Further references ==
== External links ==
Aspera European network portal BBC news, Cosmic rays find uranium, 2003. Introduction to Cosmic Ray Showers by Konrad Bernlöhr.