Word: vapor
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...atmosphere of a pre-life planet, Urey believes, is not like the earth's. It is highly "reducing": i.e., it contains large amounts of methane, ammonia, water vapor and similar compounds, but no free oxygen. The atmospheres of Jupiter and Saturn are believed to be like this. As millions of years pass, the sun's light causes chemical reactions among the atmospheric gases. Larger molecules begin to form (e.g., aldehydes, amines, organic acids), and they rain down into the oceans below. There they react with one another and with dissolved salts. All possible chemical compounds are formed eventually...
...Urey has no tangible proof of this theory. But he is hopeful of two investigations now in progress. One, conducted by one of his students at the University of Chicago, is to expose a synthetic reducing atmosphere of methane, ammonia and water vapor to ultraviolet rays If organic compounds are formed, it will be proof that they could be formed in the atmosphere of a pre-life planet...
...materializing out of nothing, which grew larger and brighter until it appeared as if no dark glasses were there at all. An intense heat struck us almost immediately and the ball of fire started to rise and slowly lose its intensity. We took off our glasses and saw water vapor suddenly form around the column...
...followed by several seconds of dull rumbling. Then the mushroom expanded into a free halo, growing with tornado-like speed and reaching nearly over our ship before it appeared to cease growing. Then it appeared to connect itself to the main column by a web of filmy vapor. Typical comment from the oldtimers: 'Holy cow. That sure makes the A-bomb a runt...
Some of the earthbound scenes of Breaking Through seem to be slick, low-altitude drama. But the picture's breathtaking aerial shots capture much of the excitement and exaltation of flight in dazzling imagery: long shots of sleek, gleaming jets climbing and diving in magnificent, vapor-trailed trajectory or hanging suspended in space among the high, pale palaces of slow cloud; head-on close-ups of test pilots in G-suits and goggles, framed in a halo of Plexiglas...