weird life

[ispom]

Life elsewhere in the universe (even in the solar system) could be different from life as we know it…
"weird" life -- that is, life with an alternative biochemistry to that of life on Earth

http://www8.nationalacademies.org/onpinews/newsitem.aspx?RecordID=11919

The report also stresses that the future search for alien life should not exclude additional research into terrestrial life.

A very interesting theme.
What do you mean?

fragt Iblis

[bojan]

There were some speculations in the past that silicon (instead of carbon) in principle could form complex molecules, similar to proteins etc... possibly even equivalent to DNA ...
Also, water can be (in principle again) replaced by ammonia.. Life like that would operate at much lower temperatures (and possibly it would have been much slower) than our, carbon based example...
Some animals on Earth are using strange chemicals in their metabolism, like some spiders if I remember correctly, are using manganese instead of iron in what is their equivalent to our hemoglobin.... Also it is known that metabolism could be very strange, like near those volcanic vents in the depths of the Pacific, where animals "feed" on sulfur molecules, and live at elevated temperatures, near 100C
So there are other possibilities for life chemistry, it seems.

[mill]

I have alway's been saying that but nobody would belief me :(

[xelasnave]

When you see that creatures have used these volcanic vents (and there is a slat lake sytem similar) I think that must say we are probably up for some real surprises on other planets.
Who knows we may be lookng for life on Mars but its just "different" .. it may exist many metres below the surface one could expect... it could be under our noses if we put our noses in the right spot.
I think one thing comes from the vents it widens very much opportunities.
alex

[ballaratdragons]

Same as scientists found living organisms in boiling Sulphur Ponds!!!!

That's damn hot and poisonous! Well, for us anyway :confuse3:

[Ric]

There was a quote from a science mag I once read which went along the lines of "no matter what conditions are present, life will always find a way of getting started."

It seems that it is starting to ring true as we discover more about the Universe.

Cheers

[Doug]

What is life? What is the dividing line that says things to the left are not life and things to the right are life forms. I once saw a chemical flower (in a novelty shop) that grew over the space of a day or so. Was this life? I would think not, but still.......
If we consider that there could be unidentifiable life forms 'out there', then why do we not consider or even acknowledge the possibility that they are here thriving under our very noses?
Is life the ability to self replicate? Then what can be said of Mules?
Is life the possession of intelligence? then what can be said of the diatom?

How much more 'life' is a simple diaton than a chemical flower or a salt crystal? Is it the complexity or interdependance of design? by that I mean having compartments within the whole interacting with each other?

Somewhere there must surely be a line; but who can draw it?

[bojan]

To consider something "alive", couple of conditions exist (according to most definitions today)..

1) responding to external stimuli
2) metabolism
2) replication
4) anything else?

Mules are not a good example.. of course they are alive but can not replicate because they do not have a proper set of genes (in other words, they are sick), so they are sort of "end of line".
Crystals are not alive because they do not have metabolism and do not respond to external stimuli, they do grow but this is not metabolism.
Diatomea is vastly more complex system than anything ever created and/or manufactured by humans, and salt crystals, beautiful to our eyes as they are, are actually very simple structures.

[ispom]

Panel Recommends Searching for “Life as We Don’t Know It"

http://www.planetary.org/news/2007/0713_Panel_Recommends_Searching_for _Life_as.html

>>>We know nothing about these extraterrestrial creatures except that some day, somewhere, we are sure to encounter them. But when we do, will we recognize them?<<<

[KenGee]

Mules can reproduce sometimes. Mules in general can't reproduce due to genetic abnormality, But that should not make them not alive would we call a human who can't have kids dead!
If you take it to another level all multicellular life can be seen as simply a well organised colony of single cell life!!!
As for the definition of life then I think we should simply make it this.
Any multi-element chemical that is capable of making a copy of it’s self.:thumbsup:

[ispom]

we know life only as cells, based on compound of carbon, soluted in water…..
right weird life may be very different.
and how?
nobody know,
Haldane said:

The Universe is not only queerer than we imagine; it is queerer than we CAN imagine.