Interesting perspectives here folks - thank you all. Got me thinking (heaps).
Don’t get me wrong here, I’m comfortable with the standard ‘pillars’ of physics, biology, etc, but I’m also addicted to exploring possibilities that exist in between, especially in speculative conversations and topics. The ‘possibilities of exo-life’ topic is always speculative. I’m comfortable with both optimistic and pessimistic perspectives - both are equally valid, until exo-life is discovered, and the only way we’ll ever do that, is by going and looking for it.
That being said, I guess I’m left wondering about all of the factors that need to be considered following the confirmation of an exo-planet classified as being within the ‘Habitable Zone’.
From our earthly experience, liquid water would be crucial in order for life, (
as we know it), to exist. (Life as we
don’t know it, could also exist, but I don’t know how we’d recognise it).
So, I’m then left wondering what can be said about exo-environments possessing liquid water, but not exhibiting life.
I can envisage such environments, but I’m just pondering how can we ever conceive of the possibility of the frequency of occurrence of these, given our own earthly perspectives ? Can we get a perspective on how limiting (or otherwise), our earthly views may be, in the hunt for life within our observable universe ?
(Just a mind exercise - I’m not pushing any particular agenda .. just pondering the effects our thinking limits may impose on the resultant view).
For example. ‘Evolution’ is always accompanied by ‘Natural Selection’. Is there an environment we can think of where Natural Selection could actually extinguish the progress of evolution towards abundant life ? (It would have to be cyclical .. ). How precarious is the balance ? (Remember the ‘butterfly effect’). How much do we know about the dependencies which may result in unsuccessful life ? Are we considering these aspects in our optimistic views on exo-life ? If so, what are the dependencies ? (I’m not sure I’ve ever thought about them .. so I have no idea of what they might be).
Just a thought exercise based on what we know about Physics, Biology and water .. and yes .. it
is purely speculative, (so no -one has to be right .. and no-one has to be wrong.
Cheers & Rgds.