Quote:
Originally Posted by renormalised
Basically, if it can survive and flourish in these sorts of conditions here, then the chances of finding it elsewhere go up dramatically.
|
Only if you
assume it likely that it has migrated, or been transplanted to a similar exo-environment, in the past. Ie: assume it has been transported, survived, and then it adapted in that exo-environment.
Finding it in such locations on Earth, says nothing about its
emergence in those environments, so the assertion that the chances of finding it in exo-environments has 'gone up dramatically', is critically dependent on major assumptions about a
lot of unknown variables.
(I notice you didn't mention exo-environments in your words above, also .. but that is what we're talking about, no ?).
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by renormalised
And what is life, anyway. We tend to think in such narrow terms that it's most likely the case we miss most of the stuff. In actuality, we really don't know what it is that makes things live. For all our probing of the biochemistry, biology and physics of living systems, we haven't a clue as to what life is or represents. We barely even understand how many of the physical systems we've studied, work.
|
We have only one definition of life(s) derived from that which exists on Earth.
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by renormalised
You can argue till the cows come home about the chances and non chances of life's occurrence in the Universe and make the statistics for its occurrence say anything you want. But if you were to argue that we are it,
|
.. which I'm not ..
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by renormalised
then there are several things that can be said about this. The scientists are deluding themselves and the Church and other wackos have it right, humanity is seriously out of kilter so far as our mental stability is concerned and what would be the point in even bothering to study science, especially astronomy and such. If the rest of the Universe was that hostile to life, even thinking about the deliberate (or otherwise) panspermia of Earth organisms would be an utter waste of time.
Arguing against the possibility of extraterrestrial life just because we haven't found any and only know of one example of life in the Universe is so literal, myopic and narrowminded it's breathtaking in its hubris. We've hardly begun science and yet we think we know it all.
|
I'm not arguing this … and I find the linkages connecting your above points, involve quantum leaps, opinions, judgements and assumptions.
Cheers