I dunno, ..sounds like fairly intelligent and reasonably qualified people being open to ideas outside the monoistic tendencies of complacent ape-descended hubris to me... we are as yet mostly ignorant of the many "normal" species we obliterate from this planet every Sol-orbit, ..in pursuit of McMansion megalomania.... and liquid crystal display lowest common denominator air-con SUV-Nirvana... in our carbon-captured mindset.
It is estimated that the biomass of 'known' bacteria growing in solid granite down to a many kilometers and only dividing once every hundred years or so outweighs the biomass of everything on the surface.
There is a bit of speculation in this article, but that is the start of investigation.
I happen to agree that the Universe is teeming with life. The first time I saw a whole ecosystem four miles under the ocean relying on volcanic chemical energy rather than the Sun was the clincher!
Something like 30% of your dry weight is resident bacteria. Without these you would perish.
We are all linked to everything else even long dead stars, bits of which you are made from.
Interesting article, Ron. Nothing new or out of the ordinary, though. They've known about extremophiles for years, now. All sorts of bacteria that can live and thrive in extremely hostile situations. Most can't live anywhere else. Our living conditions would kill most. Yet there are creatures which happily live with us that can tolerate these conditions also. I'd even wager that there's silicon based life forms here as well, let alone some of the other things mentioned by Dr Paul Davies.
Quite frankly, we don't even know what life actually really is. How do you define it....a dead organism is still that organism except it's bereft of life. It's more than the complex interaction of chemicals, electrical impulses and such. There's something which gives those chemicals and such organisation, gives them that spark. You can be as reductionist and literalist as you like, but you still have to face the question....what is it that makes and gives things life. So far, they've drawn a blank. They don't know....and won't know until they finally decide to start looking at some of the more "esoteric" sides of nature.
It is estimated that the biomass of 'known' bacteria growing in solid granite down to a many kilometers and only dividing once every hundred years or so outweighs the biomass of everything on the surface.
I agree it is difficult to define 'life'. It does not even need to be self aware.
Anything that is self replicating is to me 'life'. This includes viruses even though they need a host to replicate.
New type of life on earth?
