Is this what alien life is like?
September 3rd 2007 02:19
From PhysOrg, August 9, 2007:
"The findings hint at the possibility that life beyond earth may not necessarily use carbon-based molecules as its building blocks. They also point to a possible new explanation for the origin of life on earth.
Life on earth is organic. It is composed of organic molecules, which are simply the compounds of carbon, excluding carbonates and carbon dioxide. The idea that particles of inorganic dust may take on a life of their own is nothing short of alien, going beyond the silicon-based life forms favoured by some science fiction stories.
Now, an international team has discovered that under the right conditions, particles of inorganic dust can become organised into helical structures. These structures can then interact with each other in ways that are usually associated with organic compounds and life itself. "
Continue reading here.
Some people claim that the universe is "fine-tuned" for life (as in, consciously fine-tuned by an intelligent entity, namely God). But how do we know what life must necessarily be like? Could the sorts of discoveries as mentioned above mitigate the notion that carbon-based life is particularly special?
"The findings hint at the possibility that life beyond earth may not necessarily use carbon-based molecules as its building blocks. They also point to a possible new explanation for the origin of life on earth.
Life on earth is organic. It is composed of organic molecules, which are simply the compounds of carbon, excluding carbonates and carbon dioxide. The idea that particles of inorganic dust may take on a life of their own is nothing short of alien, going beyond the silicon-based life forms favoured by some science fiction stories.
Now, an international team has discovered that under the right conditions, particles of inorganic dust can become organised into helical structures. These structures can then interact with each other in ways that are usually associated with organic compounds and life itself. "
Continue reading here.
Some people claim that the universe is "fine-tuned" for life (as in, consciously fine-tuned by an intelligent entity, namely God). But how do we know what life must necessarily be like? Could the sorts of discoveries as mentioned above mitigate the notion that carbon-based life is particularly special?
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