Hello everyone
This week topic is life. Life in general. In my presentation I will cover informations
about some unique terrestrial lifeforms; major developments and theories in search for
extraterrestrial life; and in last part we move to mars.
So, what is life?
According to wikipedia „life is characteristic that distinguishes objects that have signaling and self-sustaing processes (biology) from those that do not.” It seems pretty straightforward and simple. There is no strict definition of life, but we can assume that this one is sufficient. However there are few more proposed definitions of life:
Living things are systems that tend to respond to changes in their environment, and inside themselves, in such a way as to promote their own continuation.
Life is a self-sustained chemical system capable of undergoing Darwinian evolution.
Things with the capacity for metabolism and motion.
Things with the capacity for reproduction and passing information.
and so on.
Life as we don't know it.
When we think about living organism, we naturally assume that there must be a specific set of conditions for life to survive, i.e. water, proper temperature and some sources of energy. We all know that there is no life on Wenus due to its deadly environment – for example high levels of radiation exposure. However, there are microorganism called extremophiles capable to survive in most bizarre Earth regions. Extremophiles has adapted to withstand such extremities as freezing, starvation, very high temperatures, complete desiccation and many more. Understanding how these organism can survive such conditions is crucial for the search for extraterrestrial life.
List of extremophiles is long, but I will mention my favorite ones
Hyperthermophile - can thrive at temperatures between 80 – 122 C; thermophile lives at temperatures between 60-80 C.
Xerophile – an organism that can grow in extremely dry environment
Piezophile – an organism that lives optimally at high pressure i.e. deep subsurface or oceanic trenches.
Polyextremohile – an organism that qualifies as an extremophile under more than one category
Example of extremophile:
So, according to the information above, do you think that we may find extraterrestrial in the near future?
If yes, try to guess where (Mars, Europa (moon), Earth, other)?
I think that the biggest chance to find any forms of life is in the most explored place. We still don't know much about nearest planets so I suppose we know even less on the further ones or their moons. My guess is Mars, but I don't think we will find anything certain in the nearest future.
ReplyDeleteI think that on Mars we can only find traces of ancient life. I believe that we are not alone in the universe – we can not be alone – it is unrealistic for me.
ReplyDeleteI believe that somewhere is a galaxy with planet on which life would be. Or perhaps the universe is so constructed that then create a new life as it perish on Earth?
This may not be such a that we expect – it could be bacteria that feed on iron and sulfur compounds:
http://www.rp.pl/artykul/9137,292222_Zycie_ekstremalne.html
I am sure that there are some forms of life in the universe. I guess that perhaps on our Moon...
ReplyDeleteI believe, as Piotr said, that in some galaxy life could exist, maybe even human being...
Well, I think that there must be life somewhere in a galaxy. There are two possibilities. We will find some bacteria or there is different civilization that will find us.
ReplyDeleteBoth might be very dangerous for humans and such contact might result in end of our species.
The galaxy is such enormous so I think like must exist somewhere. I heard the scientists are still getting weird signals from universe!!11 :]
ReplyDeleteLet me quote a part from the Contact movie (1997) "if it is just us... seems like an awful waste of space".
ReplyDeleteYes I think there is life outside our planet, the closest suspect is Mars. At least in terms of finding something similar to Earth organisms.
I'm sure that there is life in space, my bet is Mars but like in "Planet of the Apes" book there could be planet similar to earth in galaxy far, far a way with humans.
ReplyDeleteI believe that there are still some forms of life on earth that were never revealed. However about searching extraterrestrial life in my opinion we already found it on Red planet. Phoenix robot have discovered ice, ice means water and water means very high probability that some simple life forms are existing there..
ReplyDeleteYes, one day it is possible that we find life someplace out there, but I think not it our solar system and probably not soon. I think that even if there is water somewhere in outer space, it doesn’t mean that there is life.
ReplyDeleteIt’s impossible that we are the only one at the Universe.
ReplyDeleteFew day ago I read an article about Voyager’s mission.
In the late 70’s NASA sent two spacecrafts to explore Solar System. After 30 years, one of them has finally reached the end of Solar System. (at the Universe we have thousands of similar Solar Systems and our is in the first 10 of the smallest one). According to that there have to be life over there.
*print screen'ed*
well, i doubt there are other lifeforms in our solar system.. but in the whole universe? there must be something, it's a matter of infinity.. :)
ReplyDeleteWhen someone ask my about extraterrestrial life I always had I mind quotation mention by Adam from "Contact" movie - "if it is just us... seems like an awful waste of space". Great one.
ReplyDeleteI bet on Mars :)