The search for life elsewhere in the solar system and beyond should include efforts to detect what scientists sometimes refer to as "weird" life -- that is, life with an alternative biochemistry to that of life on Earth -- says a new report from the National Research Council. The committee that wrote the report found that the fundamental requirements for life as we generally know it -- a liquid water biosolvent, carbon-based metabolism, molecular system capable of evolution, and the ability to exchange energy with the environment -- are not the only ways to support phenomena recognized as life.
Friday, July 06, 2007
Be on the lookout for weird life
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2 comments:
It's interesting how ideas seem to move in waves through science and tech circles. New Scientist from a couple of weeks ago had a feature on how life needn't be based on carbon or water. I've seen a few articles in the past few weeks on the same theme. Ideas are in the air. I have to admit I was a carbon/water chauvenist until recently. Now it's looking like we're going to have a hard time finding lifelessness.
Hmm... that's amazing! It will in no time that the Earth's resources will be depleted, and we need to find another planet or perhaps, a galaxy to live in. Much like Star Wars.
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