Other Life In Our Solar System? (evolution)

So people beleive life cannot possibly be anywhere else in our solar system, why? Because there is no oxygen or "suitable" ecosystems. Suitable for humans, yes.

But think about this, we breathe oxygen why? Because we evolved to breathe it, that is how OUR body functions. What is stopping life on another planet, from breathing Methane? CO2?

How does oxygen differ from any other Gas? If you really think about it, there is no difference. Well...You know what I mean.

Imagine aliens never coming to earth because they think, HAHha You are dumb, no life can possibly live on a world so rich in oxygen.

But really...the suitable life zone of our solar system is for humans, not other life forms.
All life starts off, as amoeba or what have you, then evolves to deal and strive in the ecosystem it is presented with. Life doesnt start and say, hmmm no oxygen here, guess we cant live here.

Yup.


(flame me, call me un-learn-ed , just an innocent thought)

dude that's such a great thought. i just always thought 'nah life can't be in our solar system because all the other planets are inhospitable'. then again they are only un-livable for us...maybe there are some aliens living on a planet in our solar system yet we just don't know it.
for instance trees take in CO2, so if they can live on it then it wouldn't be too surprising if living organisms could aswell.

Great thought thur dude,but have you taken the temperature extremes into consideration?OK let's say sum alien life out thur on pluto survives on CH4 gas.cool.,but how active will that life force be under temperatures of about -80 degrees celcius. Ok so maybe it's in suspended animation ,some kind of prolonged hibernation. Could it survive hundreds of millions of years in this state? Just a thought.

I was saw a thing about this cave that had been sealed deep underground for thousands/millions of years. The entire cave was full of eyeless, white insects that lived off a fungus in water, it lived off a gas (sadly i can't remember which). It just goes to show that you don't always need sunlight for life.

Originally posted by TPL
I was saw a thing about this cave that had been sealed deep underground for thousands/millions of years. The entire cave was full of eyeless, white insects that lived off a fungus in water, it lived off a gas (sadly i can't remember which). It just goes to show that you don't always need sunlight for life.

That is jsut amazing when you think about it. It also reminds of the ecosystems, which were recently discovered, in the depths of the pacific ocean. the life forms dont need sunlight, but rather some form of sulfuric gases and material released from underwater volcanoes. Its jsut amazing, i think, how life can adapt to so many environments. I wouldnt be the least surprised if life did form on another planet in our solar system. If it did, imagine how mcuh life there is outside of our solar system.

Originally posted by _BLiND_
But think about this, we breathe oxygen why? Because we evolved to breathe it, that is how OUR body functions. What is stopping life on another planet, from breathing Methane? CO2?

How does oxygen differ from any other Gas? If you really think about it, there is no difference. Well...You know what I mean.

I had an article out of a Science publication about 20 years ago and it was titled, "The Halogen Breathers."

The author of the said article went on to point out that lifeforms may evolve from the other gases in the Periodic chart other than oxygen.

He also pointed out that oxygen readily reacts with other elements and it's interactions carbon making it the choice for life here on Earth.

Oxygen releases more than twice the energy in it's reactions than the nearest candidate.

While there may be lifeforms in the universe that may not need oxygen for survivel, they may never develope into higher lifeforms.

In the event that they may, they would be sluggish in their movements cancelling any threats they may want impose against us!

If we judge to potential for life on other planets by our definition of the requirements to sustain life (as many seem to) then it is easy to see how they assume it is impossible. However, it seems very possible to me that no matter what the conditions on other plantes are, there may be life of some sort. The problem is only in our definition of life forms and the environment required to sustain it. It is very possible that life on other planets may be in some form that is completely unrecognizable or understandable by us. Maybe the objects that we believe to be rocks are actually a life form. Maybe certain gases are a life form. Maybe, maybe, maybe - there are enless possibilities. Many more than we can even imagine as our knowledge is limited to the physical limitation of our life form and environment.

Originally posted by capone3d
but how active will that life force be under temperatures of about -80 degrees celcius

who knows. maybe for them -80 is a nice summer day

,but how active will that life force be under temperatures of about -80 degrees celcius. Ok so maybe it's in suspended animation ,some kind of prolonged hibernation. Could it survive hundreds of millions of years in this state?

Hibernation? Why wouldn't they be able to live at that tempurature, Like the person up there said, there are living animals that live in spots of the earth that the sun never even reaches.

But If they are breathing something other then O2, then why can't their bodies withstand and function perfectly at -80?



[edit on 15-1-2005 by _BLiND_]

Great subject.
I have argued this with people for years,just saying that a planet cant support life doesnt make it so.
arent scientist always being surprised becasue something works when it wasnt supposed to?
now maybe higher life forms need oxygen to evolve,but id be happy if we only discovered single celled organisms,anything alive will do.
if titan is geologically active,id have to say the chances for SOME kind of life there goes up dramaticaly.
not to mention mars,and the good possibility that we may still find life there under the surface.
theres still so much of our solar system thats unexplored,there could be life everywhere,we just havent looked in the right places.
saturn?jupiter?neptune?uranus?venus? for all of our work,we still know very little about these planets,we have a long way to go.
which reminds me of why nuclear powered spacecraft and explorers are so important,theres only so much you can do with solar power and batteries.
and what better place than space to further our knowledge of nuclear power.