It was the basis for one of my books
Michael
Ha! I'd better read it then Michael - apols!
Is vacuum-based life possible?
- Thread starter Danger Mouse
- Start date
Ha! I'd better read it then Michael - apols!
You know, if you think of our bodies as naturally evolved protective shells that allow the environment of our origin (shallow salty seas) to exist in homeostasis within the harsh relative vacuum and massive temperature variation that is life on land, it isn't a huge stretch to imagine life that evolved a protective shell that could survive on the surface of an airless world. Perhaps a creature could escape from predators by coming out of the ice for short periods of time. Or maybe exposure to stellar radiation gives them a boost to their metabolism. Over time, that short period of time could be extended, until you had a creature (or even a plant) that could survive on the surface of an airless world. From there, it's just one errant meteor strike from life in space.
I'm sorry, but now I seem to have this mental image of an alien rabbit that digs it's way out the surface, is exposed to solar radiation, and turns into the Hulk
I'm sorry, but now I seem to have this mental image of an alien rabbit that digs it's way out the surface, is exposed to solar radiation, and turns into the Hulk
It's funny, but it's kind of true. Not the mutation part, but imagine this: A squirrel who lives his whole life in the ice and icy water of an airless world comes out into the sun for a few minute. For the first time in his life, he's actually warm. After basking for a few minutes, a rival squirrel claws its way out, shivering and wet.
Which squirrel is your money on? The cold damp one, or the warm one?
The trick is to use dust in plasma flows - the energised flows between Jupiter and Io are a possible source. They could even form replicable helical structures
Michael
Hmmm...anyone from the UA thread paying attention here?
So, realistically, the challenge here isn't necessarily "can live evolve in a vacuum" but more, "can life exist in a vacuum" -
In a scenario where the life is on a planet sans atmosphere, there is still substrate, etc, beneath the surface for life to exist in. It could be quite chemically sophisticated down there - perhaps there isn't a significant atmosphere because stellar winds wipe the surface clean of gases emitted by chemical reactions beneath the surface, for example.
In that case, you'd just need a lifeform resilient enough to exist on the surface long enough to be discovered, not necessarily something that lives on the surface - perhaps our scanners are even just picking up the corpses of dead critters that found their way above ground and expired, and not living creatures at all.
In a scenario where the life is on a planet sans atmosphere, there is still substrate, etc, beneath the surface for life to exist in. It could be quite chemically sophisticated down there - perhaps there isn't a significant atmosphere because stellar winds wipe the surface clean of gases emitted by chemical reactions beneath the surface, for example.
In that case, you'd just need a lifeform resilient enough to exist on the surface long enough to be discovered, not necessarily something that lives on the surface - perhaps our scanners are even just picking up the corpses of dead critters that found their way above ground and expired, and not living creatures at all.
I would agree that the question isn't if it can evolve...but can it find a way to exist.
I will posit, as a person that has a solid background in science, that it is possible. We might not see the way it can occur...but something that can be defined as life (mobility, reproduction, motility, energy utilization) will be found someday. If life can find a way to exist in darkness, sucking down non-organic chemicals to survive...almost anything should be possible in this Universe.
As biologists, my wife and I had a very interesting discussion years ago....her point was that life on earth is not about the organisms that exist....it's about the genetic material that exists to create the organisms...basically, the real way to define life isn't with the old criteria above...but with the idea that life should be defined as a chemical that can produce something that has all those traits of life. Once the chemical exists, its in the chemicals nature to provide a means to spread its existence around, in any environment it can.
I will posit, as a person that has a solid background in science, that it is possible. We might not see the way it can occur...but something that can be defined as life (mobility, reproduction, motility, energy utilization) will be found someday. If life can find a way to exist in darkness, sucking down non-organic chemicals to survive...almost anything should be possible in this Universe.
As biologists, my wife and I had a very interesting discussion years ago....her point was that life on earth is not about the organisms that exist....it's about the genetic material that exists to create the organisms...basically, the real way to define life isn't with the old criteria above...but with the idea that life should be defined as a chemical that can produce something that has all those traits of life. Once the chemical exists, its in the chemicals nature to provide a means to spread its existence around, in any environment it can.
This is what I love about Elite, the intelligent science and philosophy discussions that happen around a computer game.
I am not a highly educated person, but I like to think I know a bit more than the average man, or at least I am interested by it even if it takes me 6 reads to understand it, and some of these threads are very educational
I was just going to post I found life in my vacuum, a spider and 3 woodlice, but this thread deserved more than that.
I am not a highly educated person, but I like to think I know a bit more than the average man, or at least I am interested by it even if it takes me 6 reads to understand it, and some of these threads are very educational
I was just going to post I found life in my vacuum, a spider and 3 woodlice, but this thread deserved more than that.
