Use this forum to talk about discoveries and theories about life in space.
As far as theories or at least pure speculations about life in space are concerned mine is that the highest probability is that there is no currently viable life in the Solar System apart from on Earth and perhaps the remnants of a sneeze on the Moon, but that in 100 years there will be Earth-originated life forms in every feasibe niche in the solar system from Mercury out to the Kuiper Belt, but only if proto-intelligent life develops on Earth within the next ten to twenty years.
I think we are about to discover that "life" is the norm. Given enough time, a self-replicating molecule will develop and take over the environment, extending to all locations where survival is remotely possible. From there, evolution will take over and the life-form will mutate to survive changes.
I expect we will eventually find something on Mars. Whether it will be soon enough to determine that it is not from Earth, accidentally polluting the planet, is problematic.
I expect something to be under the ice on the moons of Saturn.
Any star systems that can remotely support life, will.
The question remains, when will we find something we can communicate with? The answer, certainly not before we learn that the world around us is teeming with life-forms that we would be amazed with, once we learn that they think, too.
Fraser, in my opinion there is a need to study and research for finding the live rains on other planets apart from earth, because if the regular raining on such xyz planet follows a possibility of finding life thereon, so the people from earth especially scientist has to search the possibilities of rains on the other planets, then it could be found a positive tool to search for life in space.
Rain is a precursor to a viable environment. It erodes whatever land surface there may be and supplies soluble nutrients to the oceans and streams. That is supposing that it is a water rain. It also leaches nutrients deeper into the surface, giving an environment for rooted plant life. It must be remembered that it can rain in a non-oxygen atmosphere. I don&#39;t think we would be ready to associate with methane-breathers. For a life-form to fit into our idea of "acceptable," it would first have to be an oxygen breather (making it something more than a biological curosity), then it would have to communicate, indicating awareness.
For any discovery to be of real interest to the average Joe, there has to be something to relate to Joe&#39;s existence. Something furry and cuddly, or big and dangerous. So, oxygen in the atmosphere is the first requirement.
If we find a life form on another planet it will be just a scientific curiosity.
Just as the Hyrdogen sulfhide life forms on earth are.
if we were to find a series of self replicating molecules on a methane atmosphere we would be very interested scientifically.
It would be of use to study them as a help for producing chemicals here that are of use to us, even in the nanotech area particularly.
I don&#39;t think we would be ready to associate with methane-breathers.