Thursday, September 27, 2018

Xeno-biology (part 3)


There is one theory that explains the apparent absence of alien life out there in the universe, but this theory is based on our assumptions about what is necessary for life to exist. The theory states that, considering the volatile process a planet must undergo in order for it to become habitable, it is unlikely that microbes and other lifeforms could have existed long enough—or be plentiful enough—that they could help balance the process. Life on a planet actually regulates greenhouse gases such as water and carbon dioxide, but without it, surface temperatures would be too volatile to support life for very long because most early planetary environments are unstable. Sudden and erratic heating and cooling on young planets would make it difficult for early life to survive and flourish. This delicate window of time is just one of the many factors that makes life on another planet very, very unlikely, even if they have habitable environments. If we operate with this understanding, then we narrow our search options by our assumptions. A xeno-biologist, however, may shatter that paradigm...

No comments:

Post a Comment