Macavity Posted June 15 Share Posted June 15 (edited) Those impressed by (terrestrial) "life finding a way" might enjoy: https://www.quantamagazine.org/inside-deep-undersea-rocks-life-thrives-without-the-sun-20200513/ Also those who hope for "E.T." in the solar system...and beyond... Edited June 15 by Macavity 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maw lod qan Posted June 15 Share Posted June 15 Amazing. That is an interesting article. I remember reading how microbes were found growing in oil. My question is, is that a completely "water" free environment, or is there microscopic amounts of H2O in the mix? If it is nothing but crude oil, it just makes me keep thinking we must get away from water being a key factor for "all" life and think more in the line of "liquid" being needed. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Macavity Posted June 15 Author Share Posted June 15 (edited) 5 hours ago, maw lod qan said: My question is, is that a completely "water" free environment, or is there microscopic amounts of H2O in the mix? Interesting thought! It is not completely clear in the claims? Off topic: Having (like many?) spent a couple of years trying to kill/avoid VIRAL life (Never a "Hand sanitatiser guy"!) I used standard 75% "Pharma" alcohol (Ethanol). Hey - Don't it! Evidently it is water content that makes it More Lethal than the 100%? P.S. Don't drink "100%" (dilute) because it likely contains benzene! Edited June 15 by Macavity Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alien 13 Posted June 17 Share Posted June 17 Have often wondered too regarding the minimum amount of water required to sustain life and also if single molecules of water can actually freeze... Alan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saac Posted June 17 Share Posted June 17 Don't tardigrades expel almost all the water in their tiny bodies when they go into suspended animation? Maybe it is even all of eth water. They then then animate when water becomes available. Fungal spores too can survive prolonged periods of time in a dried state to come alive when re hydrated. I'd imagine that for any chemistry to take place though ie life, there must surely be some water present! Jim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wulfrun Posted June 18 Share Posted June 18 (edited) 19 hours ago, Alien 13 said: ...and also if single molecules of water can actually freeze... A single molecule can't be said to be solid/liquid, surely? It can only have a temperature. Technically, if it's an isolated molecule, you'd have to say it's gaseous. Not claiming I'm correct but that's my logic anyway. Edited June 18 by wulfrun 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ratlet Posted June 18 Share Posted June 18 7 minutes ago, wulfrun said: A single molecule can't be said to be solid/liquid, surely? It can only have a temperature. Technically, if it's an isolated molecule, you'd have to say it's gaseous. Not claiming I'm correct but that's my logic anyway. I think when you get down to single molecules of things like water you are basically into thought experiment territory. I think they did manage to isolate a single molecule by trapping it in a buckminsterfullerene a while back. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alien 13 Posted June 19 Share Posted June 19 16 hours ago, wulfrun said: A single molecule can't be said to be solid/liquid, surely? It can only have a temperature. Technically, if it's an isolated molecule, you'd have to say it's gaseous. Not claiming I'm correct but that's my logic anyway. 16 hours ago, Ratlet said: I think when you get down to single molecules of things like water you are basically into thought experiment territory. I think they did manage to isolate a single molecule by trapping it in a buckminsterfullerene a while back. Thanks both, of course this begs the question of how many molecules do you need for H2O to become water as we know it? and the minimum number of molecules needed before it can freeze.. Alan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iantaylor2uk Posted June 19 Share Posted June 19 Hydrogen bonding is key to the behaviour of water and I think each water molecule has hydrogen bonds to about 4 or 5 other water molecules. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maw lod qan Posted June 19 Share Posted June 19 What I always think is the statement, "life as we know it". Though I do have a few friends who think they know everything, I'm pretty certain most of us know we are still learning. I have no proof, or even theory to support my thoughts, but why couldn't there be some life that developed in an entirely different manner that exists on other chemicals or combinations of chemicals that hydrogen, oxygen and carbon? It goes back to simply, there might be.. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johninderby Posted June 19 Share Posted June 19 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saac Posted June 19 Share Posted June 19 10 minutes ago, maw lod qan said: What I always think is the statement, "life as we know it". Though I do have a few friends who think they know everything, I'm pretty certain most of us know we are still learning. I have no proof, or even theory to support my thoughts, but why couldn't there be some life that developed in an entirely different manner that exists on other chemicals or combinations of chemicals that hydrogen, oxygen and carbon? It goes back to simply, there might be.. I get what you are saying lod qan and I think those who are in the astrobiology research fields are open to the possibility of non carbon life. In general, science takes a view of the "balance of probability" against what we observe hence carbon based life using oxygen for respiration dominates the thinking and hence the elements we look for. Carbon has such a great ability to form bonds with other element I guess it makes for the perfect go to element for Nature. Jim 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Macavity Posted June 19 Author Share Posted June 19 Ah, Chemistry of Carbon homologues? - Ever interesting! In old terms, Carbon atoms have a "valency" Four. But you can form similar "organic" molecules (to those of life), with e.g. (tetravalent) Silicon. Or alternating atoms of valence THREE and FIVE - Covalently bonded Chains & Rings of alternating Boron and Nitrogen. "Cyclic" Borone-Nitrile(?) are physically almost the same (liquid boiling point etc.) as Benzene - C6H6 etc. The problem is, chemical stability, is mostly less. Carbon has only P-type orbitals to bond. As you "go down" the periodic table, atoms have extra (even the empty!) d-Orbitals, d-Orbitals etc. Other molecules can gain "purchase" on such atoms and bond-with or break up the molecule. Sadly "Arsenic based life" wasn't real. https://phys.org/news/2012-07-scientists-nasa-arsenic-life-untrue.html P.S. Don't mind me! Back in the day, there was a lot of enthusiasm for non-Carbon based lifeforms! I seem to remember, having "Phaser-ed" it, they "healed it" with a dab of Body Filler... Polyfilla? 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saac Posted June 19 Share Posted June 19 I guess that nature being nature would explore all possibilities and chose what works from what is available. Jim 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alien 13 Posted June 19 Share Posted June 19 Evolution is a funny thing - carbon based life creates man - man creates silicon based life - silicon based life rules the universe. I am also not sure we know what life is and how to identify it and if intelligence is real or just another set of complex instructions being processed. Alan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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