Planet-Finding by Numbers

[The Warthog]

Remember the Horta, from Star Trek TNG. If there were silicon based life, it would still have to move around, probably on limbs of some kind, and see, using eyes of some kind, come in thousands of varieties to fill the thousands of ecological niches, and not want to eat us, as we wouldn't fill its dietary needs.

[SteelRat]

Was the Horta the hot blob o rock scurryin around the mines?

[The Warthog]

Yup. Dr. McCoy, "I'm a doctor, not a bricklayer!"

[SteelRat]

Ha!

[Astroman]

Dr. McCoy, later in the program, "By golly, Jim, I'm beginnin' to think I can cure a rainy day!"

[scotty365]

As I understand it, silicon cannot form the amount of complexed molecules that might be needed for life - if it were possible they would be limited in diversity. Carbon, however, has the abilty to form many many complexed structures making life possible, simply because of the diversity it can encompass.

The whole "carbon based lifeform" thing seems to be the only way life can exist according to the texts Ive read.

I once read somewhere that "life cannot be contained". It has an habit of getting to places and surviving in the most inhospitable places. The concept basically was saying that life on earth will spread, that that it will find a way to survive by design or coincidence and spread throughout the universe. Who knows, we might be a product of something that evolved initially thousands of lightyears from here. Maybe simple life was brought to earth in a fragment of meteorite from a planet and then evolved and spread, this would support the argument.

Scotty

[The Warthog]

That's a little disappointing. Of course, you have to wonder why, if life can form based on silicon, there isn't any silicon-based life on earth (he said, nervously eyeing the blob of Silly Putty on the desk.)

I prefer to think that life will begin on any hospitable planet, given enough time, without the intervention of amoeba on meteorites.

[scotty365]

Yes Ive read that all the elements to form simple amino acids are likely to be plentyful thoughout the planets in this universe, life just needs to get that toe-hold somewhere and time and evolution will do the rest. All this is good news for the SGL SETI team!!

Scotty

[The Warthog]

Speaking of which. I have some questions for that thread...