[extropy-chat] Scientists Confront 'Weird Life' on Other Worlds

Mike Lorrey mlorrey at yahoo.com
Thu May 13 23:23:18 UTC 2004


While interesting as a thought experiment, the fact that silicate
energy bonds are fewer and of lower energy than carbon bonds dictates
that silicon based life forms will always be outcompeted for energy
sources by carbon based life forms. So, unless a planetary system is
incredibly carbon scarce, an unlikely event itself, the evolution of
silicon life is not just unlikely, but impossible.

Can anyone think up how a carbon scarce but silicon rich planet might
form?

--- "Robert J. Bradbury" <bradbury at aeiveos.com> wrote:
> 
> On Thu, 13 May 2004, Jose Cordeiro wrote:
> 
> > http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/astrobiology_nrc_040507.html
> > Scientists Confront 'Weird Life' on Other Worlds
> [snip]
> 
> which is better accessed at:
>
http://www4.nationalacademies.org/webcr.nsf/0/B175F23C70CDA7F885256E82005D88F9?OpenDocument
> 
> I've gone through the project description and who is attending the
> meetings.  It isn't very interesting except for those focused on
> developmental paths or strategies to get close to where we already
> are.  They don't even begin to deal with the issue of how screwed up
> the project title, "The Limits of Organic Life of Planetary Systems"
> is.
> 
> "Organic" (if its based on carbon -- can easily include
> nanotechnology
> derived machines such as diamondoid but could not include life based
> on silicates or other element combinations).  If its based on "living
> organisms" then probably forms of artificial life and
> self-replicating
> machines can be brought into the picture.  Etc.  Limiting things to
> "planetary systems" is silly because advanced civilizations will
> likely
> do away with them.
> 
> And so on and so on...
> 
> Jose -- as an aside NASA is trying to integrate some of the sciences
> in
> their studies of this (chemistry, biochemistry and geophysics mainly)
> but
> *unless* they integrate computer science, neuroscience, anthropology,
> sociology and aspects of astrophysics (to name a few) the job is
> going
> to be botched.
> 
> Robert
> 
> 
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=====
Mike Lorrey
Chairman, Free Town Land Development
"Live Free or Die, Death is not the Worst of Evils."
                                       - Gen. John Stark
Blog: http://www.xanga.com/home.aspx?user=Sadomikeyism


	
		
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