About Life on Other Planets

History

• Since the discovery of other planets in our own solar system, people have wondered about life on other planets. For the longest time, scientists speculated that there may be life on Mars since it is similar to Earth in many ways, but we still seem to be the only life in our solar system. It would be possible for life to develop on other Earth-like planets and moons, but there are many factors to consider such as temperature and the existence of water, as water is an important component in the development of life.

Features

• Earth is a planet composed of rock and metal. Along with water, all life on earth requires oxygen, carbon, phosphorus, nitrogen and hydrogen. We are often referred to as carbon-based life forms. It is believed that these basic materials would be needed for the emergence of life elsewhere in the universe but some scientists argue otherwise, suggesting that life could form from different elements and materials. It has been suggested that there could be silicon-based life forms rather than carbon based. It is possible that different constituents under varying conditions could produce life forms rather different than our own.

Types

• Life on Earth shows a wide diversity in forms, yet many contain basic similarities. The same possibility could hold true about life elsewhere in the universe. Life forms could be humanoid and similar to our own or they could be vastly different. The search for other Earth-like planets has led to the discovery of several extrasolar planetary bodies in recent years, but most of them are gas giants. It is also believed that our own solar system may harbor hundreds or even thousands of Earth-like planets in the Oort Cloud at the edges of the solar system, although those planets are so far from the sun that they would be frozen if they do indeed exist.

Significance

• The human imagination can be quite creative when trying to imagine what other life forms would look like. We've seen numerous examples of this in movies and television shows. We have seen extraterrestrials depicted in the humanoid form quite similar to our own but we have also been given a view of alien life in various forms such as reptilian and even a large blob resembling a mass of gelatin. Life could develop in any number of mediums. Life is self-replicating and any pattern that can self-replicate is indeed a pattern of life, whether recognized by humans or not.

Effects

• Life is an ongoing process so it seems probable that life exists elsewhere in the universe in a multitude of different forms and stages of progression. Just as it is possible that life exists elsewhere in forms similar to the bacteria and viruses found on Earth, it is also likely that life forms may exist that are more advanced than humans. Even though many planets have harsh conditions in which life as we know it would not be able to exist, we should keep in mind that there are many creatures on Earth that can exist in harsh climatic conditions. Life could exist in the smallest organic molecules or in a form completely unknown to humanity that could go totally unrecognized. We assume that life could not exist on the giant gaseous planets, but it could very well be possible that some form of life completely beyond the scope of our imaginations may exist.

Theories/Speculation

• Although there is no evidence that life exists anywhere in the universe other than on Earth, many people continue to believe in the existence of extraterrestrials. Theories abound about aliens and even the origins of life on earth itself. Some people believe that life on Earth did not begin here but had its origins elsewhere in the universe. They believe that Earth was seeded by advanced extraterrestrials and that this theory accounts for the diversity of life on Earth, claiming that humans and other life forms were brought here from elsewhere. Some believe that humankind developed originally on Mars and that when a terrible cataclysm occurred that made Mars unfit for continued habitation, they fled to the nearest habitable planet, Earth. Proponents of the ancient astronauts theory may point to the biblical creation story as a case in point to strengthen their views. In this theory, technologically advanced beings (Gods) came to Earth either to mine precious metals or because their own world was dying, or because they could no longer reproduce (the theories vary on this point) and found primitive beings here on earth. By using genetic engineering and their own DNA, they created a new improved being made in their image. The biblical creation story states that God made Adam in His image and likeness. The new beings were placed in the Garden and given instructions. It is often pointed out that the word Elohim used to refer to God in the Bible is plural, referring to more than one being. According to variations in the theory, these beings either left us to our own devices long ago or have always been here walking among us Those who are familiar with the books of authors Erick Von Daniken and Zechariah Sitchin may be familiar with the belief in ancient astronauts and similar theories.

Considerations

• We don't know whether life in any form exists on other planets elsewhere in the universe. Although we have made great strides in our search for extraterrestrial life and the exploration of space our technology is still in its infancy in the cosmic scheme of things. We have barely begun to scratch the surface of galactic exploration. The universe is vast and the number of planets may be immeasurable, at least by our current standards.