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re: Is Humanity Ready for the Discovery of Alien Life?
Posted on 3/2/18 at 9:14 am to Paul B Ammer
Posted on 3/2/18 at 9:14 am to Paul B Ammer
To backtrack to a previous discussion point regarding silicon based life forms, if it all possible track down a copy of the late H. Beam Piper's "Uller Uprising".
Its an interesting enough retelling of the Sepoy Mutiny set on an alien planet, but in addition Piper had Dr. John D. Clark write up a detailed explanation of the planet it was based on and how silicon based life forms evolved there that was included as an appendix to the book. Or foreword depending on the edition you bought. I believe its in the public domain and can be read online thanks to the good folks at Project Guttenberg.
You will probably want to skip the part where they talk about how Piper killed himself just when his writing career was about to go through the roof because that is depressing as hell.
Its an interesting enough retelling of the Sepoy Mutiny set on an alien planet, but in addition Piper had Dr. John D. Clark write up a detailed explanation of the planet it was based on and how silicon based life forms evolved there that was included as an appendix to the book. Or foreword depending on the edition you bought. I believe its in the public domain and can be read online thanks to the good folks at Project Guttenberg.
You will probably want to skip the part where they talk about how Piper killed himself just when his writing career was about to go through the roof because that is depressing as hell.
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Posted on 3/5/18 at 12:24 pm to Kentucker
To paraphrase Arthur Clarke, would it be scarier that in the whole universe we are all alone and there is no intelligent life out there, or if there is?
Posted on 3/5/18 at 5:36 pm to wareaglepete
For me it would be scarier if we are alone. I've studied astrophysics enough to know that the ingredients for life are extremely common almost everywhere in the cosmos.
There are an estimated 2 trillion galaxies just in the observable Universe. Each galaxy has hundreds of billions of stars. Scientists think virtually all of them have planets.
In our own galaxy there are 20-30 billion earthlike planets. On earth, life quickly arose after it started to cool off.
Given the startling number of places where life could arise, it seems ridiculous to think that it's a one-off miracle on earth. If it is, then that's scarier than can be imagined. If we're the first intelligent species to peruse the Universe, and there must be a first of everything, then the responsibility we have for surviving and colonizing it increases tremendously.
There are an estimated 2 trillion galaxies just in the observable Universe. Each galaxy has hundreds of billions of stars. Scientists think virtually all of them have planets.
In our own galaxy there are 20-30 billion earthlike planets. On earth, life quickly arose after it started to cool off.
Given the startling number of places where life could arise, it seems ridiculous to think that it's a one-off miracle on earth. If it is, then that's scarier than can be imagined. If we're the first intelligent species to peruse the Universe, and there must be a first of everything, then the responsibility we have for surviving and colonizing it increases tremendously.
This post was edited on 3/6/18 at 6:44 am
Posted on 3/6/18 at 11:04 am to Kentucker
So much we don't know.
It seems like, with all of this science at our command, we could recreate the conditions of the early earth, mix it all up, run a current through it, and create life. Yet this ability remains beyond our grasp.
Creating life from the inanimate
would have a more profound influence on me than proof of extraterrestrial life.
It seems like, with all of this science at our command, we could recreate the conditions of the early earth, mix it all up, run a current through it, and create life. Yet this ability remains beyond our grasp.
Creating life from the inanimate
would have a more profound influence on me than proof of extraterrestrial life.
Posted on 3/6/18 at 7:05 pm to Perfect Circle
Synthetic life.
2-minute version for those with attention deficit disorder.
What is synthetic life?
In the links above, scientists have inserted manufactured DNA into a cell from which the natural DNA has been extracted. This happened in 2010 and it's paying dividends in the drug industry already.
Craig Venter is the creator of the first synthetic life. I've been following his progress for years. The biggest hurdle to his accomplishment was the last one, getting the cell to "boot up." While that critical step still depends upon what's left in the natural cell when its DNA is extracted, the process is understood and will likely be duplicated by Venter soon.
Life is merely a chemical process, albeit an extremely complicated one, and is no longer a mystery of philosophical proportions. It is science that has demystified the evolution of life. It will be science that explains what consciousness is and how that process of the brain came to be.
2-minute version for those with attention deficit disorder.
What is synthetic life?
quote:
It seems like, with all of this science at our command, we could recreate the conditions of the early earth, mix it all up, run a current through it, and create life. Yet this ability remains beyond our grasp.
In the links above, scientists have inserted manufactured DNA into a cell from which the natural DNA has been extracted. This happened in 2010 and it's paying dividends in the drug industry already.
Craig Venter is the creator of the first synthetic life. I've been following his progress for years. The biggest hurdle to his accomplishment was the last one, getting the cell to "boot up." While that critical step still depends upon what's left in the natural cell when its DNA is extracted, the process is understood and will likely be duplicated by Venter soon.
Life is merely a chemical process, albeit an extremely complicated one, and is no longer a mystery of philosophical proportions. It is science that has demystified the evolution of life. It will be science that explains what consciousness is and how that process of the brain came to be.
Posted on 3/7/18 at 12:58 pm to Kentucker
I am interested in synthetic life and I appreciate the link. I would love to see scientists one day create synthetic life without using DNA to kick start it. I think that is what we are all waiting on.
Posted on 3/7/18 at 3:47 pm to Commander Data
Well, the DNA used in current synthetic life is entirely manufactured. DNA, of course, directs the cell's ultimate function. The process for getting the natural cell, into which the artificial DNA is inserted, to accept it and to function had been a keen problem.
Obviously, that issue has been resolved. For ultimate control of the cell, and to truly declare it to be artificial life, I would think Clark Venter and his lab will want to manufacture all parts of the cell.
It may not be a priority at the moment because the synthetic life created in the lab is performing as desired. However, if it comes to building complex forms of synthetic, or artificial life, then complete control of the cell's functions might be needed.
Obviously, that issue has been resolved. For ultimate control of the cell, and to truly declare it to be artificial life, I would think Clark Venter and his lab will want to manufacture all parts of the cell.
It may not be a priority at the moment because the synthetic life created in the lab is performing as desired. However, if it comes to building complex forms of synthetic, or artificial life, then complete control of the cell's functions might be needed.
This post was edited on 3/7/18 at 3:49 pm
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