Does life exist on other planets?

Eureka Alert ^ | 06/20/05 | Cherry Lewis

[KevinDavis]

An atmosphere rich in oxygen is the most likely source of energy for complex life to exist anywhere in the Universe

Recent research argues that an atmosphere rich in oxygen is the most likely source of energy for complex life to exist anywhere in the Universe, thereby limiting the number of places life may exist.

Professor David Catling at Bristol University, along with colleagues at the University of Washington and NASA, contend that significant oxygen in the air and oceans is essential for the evolution of multicellular organisms, and that on Earth the time required for oxygen levels to reach a point where animals could evolve was almost four billion years.

Since four billion years is almost half the anticipated life-time of our Sun, life on other planets orbiting short-lived suns may not have enough time to evolve into complex forms. This is because levels of oxygen will not have had time to develop sufficiently to support complex life, before the sun dies. Professor Catling said: "This is a major limiting factor for the evolution of life on otherwise potentially habitable planets."

[KevinDavis]

The answer is yes. Reason, there are billions upon billions upon billions upon billions upon billions of stars and to stay that we are alone in this universe is pure bs...

[KevinDavis]

[TheForceOfOne]

It has too, does anyone believe Howard Dean is from Earth? lol

[Terpfen]

Recent research argues that an atmosphere rich in oxygen is the most likely source of energy for complex life to exist anywhere in the Universe, thereby limiting the number of places life may exist.

Recent research is full of it. Oxygen is a corrosive gas. The only reason we depend on it is due to plant life spitting it out as a waste gas. Plants breathe carbon dioxide, and there's sulfur-based life at the bottom of the ocean near volcanic vents. No wonder we haven't had a major scientific discovery in half a decade.

[jwalsh07]

A cell is pretty dang complex. A liberal on the other hand is pretty dang simplex, they never listen. Where exactly does the good Professor draw the "complex" dividing line?

[jwalsh07]

Reducing, neutral, oxidising, what the hey.

[USISRIGHT]

Logical but still not proveable(yet)

[KevinDavis]

Yet.... It is only to be a matter of time...

[TASMANIANRED]

Oxygen is a source of energy?

[KevinDavis]

I guess...

[Perdogg]

Yes, here is where the aliens now live.

[Dog Gone]

My conclusion is that there is life elsewhere. The mindboggling number of possible locations practically dictates it.

I'm rather less doubtful that we'll ever be able to contact each other. It's a long way, and even our own Sun is going to consume our earth eventually.

We'd better take picture of Yosemite and the Iwo Jima memorial now.

[Citizen Tom Paine]

The odds are that life didn't develop in an atmosphere like one that we have today. In fact, after life appeared on Mother Earth, it had to adapt to the oxidizing atmosphere when free oxygen started to appear in appreciable concentrations. In short, what was here originally, had to change. Believe it or not.

[Graybeard58]

haven't had a major scientific discovery in half a decade

Lustrum.

[Nick Danger]

Does life exist on other planets?

No. You Earthlings are alone.

[xrp]

Does life exist on other planets?

Nope!

[Captain Rhino]

Nice double entendre on the word "simplex." As you probably already know, simplex refers to a one way communication circuit (i.e. "they never listen") in communications terminology.

[WKB]

Does life exist on other planets?



If it does.
The same God created them too.

[Terpfen]

Which was my point.

[Captain Rhino]

Oxygen is the universal oxidizer: corrosive, explosive, and the engine of metabolism.