Say life is discovered on mars..

Óðinn

Muse
Óðinn
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Let's say the next Mars rover confirms biological life is on the red planet. That is, DNA based life forms, similar to ourselves. What is the likelihood that 2 adjacent planets evolved DNA based life forms? It is one thing to speculate over the entire universe, but adjacent planets? The odds would be astronomical.

Based on this premise, what would be more likely: that 2 planets simultaneously evolved DNA based life forms or that 1 planet evolved DNA life and seeded the neighbour planet? Suppose the planet between Jupiter and Mars was destroyed by an astro-cataclysm (asteroid belt) and Mars got bombarded with meteors destroying all life but the microbes. The collisions also jettisoned enormous amounts of material (with microbes in tow) into space towards the sun. Some of the material gets intercepted by Earth and the transference of DNA is complete. Would this scenario be more likely than simultaneously evolving life on 2 adjacent planets?

It has been confirmed that material has travelled from Mars to Earth. If in the past the Martian rocks were embedded with Martian bacteria, it seems pretty likely that some of it made its way to Earth. So what would be the ramifications of discovering "life" on Mars?
 
Or what about the possibility that both planets were seeded from space with
the basics for a self replicating organic system at about the same time?

It's unlikely that DNA was the first replicator. There are grounds for suspecting
that RNA might have been first. If that suspicion is justified, the question now
devolves to where did RNA come from?
 
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I guess it might depend on how you look at it. This planet has had life far longer than it apparently did not. Despite catastrophic events, life persevered. Just about everywhere we look we find life (hot and cold extremes). We struggle to eliminate viruses and bacteria with little absolute success. Then when we take a look at the next planet over we find life again (assuming we do). Maybe it could lead you to believe that perhaps life is more likely than not.
 
Maybe life is the logical conclusion to it all.
What would be the point of existence with no self awareness ?
If a microscopic entity has any awareness deep in the substrate of mars.
If all If.
Someone who says there is no possibility of life on Mars or anywhere else
in the Universe certainly knows more than I do.
Or is this awareness just a fluke or mistake in the big picture.
 
Yes, it may indicate that life is an inevitability with the right conditions. But what if it was a DNA molecule similar to our own? This goes waaay beyond the description of how "human" looking "alien" abductors are. Humans from the future, more like. Having a common DNA structure with organisms from an adjacent planet is a pretty big pill to swallow. Life would have to be pretty common across the universe or else the "Anthropic Principle" is at work.

Otherwise, where could the DNA have originated from? The vast majority of the material that strikes the Earth has been from within the solar system, especially as it was forming. Extra solar comets, not so much. Our big brother Jupiter has been our saviour since it has attracted over 99% of all the extra-solar objects that might have hit the Earth. I doubt many life forms would have a chance without a gas giant planet to protect them.

So if the material likely originated from within the solar system, then how about the planet that is now the asteroid belt? Maybe Planet X seeded Mars then the Earth then Venus? Of course Venus went through its global warming phase which obliterated all life on the surface except for the courageous few who escaped into space that are now known as the "greys", with their Venusian fetishes.
 
I wonder about the definition of life. These has been around these parts fo ra while:
"The basic timeline is a 4.6 billion year old Earth, with (very approximate) dates:
* 3.8 billion years of simple cells (prokaryotes)",from Wikipedantic,
As a derail, would a Von Neuman machine qualify as life?
 
Óðinn said:
So if the material likely originated from within the solar system, then how about the planet that is now the asteroid belt? Maybe Planet X seeded Mars then the Earth then Venus? Of course Venus went through its global warming phase which obliterated all life on the surface except for the courageous few who escaped into space that are now known as the "greys", with their Venusian fetishes.
Click to expand...

Venusion fetishes may be the way and the ultimate outcome.Set in stone with these standards.
A rulebook for DNA that life may have to follow in order to be.
Well with Venusion fetishes it sounds like it would be more interesting.
"Unless!" and it depends on "if" the Greys do more than just Bovine probing.
 
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Jeff Corey said:
I wonder about the definition of life. These has been around these parts fo ra while:
"The basic timeline is a 4.6 billion year old Earth, with (very approximate) dates:
* 3.8 billion years of simple cells (prokaryotes)",from Wikipedantic,
As a derail, would a Von Neuman machine qualify as life?
Click to expand...

Yes a Von Neuman machine could in some circles be regarded as life-like.
But it was created by a homo sapiens.
Unlike the cosmos that come about by natural means.
 
Whether we would recognize other forms of life is one thing, but if we found what we consider to be biological life on Mars, the next question is how similar is it to us?

Miss Kitt, I think you know exactly what I'm talking about. Klaatu barada nikto!

firecoins - you can say that again!
 
If any life is discovered on Mars or anywhere else in the solar system, it will be microbial. Only on Earth of all the solar system's planets and moons is animal life present.
 
Óðinn said:
It has been confirmed that material has travelled from Mars to Earth. If in the past the Martian rocks were embedded with Martian bacteria, it seems pretty likely that some of it made its way to Earth. So what would be the ramifications of discovering "life" on Mars?
Click to expand...

It could help confirm the theory that early life here had been effected by
and seeded with foreign DNA. (If the DNA survived the journey).
Its very apparent meteorites and asteroid impacts bring baggage.
Tracing DNA (and other chemical structures) origins could prove interesting some day.
We seem to base life on what we know... Ourselves.
Catastrophe could be another one's delight in space.
 
Sorry but a bit of star trek and war of the worlds stuff here:

When I first saw the title of this thread I had other ideas what it might be about, if life is discovered on mars then should we be going there and trampling all over it, possibly taking our own microbial life that could attack it..... yeah we've found life on another planet but we just wiped it out.
 
Óðinn said:
Whether we would recognize other forms of life is one thing, but if we found what we consider to be biological life on Mars, the next question is how similar is it to us?

Miss Kitt, I think you know exactly what I'm talking about. Klaatu barada nikto!

firecoins - you can say that again!
Click to expand...

OK, what about my pet theory ( and i accept the probability of life out there, I just dont accept the probability it will ever be found due to the distances involved)

Using life on Earth as a baseline and defined just in terms of what we have, ( plant,animal and cellular life) and given the billions+ galaxies out there.

If the Universe has a common beginning and all elements here are the same out there. ( irone and carbon being the same everywhere).

I see no reason why "life" out there wouldnt have some level of similarity to life here.
 
Óðinn said:
Let's say the next Mars rover confirms biological life is on the red planet. That is, DNA based life forms, similar to ourselves. What is the likelihood that 2 adjacent planets evolved DNA based life forms? It is one thing to speculate over the entire universe, but adjacent planets? The odds would be astronomical.

Based on this premise, what would be more likely: that 2 planets simultaneously evolved DNA based life forms or that 1 planet evolved DNA life and seeded the neighbour planet? Suppose the planet between Jupiter and Mars was destroyed by an astro-cataclysm (asteroid belt) and Mars got bombarded with meteors destroying all life but the microbes. The collisions also jettisoned enormous amounts of material (with microbes in tow) into space towards the sun. Some of the material gets intercepted by Earth and the transference of DNA is complete. Would this scenario be more likely than simultaneously evolving life on 2 adjacent planets?

It has been confirmed that material has travelled from Mars to Earth. If in the past the Martian rocks were embedded with Martian bacteria, it seems pretty likely that some of it made its way to Earth. So what would be the ramifications of discovering "life" on Mars?
Click to expand...
I don't know exactly why I feel this way but I would be elated. I would be even more elated if life was discovered to have developed independantly from earth altogether. That is the life on mars developed independently from us and we from them. To me this would indicate that the Universe is teeming with life perhaps and probably intelligent life.
 
amb said:
If any life is discovered on Mars or anywhere else in the solar system, it will be microbial. Only on Earth of all the solar system's planets and moons is animal life present.
Click to expand...
That may not be true. The moons circleing Jupiter and Saturn may have animal life similar to fish or whatever livng in a liquid water ocen under the ice.
 
As mentioned earlier, "DNA" is certainly not the starting point of life. It would be the product of evolution itself; from much earlier and simpler self-replicating molecules.

Unless some sort of seeding took place, I would think it unlikely that any other life in the solar system would be DNA based.
 
Óðinn said:
It has been confirmed that material has travelled from Mars to Earth. If in the past the Martian rocks were embedded with Martian bacteria, it seems pretty likely that some of it made its way to Earth. So what would be the ramifications of discovering "life" on Mars?
Click to expand...


How about the entry into Earth's atmosphere? Would the friction cause the rocks to heat up so much that they are sterilized?
 
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