Feb. 17, 2008 -- No need to leave the planet to look for alien life -- perhaps it's here, in peaceful coexistence with or complete isolation from the standard variety that permeates Earth. "If life does form readily under Earth-like conditions, shouldn't it have formed many times over, right here on our home planet?" said Paul Davies, a theoretical cosmologist and astrobiologist at Arizona State University. "There's no planet more Earth-like than Earth itself." The question of alien life is more commonly associated with the extraterrestrial variety, a quest that has NASA scratching its head over not only where to look, but how to identify it if found. "If we find that life has happened in the solar system twice, from scratch, if we can be sure of that, then it's going to have happened all around the universe," Davis said. "The universe is going to be teeming with life, and there's a very good chance that we are not alone." Related Content:
Davies, who spoke last weekend at the American Association for the Advancement of Science conference in Chicago, says the evidence for an alternative life form could be right under -- or even in -- our noses. Scientists already have some candidates for alien Earth life, including a population of arsenic-fed microbes living in a California lake and a colony of strange organisms near deep-sea vents. "There's been no systematic search for life as we don't know it right here on Earth," Davies said. The rapidly growing field of synthetic biology -- the engineering of life forms -- is helping scientists understand what biochemical alternatives for life are possible. Get More NewsSpiders, Scorpions Among World's Oldest CreaturesMany creepy crawlies have been on Earth much longer than previously believed.Blood-Sucking Vampire Bats Sing DuetsWhite-winged vampire bats "harmonize" with separated roost mates.Oldest Hebrew Writing Possibly FoundAncient inscriptions on a 3,000-year-old pottery shard could make history.Rare, Prehistoric-Age Reptile Found in N.Z.A tuatara has been spotted on the New Zealand mainland for the first time in 200 years.Iceman Has No Living RelativesOetzi, the 5,300 year-old frozen mummy, left no living genetic legacy.SLIDE SHOW: Landscapes of TerrorWhat makes a place feel scary? There are scientific explanations.It's Official: People Are Warming the PolesHumans are conclusively to blame for polar warming, say scientists.Eight-Armed Animal Preceded DinosaursWhat may be one of Earth's first animals was no bigger than a coaster and had eight arms.Phoenicians Live on in People's GenesOne in 17 Mediterranean men may be descended from ancient Phoenicians.Pesticides, Fertilizers Linked to Frog DeclineA pesticide is found to promote parasites among amphibians.Hubble Telescope Taking Photos AgainThe Hubble Space Telescope is once again snapping stunning photos of the universe.Andean Mummy Hairs Show Hallucinogen UseScientists find direct evidence of hallucinogenic drug use among ancient Andeans.Opals on Mars Reveal Planet's Long Wet PastOpals found on Mars suggest the planet has been wet for much longer. |
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