More Mars notes: unrealistic assumptions?

From
Date
Hi all.

Henry Gee raised an interesting point, that seems to be overlooked more
often than not.  I've always wondered this myself: if we ever did find/meet
alien life, how on Earth (pardon the pun) would we recognize it?

I remember many years ago being told in a class (first year chemistry, I
believe it was) that if live ever developed on another planet, it could
well be silicone based (due to the same number of valence electrons as
carbon, I believe it was - but like I said, this was a *long* time ago, so
forgive me if my chemistry is inaccurate here!).  My first thought was
'sure, that makes sense', but then it struck me: isn't that assuming that
live would have to develop in an almost parallel way to that on Earth?  A
terribly big assumption, if you ask me.

I've been an armchair astronomer for a long time, and I've long ago decided
that I do believe there's someone/thing else 'out there'.  However,
assuming we'd recognize it on first glimpse is a notion that takes an awful
lot for granted.


Take care, all...

Rod Taylor


*    *    *    *    *    *    *    *    *    *    *    *
Rod S. Taylor
Institute for Systematics & Population Biology (I.S.P.)
University of Amsterdam
P.O. Box 94766
1090 GT Amsterdam The Netherlands
Tel: +31.20.5256287; Fax: +31.20.5255402

E-mail: taylor@bio.uva.nl

'Back inside this chamber of so many doors
I've nowhere, nowhere to hide,
I'd give you all of my dreams if you'd help me
find the door that doesn't lead me back again,
take me away...'

        Genesis, 'The Chamber of 32 Doors'
*    *    *    *    *    *    *    *    *    *    *    *