Carboxy chauvanism...

Space/Science » in reply to Zaphod Beeblebrox

Carboxy chauvanism...

Adam — 4/8/2005 3:33:24 AM (archived)

Hi Gary

Personally I think our current type of life is just one option amongst who knows how many. Years ago Asimov and others did an analysis of chemical stability/reactivity and so forth which identified a range of "biochemistries" across the temperature scale - from lipids in methane at 100 K through to flurosilicates in flurosilicates at 800 K.

Perhaps this was overly naive, but then we really don't know. Planetary scale "labs" make life and so far our best simulations don't get past a few chains of amino acids. In fact beyond a 60-unit amino acid chain not even the entire computational power of the Universe can emulate what a biomolecule can do.

The unknown is what makes exploration, rather than simulation, worthwhile. We haven't hit skeined the scope of mere 20 amino-acid DNA codes yet, let alone RNA ribozymes, TNA, PNA and god knows what else. The universe is bigger, weirder and more wonderful than our imaginations CAN imagine... isn't it great?!!!

Adam

The whole thread (48 posts)

A simple attempt at conveying the scale of the universe... - R.L. - 4/7/2005 3:41:58 AM
- Circular universe, or infinite universe, escape velocity? - SDF - 4/28/2005 5:21:54 PM
- re: A simple attempt at conveying the scale of the universe... - Delbert - 4/7/2005 4:51:39 PM
- I'll raise you one... - Tom Brosz - 4/7/2005 5:04:33 AM
  - Stupendous. (n/t) - David F Mayer - 4/28/2005 7:44:52 PM
  - re: Ultra Deep Field!; I'll raise you one more...(500 KB) my wallpaper - Raoul - 4/7/2005 6:43:13 PM
  - The Hubble Deep Field - Davin L. - 4/7/2005 2:00:11 PM
    - 2001: A Space Odyssey is the real litmus test - ljk - 4/8/2005 5:01:10 PM
      - re: Haa: 2001: A Space Odyssey ! - Raoul - 4/8/2005 7:32:46 PM
        
        re: Haa: 2001: A Space Odyssey ! - Tom Brosz - 4/9/2005 1:56:16 AM
    - Egg of Creation - Tom Brosz - 4/7/2005 4:01:51 PM
      - Have you read Fred Heeren's book? - Jacob Samorodin - 4/7/2005 8:34:34 PM
        
        re: Have you read Fred Heeren's book? - ljk - 4/8/2005 6:16:41 PM
      - The mix of fairy tale and Indian mysticism was intentional - Davin L. - 4/7/2005 6:24:08 PM
  - I have heard.... - R.L. - 4/7/2005 8:58:39 AM
    - Pass the salt... - ljk - 4/8/2005 5:42:28 PM
    - Playing Powers of Ten... - Adam - 4/7/2005 1:44:24 PM
      - re: Playing Powers of Ten... - ljk - 4/8/2005 6:06:08 PM
      - Zaphod Beeblebrox - Gary - 4/7/2005 4:19:24 PM
        
        habitable zones - Daniel - 4/8/2005 11:23:29 AM
        
        Given the failure of SETI... - Gary - 4/8/2005 4:08:17 PM
        
        re: Given the failure of SETI... - Nick Hoffman - 4/9/2005 4:11:18 AM
        
        Whoops, that's the Fermi Paradox - Nick Hoffman - 4/10/2005 6:57:50 AM
        
        thanks - fascinating (n/t) - Daniel - 4/10/2005 5:52:28 AM
        
        More agreement than disagreement - Gary - 4/9/2005 6:17:59 PM
        
        Argument has several levels - Tom Brosz - 4/9/2005 7:58:17 PM
        
        How far will intelligence expand in the galaxy? - Gary - 4/10/2005 12:27:48 AM
        
        Interstellar drives and distances... - Adam - 4/10/2005 10:16:25 PM
        
        re: Interstellar drives and distances... - Gary - 4/11/2005 2:29:05 AM
        
        re: Interstellar drives and distances... - John - 4/27/2005 10:00:47 PM
        
        oh... ok - Adam - 4/11/2005 9:30:00 PM
        
        only speculation - Daniel - 4/10/2005 5:46:39 AM
        
        ET artifacts in our Solar System - Gary - 4/11/2005 12:17:10 AM
        
        A lot depends on whether or not they want artifacts to be found - Tom Brosz - 4/11/2005 6:51:26 PM
        
        80 cents? - Daniel - 4/11/2005 7:59:18 AM
        
        re: only speculation - Tom Brosz - 4/10/2005 4:32:40 PM
        
        the thing is .. - Daniel - 4/11/2005 7:53:19 AM
        
        Assumptions - Tom Brosz - 4/10/2005 2:08:16 AM
        
        We humans haven't explored nearly enough yet for the definitive answer to alien life - ljk - 4/8/2005 5:09:40 PM
        
        Carboxy chauvanism... - Adam - 4/8/2005 3:33:24 AM
      - "It's all there for me." - Tom Brosz - 4/7/2005 3:58:59 PM
        
        Overwhelming Futility - Nick Hoffman - 4/9/2005 4:59:23 AM
        
        Not really true. - Tom Brosz - 4/9/2005 8:24:21 PM
  - You 'one upped' me - R.L. - 4/7/2005 6:01:30 AM
    - Most humans are not designed to handle the Truly Big Picture - ljk - 4/8/2005 5:27:00 PM
    - Most humans are not designed to handle the Truly Big Picture - ljk - 4/8/2005 5:26:57 PM
  - I'm going to go up and lay face down on my bed now, with a firm grip on the edges. (n/t) - Tom Brosz - 4/7/2005 5:06:16 AM
    - I think I know how you feel - R.L. - 4/7/2005 8:42:57 AM

Recent posts

On this day in Space/Science

The whole thread (48 posts)