The idea for this thread comes from these two others, both started recently, Evolution on other planets and Evolution and abiogenesis.
As I noted in both, it's very nice to have a discussion on these topics, but once definitions are agreed, scope is nailed down, etc, what is there to discuss ... until some "life not on/from Earth" is discovered ("exolife" for short)? Or, for the latter, also/or some new life is created "in a test tube".
Discovery of exolife beyond our solar system will rely entirely on remote sensing, at least in the lifetimes of the grandchildren - born and as yet unborn - of the ISF members reading this post today, barring something as dramatic as an alien visitation (including that of a 'dead' spaceship) or a Contact (book, film) type message. Oh, and maybe a one-way probe sent to a planet orbiting one or other of the closest stars to us. Discussing the science of such remote sensing, projecting out even a century, would sure be fun, but I think much more fun can be had discussing the possibilities of discovering exolife elsewhere in our own solar system. And a one-way probe surely deserves its own thread! ;)
Hence this thread.
Perhaps start with what might be feasible - technology, cost, and so on - in the next half century or so.
And concentrate on things other than remote sensing (which I define, for this thread, as what orbiting platforms and flybys do; things like 'sniffing the atmosphere' and 'sampling geysers' - e.g. Enceladus - are borderline).
The most obvious instrument to include on almost any mission is a good camera. IIRC, the first Martian lander had, as one of its main 'find life' instruments, its camera. Add a microscope with a seriously awesome depth of field and an arm to carry it close to any target of interest. Wide spectrum - optical and near IR - lots of filters, independent lighting; all near essential too, I think. Should work on any 'find currently living things' mission to Mars, Enceladus (mounted on a robot which can crawl into the crevasses), and the deep oceans of Europa, Ganymede, Titan (and Triton?). Yeah, how to get through the many, many km of ice? What do you think?
Let's not forget 'dead life' too; are there things like fossils on Mars? Venus?? If so, how to discover them?
Let the fun begin! :D
As I noted in both, it's very nice to have a discussion on these topics, but once definitions are agreed, scope is nailed down, etc, what is there to discuss ... until some "life not on/from Earth" is discovered ("exolife" for short)? Or, for the latter, also/or some new life is created "in a test tube".
Discovery of exolife beyond our solar system will rely entirely on remote sensing, at least in the lifetimes of the grandchildren - born and as yet unborn - of the ISF members reading this post today, barring something as dramatic as an alien visitation (including that of a 'dead' spaceship) or a Contact (book, film) type message. Oh, and maybe a one-way probe sent to a planet orbiting one or other of the closest stars to us. Discussing the science of such remote sensing, projecting out even a century, would sure be fun, but I think much more fun can be had discussing the possibilities of discovering exolife elsewhere in our own solar system. And a one-way probe surely deserves its own thread! ;)
Hence this thread.
Perhaps start with what might be feasible - technology, cost, and so on - in the next half century or so.
And concentrate on things other than remote sensing (which I define, for this thread, as what orbiting platforms and flybys do; things like 'sniffing the atmosphere' and 'sampling geysers' - e.g. Enceladus - are borderline).
The most obvious instrument to include on almost any mission is a good camera. IIRC, the first Martian lander had, as one of its main 'find life' instruments, its camera. Add a microscope with a seriously awesome depth of field and an arm to carry it close to any target of interest. Wide spectrum - optical and near IR - lots of filters, independent lighting; all near essential too, I think. Should work on any 'find currently living things' mission to Mars, Enceladus (mounted on a robot which can crawl into the crevasses), and the deep oceans of Europa, Ganymede, Titan (and Triton?). Yeah, how to get through the many, many km of ice? What do you think?
Let's not forget 'dead life' too; are there things like fossils on Mars? Venus?? If so, how to discover them?
Let the fun begin! :D
via International Skeptics Forum http://ift.tt/2bcJWVY
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