> -----Original Message----- > From: Dana [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > Sent: Thursday, June 02, 2005 4:28 PM > To: CF-Community > Subject: Re: Smithsonian for sale? > > > Solar System. The Earth's surface is also the most habitable place in > the > > Solar System. Is this coincidence just that? > > Duh. There is a narrow band where life is possible, and carbon-based > life developed there and nowhere else because the necessary conditions > of temperature and light are not available elsewhere.
Not that I don't agree in principle but... ;^) There are criteria that need to be met for "our kind of life" that Earth meets in spades. In the solar system there is only one planet where life can run as blatant and rampant as it does on Earth - and that planet is Earth. However there are many other nooks and crannies in the Solar system that have a chance - sometimes a significant chance - for life. The theorized sub-surface ocean of Europa (which is actually a very likely place), middle layers of Jupiter's cloud cover (which seem to have more than enough energy and more water, in total, that several hundred Earth's) and the presumed mud-flats of Mars (even if we only find evidence of extinct life on Mars it's still going to be the news of the century). You don't really need "light" for life - just energy (which on Earth is almost exclusively sunlight). We've found life at the most inhospitable places on Earth. The steam vents of the ocean floor lack all light yet life teems in super-heated water. Hell - we've even found evidence of the simplest amino acids in interstellar dust clouds. In short it looks like life may be much more common than many people think. Almost inevitable, in fact, given the right ingredients. Now intelligent life may well be a different story... we're still looking for proof of that here on Earth. ;^) Jim Davis ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| Discover CFTicket - The leading ColdFusion Help Desk and Trouble Ticket application http://www.houseoffusion.com/banners/view.cfm?bannerid=48 Message: http://www.houseoffusion.com/lists.cfm/link=i:5:159499 Archives: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/threads.cfm/5 Subscription: http://www.houseoffusion.com/lists.cfm/link=s:5 Unsubscribe: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/unsubscribe.cfm?user=89.70.5 Donations & Support: http://www.houseoffusion.com/tiny.cfm/54
