“In the search for extraterrestrial life, some scientists say we’re focusing too much on finding signs of existence as we know it, and in the process, we may be missing more strange forms of life that don’t rely on water or carbon metabolism,” reports Hadley Leggett for Wired.


“Now researchers from Austria have started a systematic study of solvents other than water that might be able to support life outside our planet. They’re hoping their research will lead to a shift in what they call the “geocentric mindset” of our attempts to detect extraterrestrial life,” reports Leggett.

“With our current measurement strategy for life on other planets, we will only be able to detect life which shares most of its parameters with terrestrial life,” astrobiologist Johannes Leitner of the University of Vienna, who presented his research Friday at the European Planetary Science Congress in Germany, wrote in an e-mail. “Presently we will not be able to detect exotic life, because we have no idea of its potential properties and by this, our probes to planetary surfaces do not carry instruments which can look for something exotic.”

“For instance, Leitner said, we can send rovers to Mars carrying antibodies that detect traces of chemicals and bacteria that would indicate life. But because we can only make antibodies to known substances, this method will be limited to finding Earth-like life,” reports Leggett.

“When we try to find a definition for life, in most cases, such a definition is more a summary of the specific properties of terrestrial life,” Leitner said. “Because life on Earth requires water, most of the search for extraterrestrial life thus far has focused on the “habitable zone,” or the relatively narrow region around a star where liquid water could exist,” reports Leggett.

Read the full article here

Post to Twitter Post to Facebook Post to Yahoo Buzz Post to Delicious Post to Digg Post to Google Buzz Post to LinkedIn Post to StumbleUpon Post to MySpace Post to Ping.fm Post to Reddit Post to Technorati

Related posts:

  1. A lonely and hopeful search for life away from Earth
  2. NASA Talks about the Search for Life on Other Planets
  3. SETI: The Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence 50-Year Anniversary
  4. Is Hollywood showing racism towards extraterrestrial life?
  5. Larry King, “Are we closer than ever to confirming extraterrestrial life?” (Video)
  6. Scientists to Initiate an Active Approach to Search Aliens
  7. CNN: Real life ‘Avatar’ moon waiting to be found
  8. Paranormal Glossary: PAST LIFE RECALL
  9. Paranormal Glossary: PAST LIFE RECALL
  10. Colorado branch of TAPS search for ghosts at Loveland ranch

« »