Another form of life on earth?

[Prospero]

I guess this is the obvious thread for this fascinating article published at the weekend. Suggests that, from evidence in desert areas, there COULD be a parallel non-carbon based life form here on planet earth. If proven true the implications for extra terrestrial life are intriguing.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2013/apr/14/shadow-biosphere-alien-life-on-earth

[Jericho]

If they're searching for "Weird Life" they should check out "General Discussion"! :shrug

[Prospero]

Indeed as they say Jericho, "nowt so queer as folk."

[Jericho]

And....


One solution to this problem is being pursued by Sasselov and colleagues' Harvard Origins of Life Initiative. They are building an artificial cell – or bionic system – made only of right-handed components including right-handed DNA and right-handed ribosomes. "If there are right-handed lifeforms out there, many of them will be viruses – which will attempt to hijack the DNA of our bionic cells," adds Sasselov. "When they do that they will leave evidence of their existence. Essentially we are building honey traps to catch any right-handed viruses that might live in the shadow biosphere and so reveal their existence."the conspiracy theorists are going to have a field day with that one!

[trish]

I love honey traps as well as the next girl, which is to say it would be pretty exciting if we discovered even a single silicon based life form let alone a whole clandestine biosphere. But even normal biochemistry is not always so "normal"' when one considers the life forms that thrive off the heat and sulphur of the oceanic volcanic vents. There are also bacteria that have specialized in the consumption of beer. More relevant to the story there are bacteria that metabolize compounds of manganese and leave behind manganese byproducts. These little dudes are invoked in the more "mundane" explanations of desert varnish.

[Prospero]

I know lots of parasites who specialise in the consumption of beer.. especially if I'm paying.

[Stavros]

All is lithogenesis—or lochia,
Carpolite fruit of the forbidden tree,
Stones blacker than any in the Caaba,
Cream-coloured caen-stone, chatoyant pieces,
Celadon and corbeau, bistre and beige,
Glaucous, hoar, enfouldered, cyathiform,
Making mere faculae of the sun and moon,
I study you glout and gloss, but have
No cadrans to adjust you with, and turn again
From optik to haptik and like a blind man run
My fingers over you, arris by arris, burr by burr...

[sukumvit boy]

I know lots of parasites who specialise in the consumption of beer.. especially if I'm paying.

Good one!

[Dino Velvet]

I feed a buncha critters in the back yard first thing even before my morning piss.

[sukumvit boy]

Shadow biospheres ,certainly! As Trish mentioned, we are just beginning our study of
communities of organisms with 'alien' biochemistry at deep ocean vents which were unknown 50 years ago.

In plant biology we are just beginning to learn about endophytes. Vast communities of
bacteria , fungus and viruses, performing complex functions ,pumping out antibiotics, providing protection from drought ,and animal and insect herbivores.
Endophyte - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Endophyte)