Sailboats Sale Chicago Astrobiology

June 15, 2009

Astrobiology.

Juan Fernando Sanin

Note 2.

As the only life we know is that of the Earth, the definitions have been through the centuries, are related to terrestrial life . CH TMLXC

remember that at school I was taught that a living being is one who is born, grows, eats, reproduces and dies . It is a good definition, but it lacks the modern terms to describe each of these stages. In addition, one might argue that hybrids, like mules do not reproduce, surely this idea will cause controversy. Of course, now the mules could reproduce by cloning, but have not yet done the experiments and the respective findings.

The same definition, but in scientific terms might be: A living organism is a physical system that grows through reproduction, metabolism and adaptacióny that is capable of responding to stimuli . A third more sophisticated definition would be: A living organism is one that is able to reduce its entropíaa expense of substances or energy environment. Another even more complex: Living organisms are self-perpetuating chemical physical systems of chemical reactions catalyzed organiccomplex, which itself is produced by the system.

The four definitions of a living being above are equivalent, but the former is more understandable for those who are not physicists, or biologists. The fourth definition gives us a broader vision that would allow us to recognize living organisms in space, which may not be known on Earth.

In any of the four definitions is implied some propertieslife, which also will help astrobiologists to recognize where to find it. These are:

1. Homeostasis: internal regulation to maintain state. Eg sweat to keep warm.

2. Autopoiesis: The ability to continuously regenerate itself.

3. CH TMLXC Metabolism: Conversion of substances to produce new components (anabolism) or to destroy those that have (catabolism).

4. Growth: Faster anabolism to catabolism, at least in the early stages of life. Tamanoo means increased capacity to produce more than destroy components.

5. Adaptation: The ability to change in response to environmental changes. CHT MLXC

6.

Response to external stimuli, such as geotropism or heliotropism.

7.

Reproduction: Capable of producing nearly identical copies of themselves. The sexual reproduction is not necessarily because it is known that in plants is more common asexual reproduction and also experienced success in cloning animals. CH TMLXC

is so complicated the concept of being alive, even on earth there are living beings who do not fulfill all these properties. Such is the case of viruses, which have no metabolism and reproduced at the expense of other living beings. The same happens with humans in a coma, unresponsive to stimuli.

chemical conditions for life

chemical elements that help shape and sustain life must be followed thementities characteristics:

1.

should form molecules that are neither too volatile nor too stable. 2.

must have internal energy, usable by the body. 3.

should be dissolved in some way to get around and find each other and produces chemical reactions. 4.

must be found in adequate amounts to ensure growth.

Life on Earth is mainly based on carbon. The silicon and boron partially meet the conditions listed. It is likely that a life based on silicon or boron, has similarities but also differences with the life that produces carbon. Elements such as hydrogen, oxygen, sulfur, phosphorus and halogen alson satisfy the above conditions and also are a source of energíay animation.

What is the medium that allows the mobility of these elements? The most obvious is liquid water, although there may be others. Therefore, life as we know on Earth, is closely linked to liquid water, to the point that we can sense that there is water, there may be life.

But not only the environment that water would be conducive to life. There are compounds such as ammonia, which, under certain conditions, could also serve comaparicióny or medium for the sustainability of life.

For all these reasons, the search for extraterrestrial life, but is closely associated with what we know on Earth, may have strange ingredients, which hinder their recognition. Hence the need to revise the concept that we have had for centuries, so that our search is not frustrated, or, to a manifestation of life, to reject it because it is not 100% like we know it as such .

If a planet is found that:

A hardware for life. liquid water exists.

has abundant carbon, hydrogen and oxygen.

This planet or moon would be a good place to try to find extraterrestrial life.

Astrobiologists are clear, most likely, if there is life in space, it will have common factors with the Earth, iero also differences. As for intelligent life, future exoplanetary findings might show that the appearance of these beings, if we manage to contact them and see them, could be very different than terrestrial humans. Most likely not be like the gray man, with large eyes, whose image is universalized, after Rostwell flying saucers.

In the next post will discuss the possibilities of finding life within the solar system.

Concussions More Condition_symptoms Astrobiology

June 13, 2009



Astrobiology.

Note 1.

The search for extraterrestrial life, is not only a scientific curiosity, but perhaps a manifestation of our collective instinct survival.

The laws of physics that are valid today, we say that in a span of 4500 million years ago, the sun burstARA as a nova and our entire solar system will become a cosmic dust cloud, rich and dense.

But long before that, when in the sun, available for hydrogen fusion into helium, it is less abundant, our star, astrophysicists classified as a white dwarf, will become a red giant and the expansion of its diameter absorb Mercury and Venus and probably also because of the Earth. It is an exaggeration to say that our days are numbered, but it is no exaggeration to say that nif ur millennia and we must keep in mind that all deadlines are met.

would think that when living conditions on Earth are very poor, our civilization would go rushing. First to the Moon, then Mars, then some moons of Jupiter, Saturn or Uranus, and finally leave the solar system.

There are several little problems that make this positive thinking no longer an illusion. Mars and moons mentioned do not have the right atmosphere is not known if they have water and the weather can be scary. But even if that & amp; eacute; sto might be possible in the future, the nearest star to Earth, Proxima Centauri, is 4.22 light years. As is known, is not habitable and also to speed we drive to get out of the Earth, about 11km / s, it would take about a million years to reach it. On average our life lasts 80 years, and even providing generations born in the ships, to reach this star is an impossible goal to achieve.

So unless there is divine intervention to annul the laws of physics or rephrase it, the civilizationn on Earth sooner rather than later is going to end.

is why it is I say that our astrobiologists, in addition to scientific curiosity, are obeying the collective unconscious, to fight for the survival of life.

Today astrophysicists search for exoplanets, that is, planets outside the solar system. To date they have discovered more than 200, but their knowledge is very poor with respect to whether they are living conditions for our lives. There is also the problem of the distance. These exoplanets, somes are in the Milky Way and others out of it, located at distances that are inimaginbles.

Also, as radio signals travel at the speed of light, the scientific community has receptors Diaye night, waiting for signals from space, to tell us whether there is life smart out there. SETI is a project whose mission is to contact intelligent life outside. SETI is an acronym in English that means "extra-terrestrial Intelligence Search."

Our astrobiologists are more grounded and would be very happy if they could, as a first step, find out if there is microbial life on the Moon, Mars, or in some of the moons of Jupiter and Saturn. However, in order to avoid surprises in the search for extraterrestrial life, it is necessary to redefine the concept of life. This has been done astrobiologists.

This is done in footnote 2. Juan Fernando Sanin