Life – The Primordial Scoop

Spacek vs. Cleland: is term ‘life’ useful or useless in astrobiology?

We enjoyed a heated, in-person discussion about the usefulness of life during a debate hosted by the University of Florida. Although we both maintained our divergent positions, we discovered that our advice to astrobiologists is identical: look for anomalies.

By Jan Spacek February 5, 2024Astrobiology, Life, Microscoop, Philosophy3 Comments

Microscoop

Microscoop: Aliens have acid blood – a speculation

In the sci-fi series Alien, the Xenomorophs have strong acid in their blood. Our recent research indicates that acid-blooded and Teflon-tissued aliens might be the predominant biochemistry in our galaxy. For these aliens water would be as toxic as sulfuric acid is to us.

By Jan Spacek January 17, 2024Microscoop1 Comment

Life Life on Mars Mars NASA

Spacek vs. Benner: Thanksgiving showdown about life on Mars

A heated debate between Steven Benner and Jan Spacek, discussing life on Mars, its metabolism, and utility of a Steven's model of Martian metabolism.

By admin November 23, 2023Life, Life on Mars, Mars, NASA1 Comment

Life on Mars

Assembly Theory and Agnostic Life Finding

Agnostic life finders can either look for molecules that are necessary for Darwinian evolution, or molecules that require Darwinian evolution to make. Assembly Theory promises to resurrect the second strategy after years of failure. Can it?

By Steven A. Benner March 24, 2023Life on Mars3 Comments

Life on Mars Origin of Life Single Scoops

Ribonucleic acid is formed by percolating ribonucleoside triphosphates through basalt glass

This simple reaction is the last step in a modeled "discontinuous" process that moves from sulfite- and borate-stabilized carbohydrates, a post-impact atmosphere, and rock species delivered from basalt glass, all of the way to what might be the process forming what might have been the first genetic molecules on Earth ... and Mars.

By Steven A. Benner June 4, 2022Life on Mars, Origin of Life, Single Scoops1 Comment

Astrobiology Life Philosophy Venus

Are Venusians ‘life’?

Apology for beating the dead horse yet again, …but why should we assume that ‘life’ is useful for astrobiologists now, when it was useless for virologists for over a century?

By Jan Spacek June 3, 2022Astrobiology, Life, Philosophy, Venus3 Comments

Astrobiology Life Philosophy

Why the term ‘life’ is useless in astrobiology

A post to make you laugh and then perhaps think about the meaninglessness of ‘life’ as a scientific term.

By Jan Spacek May 26, 2022Astrobiology, Life, PhilosophyNo Comments

Astrobiology Life Philosophy

Why astrobiologists should NOT get rid of the term ‘life’

Carol Cleland rebuts Spacek's argument about uselessness of the term 'life' to astrobiologists. According to her 'life' is useful despite our inability to define it.

By Carol Cleland May 24, 2022Astrobiology, Life, Philosophy1 Comment

Astrobiology Life

Cleland & Grinspoon response to Benner: Do synthetic microbes provide another example of life?

The NfoLD's White Paper on Standards of Evidence in Life Detection opened a discussion on this blog. In this piece Carol Cleland and David Grinspoon tear down Benner's "second example" of life.

By Carol Cleland May 19, 2022Astrobiology, Life1 Comment

Astrobiology Life Origin of Life

Finding Life, the Universal Way

Lee Cronin's contribution to our ongoing discussion about the universal agnostic biosignatures: The assembly theory is the key.

By Guest Author April 29, 2022Astrobiology, Life, Origin of LifeNo Comments

Astrobiology Life

Grave Expectations

The problem with trying to codify an official protocol for recognizing biosignatures: We can try to devise rules for how detecting alien life should unfold, but E.T. might not play along.

By Guest Author April 19, 2022Astrobiology, Life1 Comment

Astrobiology NASA

Is NASA making itself irrelevant to the search for life in the cosmos?

NASA holds this week a workshop to consider looking (again) for existing life on Mars … but only 20 years from now. By then, humans may have been on Mars for a decade, thanks to Elon Musk, or (maybe) someone less interested in planetary protection. Thus, in 2042, detecting indigenous Martian life will likely be much more difficult. NASA will be too late.

By Steven A. Benner March 23, 2022Astrobiology, NASANo Comments