That's why we use the term, "known life".

by Anonymous 11 years ago

The term "known life" is irrelevant in the concept of a planet having the ability to sustain life. Known life is the life that is known. Life on other planets is unknown.

by Anonymous 11 years ago

Scientists don't always do that, and obviously OP isn't referring to the moments when they do.

by Anonymous 11 years ago

Actually it does make sense because we're talking about the temperature of the planet Earth and it's inhabitants. Humans need it to be in a certain temperature range for sure, that's why it's dangerous to get a 105 degree body temperature when you're sick because you basically start cooking yourself and breaking down your cells.

by Anonymous 11 years ago

But "life" doesn't necessarily mean humans, for all we know.

by Anonymous 11 years ago

Yes that's why scientists use the term "known life" as I think someone above was trying to say, so that narrows it down to just Earth's organisms

by Anonymous 11 years ago

We're not talking about planet earth and it's inhabitants, we're talking about creatures anywhere and scientists saying the conditions on that planet would have to be earth like, but for all we know if they came to earth they'd freeze to death because they were living on a super hot planet. Also, does any one know why random words in posts and comments are blue and underlined and take you to weird sites?

by Anonymous 11 years ago

Oh I see what you mean, but I think scientists mean that for there to be life there needs to be water which can only exist in Earth-like conditions, but of course outer space is one of those things in science that we just are not certain about so yeh and also I've never seen blue words in comments so I'm not sure but they might be advertisements oops sorry i like run-on sentences

by Anonymous 11 years ago

But what if there doesn't have to be water? What if they hydrate with something that would be toxic to us because evolution made their bodies equipt for that? For example, on earth there are worms that have evolved to live in a lake with what would normally be toxic levels of some type of poision (I'm pretty sure it started with an a) and they breathed in a different type of gas? Scientists can't use life on earth as a basis for life on all planets, because they could have evolved differently. There are animals here able to live in -60 degrees F and in hydrothermal vents in the ocean. So it's impossible to say something could or could not live on another planet if it didn't have earth like conditions because no life anywhere else has ever been observed.

by Anonymous 11 years ago

Yeah I know that's what I'm saying, that's some shit we don't know about yet and it could very well be out there

by Anonymous 11 years ago

Exactly. Even on Earth we have bacteria living in all sorts of extreme environments. Who's to say that a more complex life form couldn't have evolved and do the same elsewhere?

by Anonymous 11 years ago

Yes. I agree, I've thought about this a multitude of times. Also things like water is needed. Sure, they're needed for life on //Earth//, but millions of lightyears away the requirements are almost definitely going to be vastly different. It only takes basic reasoning to realize that life that far away isn't even imaginable to us.

by Anonymous 11 years ago

So what is this basic reasoning? The same laws govern physics and chemistry no matter where you are in the universe, and the same types of matter exist so it can be expected to behave in at least similar ways.

by Anonymous 11 years ago

What I'm saying is, the chance of having the similar kinds of life forms created on another planet millions of lightyears away is extremely low. More than likely, other reactions leading to life would take place, and the environment would also be different, leading to vastly different life forms.

by Anonymous 11 years ago

well, actually, no. if a planet is much too hot, all organic materials would vaporize. life cannot form without organic materials. unless life can form from solid rock, this is not possible. you could argue that i never know, but you also never know if a 90 foot tall leprechaun plays an ocarina in his tutu at the core of jupiter, while eating cotton candy made from star plasma, but that is highly unlikely. Archaebacteria can survive at very high temperatures, but with no liquids or organic materials, nothing could.

by Anonymous 11 years ago

But the "what-ifs" aren't as drastic as your leprechaun scenario. Who is to say there is no life form billions of lightyears away that doesn't need water, but instead lives off of, say, carbon dioxide? There are many planets that could support them, while also not living up to our earthling Standards of Life.

by Anonymous 11 years ago

I have thought about that and have thought that there might be an organism that lives on, let's say the sun, that would freeze to death on earth, but there is no evidence that says otherwise, If there becomes alternative livable climates I'll change, but we dont have any proof, So I'm just going off of what I know, and carbon dioxide? Plants, genius, haha:p

by Anonymous 11 years ago