Worms Bringing New Credibility to Life on Other Worlds

So called "worms from hell" may help unlock answers to the question about whether or not it's possible for life to exist on other worlds.  Nobody's saying that these worms were brought here be extraterrestrials of course.  Round worms called Nematodes were found about a mile underground in South African gold mines.  Nematodes are very resilient creatures, being found in all kinds of habitats:  polar, desert, along the ocean floor, in fresh water...

While it's not surprising to find worms underground, before now nobody thought that complex/multi-cellular life forms could exist in the harsh conditions that you would find so deep underground.  That's where the tie-in to life on other planets comes in according to author Marc Kaufman.  After all, if they can exist in such varied and harsh environments here on Earth, why not on other worlds?

NASA Conference - Paradigm Shift in Search for Life.

A NASA-funded study has concluded that the definition of what comprises life must be expanded.  Carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen, phosphorus and sulfur are the six basic building blocks of all known forms of life on Earth.  While carbon is most commonly known - reference to carbon-based life forms, Phosphorus is critical for the energy-carrying molecule in cells and also the phospholipids that form all cell membranes.

The research has discovered a microorganism on Earth that substitutes arsenic for phosphorus in its cell components.  One reason this is so interesting is that arsenic is well know as being poisonous to most  life on Earth.  As such, it forces researchers to re-define what they believe constitutes life forms. 

Since typically researchers searching for evidence of life have focused primarily on life that would need an Earth-type environment must now broaden their horizon.  And, theortically, since these microorganisms substitute arsenic for phosphorus (given similarities between the elements), could life exist substituting one of more of the other five building blocks? 

Imagine the possibilities, science fiction fans and writers.  I like to say readers are becoming more advanced, so credibility in stories and world building are important.  This give credibility for world building in a variety of environments poisonous to humans.

So take a moment tonight and look at the stars again.

Hope you have clear skies.

Write On.

NASA Conference Announced

On Thursday, December 2, NASA will hold a news conference to discuss an astrobiology finding that will impact the search for evidence of extraterrestrial life.

News reports are saying that NASA is not giving many details, but that's no surprise.  If they give too many details, who will need to listen to or watch the conference?  The conference/announcement is scheduled for 2 pm Eastern time December 2.

The most popular theories include evidence of some type of life (beyond bacteria) existed on Mars.  The only tie is the rover that's been stuck for the last ten years.  While that gives plenty of time to study the soil for microscopic organisms, was the rover designed to conduct that type of long-term study?  Probably not.

Some believe the announcement is more related to the quest for extraterrestrial life on Saturn's moon, Titan.

It's a pretty safe bet this won't be something that will change the world as we know it, but any evidence of the existence of life, or even the possibility is very exciting to science fiction writers.  It gives us hope for credible theories to support aliens and world-building in our stories.

We'll know tomorrow.

Until then, look to the stars and

Write On.