Thoughts on one of the Discussion items:
One of the big news items of the week is that Russian billionaire Yuri Milner has donated $100 million to further the search for extraterrestrial intelligence. I’ve always wondered how we (as in we humans) assume we would know when we find it. Who is to say that life is so narrowly defined as carbon-based forms? What if there are intelligent other beings we can’t even begin to conceive of? What if they are just so different that we don’t realize it? One of the things that struck me was when Larry said that silicon (right below carbon on the periodic table) could also be the basis of life, but it's too heavy. What if other places simply have heavier life forms or an atmosphere/biosphere such that carbon isn't heavy enough to support life? I think that thoughts about what life can be composed of are too limited.
Select one of the definitions of the "Chemistry of Life" and post your thoughts:
I selected three, because it was more the relativity of them that I found interesting.
"Biochemistry is the study of molecules (e.g. proteins) in the absence of the rest of the organism." This statement makes me want to run away. Of the more reductionistic approach.
"Biochemistry is a science that is concerned with the composition and changes in the formation of living systems." This statement is far more dynamic and recognizes the role of biochemistry in living systems rather than as concerned with only one component ("proteins").
"Biochemistry is an exciting area of study that examines the interface between chemistry and biology." This statement is more broad but comes across as sort of optimistic. "Exciting"!
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