Re: life test for planets

From: Spudboy100@aol.com
Date: Sun Jan 27 2002 - 03:43:43 MST


Chlorophyll seems to be the best chemical that was randomly, successful for
life; rather then rhodopsin, why argue the point? Perhaps posthumanity will
lace the surfaces of different worlds with rhodopsin-engineered life? Not an
objectionable idea, that.

Dog Jones Opined:
<<Curious but quite possibly pointless- that chlorophyll is the dominant
photosynthetic compound on the surface of the earth today is an accident
of history. If the green slime hadn't poisoned the atmosphere two
billion years ago, rhodopsin would be *the* signature of a living
planet. To expect that independently evolved life in another solar
system would use the exact same chemical pathways as on earth is
provincial thinking in the extreme.

--
Doug Jones, Rocket Plumber
XCOR Aerospace>>


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