A question about life

Living things are quite distinct from non-living things. A pebble sitting calmly on an oceanside beach is 'non-living'. A crab crawling around on the same oceanside beach is a 'living' thing.

There is a difference

Did life originate here on Earth at the beginning of creation. Did it transport itself across trillions of miles from another lifebearing planet somewhere far out in space and start growing here billions of years ago?

There is a space mission that plans to send living micro-organisms across millions of miles to a moon orbiting the planet Mars... then to bring them back to Earth to see if they have survived the enormous journey spanning 3 years.

This 'panspermia' experiment will revolutionize our understanding about these sorts of things, and it's happening because of The Planetary Society, of which I'm still a proud member (even though membership fees are being jacked up by some $15 per year!):

http://www.planetary.org/programs/list/

Is it worth it for someone like me to be staying a member of this Society? Should we be involved in this kind of research? Or do we simply say 'that's God's territory' and steer away from these kinds of philosophical probings?

Dear Ahad,
I wish that we knew more about the place we send these micro-organisims to. Do we know that none exist there at present. Do we polute the galaxy with these shipments.

The new frontier is space, either up to the heaves or down below the oceans. No matter what anyone does for knowledge of either space is invasive. It is the name of the game of Science and Discovery. Look at it from both sides. Always there is something given up for knowledge learned and times changing. But, there is, also, something gained and some things remain the same.

Love,
Betty

I am the farthest thing from a scientist. I don't know from nothing. I am curious about this concept, though, and have looked into it because I want to know more about my son's work. Some of the "stuff" I have come across, things like fractals, and Julia sets, and particularly the Mandelbrot set make me wonder if life from wherever and whenever doesn't follow a limited number of patterns, and that life here can be very similar to life-some-other-where, regardless of where it originated, or if it maybe even duplicated a pattern from another place.


Ann

The questions about the origin of life continues. I think everyone has thought about that. Many accept the biblical version and find comfort in it. Others seek answers that can be confirmed. Theories abound.
If or when an acceptable answer is found, will it change anything?

Who can prove anything?

I always assert that my family and I were created because we are Rh negative.
the rest of you are free to conjecture how you got here.

Because God made me, I answer to Him.

Alice, I agree about God. He's the greatest scientist of all, and it isn't either/or. I love to hear and read about the stars and planets, and possibilities.

Remember how Galileo's ideas were considered blasphemist by the Catholic Church? I think ever since, people are more open to the amazing things in this universe.

Carol

I have a simple outlook on all this: I don't know, I don't care and I don't believe in anything. I always expect the worst and seldom am wrong. When an outcome is better than expected, I'm pleased.

Abdul,

http://www.adlerplanetarium.org/aboutus/index.shtml

If you scroll down under intriguing facts you will find that lights at the Chicago fair in the 1930s were lit by the star Arcturus through the planetarium.

How could this be? Why hasn't this been done further?

Carol

Aliens from another star system could intercept these micro organisms on their journey and think 'Wow these microbes are really clever look they built a space ship and embarked on this daring journey into the unknown. Lets help them.' They will then genetically change them to help their evolution and send them back on their way to earth. Planet earth will suddenly get visited by intelligent green blobs claiming it as their rightful home. We the humans will for once be put in our place!!!!

Carol Troestler wrote:

Abdul,

http://www.adlerplanetarium.org/aboutus/index.shtml

If you scroll down under intriguing facts you will find that lights at the Chicago fair in the 1930s were lit by the star Arcturus through the planetarium.

How could this be? Why hasn't this been done further?

Carol

Well Carol, that put me back into my thinking mode again

The pinprick of light we get from the star Arcturus is very tiny indeed. Probably less than the amount of light you'd get from a candle if it were placed a mile away.

Hence my guess would be they used the star's light as some kind of an on/off trigger to turn on the lights at the World’s Fair on opening night. The light of Arcturus itself is so feeble it could not even power a tiny LED, let alone the World's Fair.

Abe F. March wrote:

If or when an acceptable answer is found, will it change anything?

If we know for a fact that the seeds of life (i.e. the micro-organisms I mentioned in that experiment) can survive long duration spaceflight between two planets, then this will change our ideas about how we came about on this Earth.

If life can propagate itself between two planets like Earth and Mars, then it probably can move from one solar system to the next; in which case our Milky Way galaxy should be teeming with all kinds of life on countless worlds encircling countless stars.

If on the other hand it turns out that micro-organisms die in transit during a relatively short 3-year round trip between Earth and Mars... then that will mean the seeds of life did not originate some place else far away from here and they did not land on Earth at the beginning of creation. It will be some proof that life actually arose here on Earth through some spontaneous process.

In that scenario, we may conclude that we are probably the first and only creation of life anywhere in the whole universe. That the universe is very devoid of life and that our creation here was a very unique, quite possibly, a one-off occurence never to be repeated again anywhere else at any time, past or future...

"We are totally alone in the universe"

So yes, I believe experiments such as these are not mindless drivel, they are targeted to yield logical conclusions

From whatever view point you look at it, life itself is miraculous.
Following any of the theories of lifes origins back to the beginning of the universe you are always left with the ultimate question like 'How did that get there?' Or who created the Creator? Or who created the being that created the creator?
What came first and who put it there and how did they get there?
The infinite is unfathomable by the finite.
So we search to try and understand things beyond our comprehension.
I just love it and I do not believe we are totally alone in the universe.

Here are the facts that I know:

No one knows for sure the origin of life.
No one knows for sure what happens when you die.

The attempt to find these answers have been sought since the beginning of time and they continue. There are many speculations and theories but none that can be proven. I find it difficult to believe that the origin of life was an accident. I find it difficult to believe that when die we return to nothingness.
Theology and faith have provided comfort and hope to make living worthwhile. Should any theory be proven, it will change the world and the way we live. That of course is my own speculation.

But what if scientific evidence proves we've been right all along about life after death?

Abe, seldom do I hear my own philosophy so clearly articulated. Often, those with strong beliefs about the beginning and the end shout so loud that I am quiet. I do not know, by faith or any other means the answers to those questions. I only hope. I see validation of my hopes in the complexity and organization of the universe of which I am aware and the patterns that repeat. I speak my beliefs sometimes as though they are possible; yet, they are only my own musings about the truly unknown. From somewhere, the human race at its most basic has common threads. A life force pulses on this earth. I have the capacity to experience a wealth of "human" emotions, hopes and dreams. Like you, it is difficult for me to think it all just happened, by accident. I just don't know.

I've been dead for the last 12 years--so I am a great expert on life after death.

Anything you want to know--just ask me.

Only an idiot could look at the complex nature and delicate balance of life and the universe, then say it was an accident.
All designs have a designer.
All plans a planner.
The plain truth is that it exists, we are alive, we think, we create, we over come the impossible.
All of us deep down inside have an inkling that there is more to it all than meets the senses.
Scientists behold the atom and ponder, then theorise and calculate. Yet no one knows what actually holds the very heart of an atom together. It seems to defy the laws man has defined as nature. By reputation mankind has has always gotten around these conundrums by inventing theoretical particals and forces. Now and again mankind may hit the right target but often he is way off in his thinking.
I believe we are supposed to explore our universe.
The more we discover the more we see just how beautiful and miraculous it all is. The more we have to respect the force that gives us consciousness

I told you I was dead.

Alice wrote:

I told you I was dead.

Alice you are a million miles from dead.
You bring a refreshing breath of life to us all, you make me grin from ear to ear and ear to there and every where.

Quit calling me an idiot, dmondeo.

You are not an idiot, Dick! God is looking for you. When He finds you, Heaven help us all.

He has been so very busy keeping you alive through your unsupervised childhood, Normandy, message boards, etc., that He has not had time to reveal Himself to you.

Don't worry, He knows where you live. One of these days He will come knocking.

You will be more fervent than Billie Graham.

David,

Thanks for your very kind words. If I were having a funeral, I'd want you in charge of it.

Dick,

And Alice knows what she is talking about!!

Carol

Dick Stodghill wrote:

Quit calling me an idiot, dmondeo.

This always happens to me when I get a little philosophical.
I am sorry Dick I was not pointing the finger at you or anyone in particular.

I am so glad Carol agrees with me--she is never wrong!

And when she's right, she's sooo right.



Ann

And Ann is never wrong!