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If indeed abiotic processes couldn't have generated the phosphine and life does exist on Venus, some questions I'm pondering: 1) How can we determine whether V
by scarmig 6y ago
If indeed abiotic processes couldn't have generated the phosphine and life does exist on Venus, some questions I'm pondering:
1) How can we determine whether Venusian and Terran life share a common ancestor? A seemingly clear signal would be a different genetic basis for Venusian life than DNA, but would the converse be true, or just a sign of convergent evolution?
2) How hard would it be to send a probe there that could perform a preliminary analysis of the life form? How hard would it be to bring a sample back to Earth?
3) This would be an indicator of life existing in the habitable zone of Venus' atmosphere. How should that change our estimate of the likelihood of other forms to exist on the surface of Venus? Earth extremophiles can exist at >100C, but the surface of Venus is >450C. On the other hand, there'd be a continuum which would allow evolutionary processes to work their magic. Acidity is also an issue, but the life forms in the habitable zone already be living at levels impossible for any known Earth species.
- stupendousyappi 6y agoIf the Venusian life has anything vaguely like replicating paired strands of nucleic acids, I think we have to assume a common ancestor (and I'd put my money on it coming from Venus). Even if there's no commonality whatsoever in details of the genetic code. FWIW, if we do discover life on Venus, I expect this to be the case. Regarding #2, bringing a sample back to Earth is way too dangerous. At least, I'm certain NASA will see it that way, and I doubt any other space agency has the capability to execute a sample return mission within the next 10 years without NASA assistance.
- reducesuffering 6y agoIs the extreme danger for Earth or for the life form? What is it? Is it the risk of some extreme replication?
- stupendousyappi 6y agoDanger for earth. When we introduce a species to a new environment, sometimes it dies, and sometimes it becomes an invasive species and kills a lot of other stuff. And some of those invasive species are big (like snakehead fish) and some are small (like the smallpox virus or, frankly, SARS-Cov-2). Many experts think there's a risk that an extraterrestrial microorganism could devastate some or all Earth life, given that no Earth life has had a chance to evolve defenses against it.
- mhh__ 6y agoI think neither, actually. We know how to manage risk - we can process the sample on the space station if needs be. The issue here is probably contamination of the Venusian atmosphere.
- Cyphase 6y agoPerhaps a sample could be retrieved and kept in orbital cold-storage until we have the technology to do further analysis off-planet. In the meantime we can already do some analysis off-planet.
- saberdancer 6y agoIf there is life on Venus, I am sure that priority #1 will be bringing it back to Earth. There are procedures and techniques with dealing with dangerous viruses, bacteria and such. If it is a bacteria that lives in an acidic oxygenless environment on Venus it is doubtful it could survive in an oxygen rich planet.
- saberdancer 6y ago2) Russia already launched a balloon equipped mission to Venus. There are ideas for a new NASA mission with a balloon. If this discovery resists abiotic explanations, this type of mission will receive a massive priority boost. Sending a probe for preliminary analysis seems relatively straight forward, what is harder is to designs systems that would operate long enough in an acidic environment to get resuls. Return to Earth is also hard as Venus has gravity comparable to Earth but with enough funding I am sure it is possible. 3) What is more interesting to me is if there is bacterial life on Venus, is there anything more complicated?