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If 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

If 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 ago
Is the extreme danger for Earth or for the life form? What is it? Is it the risk of some extreme replication?
- stupendousyappi 6y ago
  Danger 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 ago
  I 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 ago
Perhaps 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 ago
If 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.

reducesuffering 6y ago

Is the extreme danger for Earth or for the life form? What is it? Is it the risk of some extreme replication?

stupendousyappi 6y ago
Danger 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 ago
I 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 ago

Perhaps 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 ago

If 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.