New Extremeophiles: four examples (Introduction)

by dhw, Tuesday, June 06, 2017, 14:48 (2727 days ago) @ David Turell

QUOTE: "Some extremophiles, however, really do seem equipped for life on the Red Planet. Subterranean micro-organisms found in Earth’s deepest mines and caves seem to have what it takes to survive below the surface on Mars (Cosmos 61, p70). Studying Earth’s extremophiles offers a possible glimpse of what alien life may look like – and where to look for it."

David’s comment: These examples show how tough life is. We do not know how these living inventions appear, but all the mechanisms are helpful in research.

Thank you for all these truly wonderful wonders. The last one raises huge questions which might perhaps be best left unasked until we discover life elsewhere, if we ever do. I would just like to emphasize that the great mystery is not solely how life began, but also how it could have evolved as it has done on Earth. And that of course is the mystery we have been grappling with all these years. You are doing us all a great service, David, by informing us about these wonders.