Other Forms of Life (Evolution)

by BBella , Friday, December 05, 2008, 17:17 (5628 days ago) @ David Turell

However, on point 2 I want to point out that the universe we live in is uniform in how matter is spread out, and all of the universe has the same elements, unless the ones we created are unique, because we are alone. - > When I said all the universe has the same 'elements', I am talking about the 92 original atomic elements. Remember the 'periodic table ' in chemistry. Atomic scientists have now made about 16 more, that exist nowhere else, unless there are other beings as smart as us or smarter. - Now I see what you are saying David, thank you for being patient with me and clearing that up. "The ones we created" then are the new atomic elements the scientist have recently created. Gotcha there. So, you are saying that even if there are other life forms, where ever they are, possibly even in a so-called 'after life,' they should all be made up of the same elements that we have here on earth, that is except for the new ones we recently created. I can see that. And yet, as has been said, they could be at least as smart as we are, and if they are, then they may know a thing or two about creating new elements as well. So, can I deduce from that, new elements can be created by combining or splitting old elements, correct? Is that like gene splicing? Creating a new being from two old ones? - > > >It appears that life forms elsewhere should be built as we are from carbon, which is the simplest way to combine elements to form living organic chemicals. Granted the DNA eleswhere may have different programming. I mean this broadly, not that God programmed it, but that the inherent programming that developed on another planet was different, and it well could be. > - Again, forgive my ignorance, I'm sure I could retake all my science classes, or find out some other way, but, I'm hoping to flesh out some thoughts and not get side tracked or bogged down in 'new' studies, but just skim the surface of comprehension for a purpose here. You are saying above, carbon is the vehicle used by elements (old and new), or carbon uses elements, or carbon and elements are attracted to each other, so to form living organic chemicals, which is what different life forms, seen or unseen, are made of. And, according to it's "programming," which most likely comes from it's environment, is what determines what the form will look like. So, basically, everything "that is" is all made from the same 'stuff' and are actually the same 'thing' just looks different according to how it is formed? - > 
> As far as DNA is concerned as I mentioned before, the evolution of DNA is being studied from the earliest simple organisms to humans, making a whole DNA tree of evolution. Virus DNA has been found to have added itself (somehow) to human DNA. These comparison studies appear to be indicating that chimpanzee and human DNA are about 95% the same, not 98% as previously thought, and part of this is the RNA system which is way more complex than originally imagined by the geneticists.
> - To reduce the above to its simplest terms that even a kindergarten could understand (which is sometimes what level my mind works), and to reiterate one more time what you are saying; regardless of the different combinations of elements carbon uses to create new life forms, all is made from the same basic ingredients, correct? Could this be like painting many different pictures but only having so many colors of the spectrum to work with? You are saying that there could be many different forms of life but they all have the same basic elements if they were created with universal elements and so if there are other life forms, they still would be what we are just look different, possibly. And of course, there is still that question of what we could do in another 1000 yrs, technology wise, with all this 'stuff' we have to work with. - 
> At some point in time the whole DNA/RNA story will be known during Evolution on Earth. If odd programming of DNA is seen that matches nothing in that story, then we will know some came from elsewhere, which is your question. But that ability will be available some time in the future. In the meantime we will have 'just suppose' questions and discussions. - On an aside: Is reading DNA/RNA like reading the 'patterns' that elements and carbon used to make each life form? Would that be similar as finding out exactly what combination of colors Davinci used on the Mona Lisa and being able to know exactly which colors he used first, etc.? Not sure if that metaphor would work here...but if you can think of a better one, that would be of great help (hope I'm not asking too much). - So, even if we did find out there is different DNA programming that we cannot attribute to anything we've found yet, it would still be the same universal elements, right? - Thank you David for you patience with me...it is truly appreciated.