Are the characteristics of life as we know it universal?

Abstract

Are the characteristics of life as we know it universal? This paper explores the universality of life characteristics as we know them on Earth and addresses the “N=1 problem” – the challenge of making inferences about extraterrestrial life based on a single sample of life. We discuss Carol Cleland's proposal of a “Shadow Biosphere”, a hypothetical second biosphere with different biochemical and/or molecular features with respect to our known biosphere. This work critically examines Cleland's proposal, considering criticisms and possible cosmic scenarios, such as the Impact-Bottleneck hypothesis, suggesting that catastrophic events, like the Late Heavy Bombardment, may have influenced the evolution of life on Earth and the potential existence of a shadow biosphere. We also explore the habitability of celestial bodies in our solar system, such as Europa, Enceladus, and Titan, as potential targets for testing the universality of life characteristics. The conclusion highlights the importance of ongoing research on these environments to provide insights into the existence of a shadow biosphere and the universality of life beyond Earth.

Other Versions

No versions found

Links

PhilArchive



    Upload a copy of this work     Papers currently archived: 98,353

External links

Setup an account with your affiliations in order to access resources via your University's proxy server

Through your library

  • Only published works are available at libraries.

Analytics

Added to PP
2024-02-01

Downloads
8 (#1,536,382)

6 months
4 (#1,169,902)

Historical graph of downloads
How can I increase my downloads?

Citations of this work

No citations found.

Add more citations

References found in this work

No references found.

Add more references