Re:The path to detecting extraterrestrial life with astropho...
by gizmo686 on Tuesday September 19, 2023 @12:42PM
(#37572555)
According to NASA, abiotic production of O2 at Earth like levels is plausible. https://exoplanets.nasa.gov/news/215/oxygen-on-exoplanets-is...
Our understanding of astrochemestry is still limited enough, that we cannot say with confidence that a given signature requires a biotic process to produce.
Re:The path to detecting extraterrestrial life with astropho...
by sampo on Tuesday September 19, 2023 @12:55PM
(#37572772)
Link to full text: https://www.nature.com/articles/srep13977
Re:The path to detecting extraterrestrial life with astropho...
by Shekelphile on Wednesday September 20, 2023 @12:54AM
(#37580506)
> Our understanding of astrochemestry is still limited enough, that we cannot say with confidence that a given signature requires a biotic process to produce.
It will always be possible to find a new extreme edge case to deny far easier and more common processes that leave around biosignatures, it's the exact same rhetoric used to handwave away the methane in the martian atmosphere.
You don't really need to detect organic molecules. If anyone detected 21% oxygen (O2, inorganic) in Earth's atmosphere, they sure knew something was going on. Lifeless planets like Venus, Mars, have atmospheres that are close to chemical equilibrium. And Earth's atmosphere is far from equilibrium, free oxygen it much too reactive and wouldn't exist without photosynthesis continuously producing it.