• Question: can life begin on another planet with no interferrence?

    Asked by jumentous to Ed, Katie, Sam, Steve, Vera on 19 Jun 2011.
    • Photo: Sam Tazzyman

      Sam Tazzyman answered on 17 Jun 2011:

      I think if the conditions are right then it must be able to, because I believe that is how it began on this planet.

    • Photo: Ed Morrison

      Ed Morrison answered on 17 Jun 2011:

      It happened at least once, on earth, so it could probably happen again somewhere else.

      It’s probably very unlikely, but the universe is such a big place that is could happen somewhere. It would be incredibly exciting if we discovered some.

    • Photo: Steven Daly

      Steven Daly answered on 18 Jun 2011:

      One thing we have learnt from life on Earth is that it will survive in almost any circumstances. This especially applies to bacterial life. There are some bacteria that can survive nuclear blasts and a journey into space.

      It seems likely that if a planet has conditions which will support some kind of life, then life will exist. I think the most important thing is the temperature of the planet, it must not be too cold or else chemicals reactions would be too slow. We may not recognise it easily but I think that life could be all over the Universe.

    • Photo: Vera Weisbecker

      Vera Weisbecker answered on 18 Jun 2011:

      I agree, if all the conditions are met and enough chemicals are there you would expect life to happen sooner or later.

    • Photo: Katie Marriott

      Katie Marriott answered on 19 Jun 2011:

      There is lots of evidence that tlife began on this planet with no interference (although it depends on your views of how the world was created).

      Scientists believe planets need to be within a “Goldilocks Zone” of their solar system. This is where the planet if neither too close or too far away from its sun, so it is niether too hot or too cold – Just like the Earth!

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