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27 - Preconditions for Life

from Part VI - Life and Language, Here and Beyond

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  16 September 2023

Raymond Hickey
Affiliation:
University of Limerick
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Summary

The discussions in this book so far have been about how life evolved on Earth and what paths it took, with the possible situation beyond Earth considered at regular intervals against this background. Some might say this approach is too conservative and that we should think outside the box for a while. After all, life could not just look, but also be very different, in principle, from life on Earth.

Is this really the case? Let’s recap on some of the preconditions for life discussed in previous chapters. To reach the level of molecular sophistication, which we observe on our own planet, the biology of an exoplanet would most likely have to be carbon-based because no other element has the same potential to form such a huge array of different molecules. Another point to remember is that high-level functions, like those humans exhibit, with their large brains and intricate physiologies, would require a complex physical substrate.

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Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2023

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  • Preconditions for Life
  • Raymond Hickey, University of Limerick
  • Book: Life and Language Beyond Earth
  • Online publication: 16 September 2023
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009229272.028
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  • Preconditions for Life
  • Raymond Hickey, University of Limerick
  • Book: Life and Language Beyond Earth
  • Online publication: 16 September 2023
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009229272.028
Available formats
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Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

  • Preconditions for Life
  • Raymond Hickey, University of Limerick
  • Book: Life and Language Beyond Earth
  • Online publication: 16 September 2023
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009229272.028
Available formats
×