Is it possible life didnt start on Earth?

[OdinSon2k11]

...that the building blocks of life are EVERYWHERE in the universe. In the dark void. In the solar winds. Perhaps in suspended animation. It just so happened that the other 8 planets are dead worlds.

Whereas the seeds of life couldnt take hold on those desolate worlds, Earth was the one where it could flourish. That this same process is going on in other exo-solar systems? 

Its possibly nothing special about Earth, and that the seeds of life are all over space, the other 8 planets being unsuitable.

[zapatos]

Yes to all.

[Sensei]

Are you familiar with the Miller-Urey experiment?

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miller–Urey_experiment

and equivalent experiment of making RNA and DNA building blocks?

To create adenine you just need 5 HCN and electricity e.g. thunderstorm.

 

4 hours ago, OdinSon2k11 said:

Its possibly nothing special about Earth, and that the seeds of life are all over space, the other 8 planets being unsuitable.

It took billions of years after the first single cell microorganism appeared on Earth, before they began to cooperate in a multicellular form of life.

Earth like planets with existing life forms might be extremely deadly place with unknown lethal pathogens.

Edited March 17, 2020 by Sensei

[John Cuthber]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panspermia

[Endy0816]

Still favor Theia myself, but multiple options are possible.

Either starting from one or multiple locations and spreading or each planet/moon/other having their own seperate beginnings of life.

 

[Country Boy]

Your title is confusing.  Saying "life didn't start on Earth" is not the same as saying "life didn't only start on earth"!

[qidran]

One possibility is the panspermia theory that suggests life did not start on earth. With methane that has been found on Mars, this spread the humor that life could have began at somewhere else but not earth. Although the only life form is confirmed on Earth, some scientists think that other life form in the planet is reasonable.

[Area54]

On 3/17/2020 at 1:50 AM, OdinSon2k11 said:

the building blocks of life are EVERYWHERE in the universe. In the dark void. In the solar winds. Perhaps in suspended animation. Whereas the seeds of life couldnt take hold on those desolate worlds, Earth was the one where it could flourish.

The last time I checked well over 100 organic molecules had been detected in comets, meteorites, interstellar space and large moleculars clouds.

You seem to be using the terms "building blocks of life" and "seeds of life" as if they were the same. I think a more common usage would be for the building blocks to be relatively simple organic chemicals such as amino acids, hydrogen cyanide, methane, carbon dioxide, while the seeds would be life in embryonic form. The latter could indeed exist in suspended animation, but that term would be meaningless for the former.

On 3/17/2020 at 5:39 AM, Sensei said:

Are you familiar with the Miller-Urey experiment?

Perhaps the Miller-Urey experiment was more important for launching a field of study than for the actual results, interesting though they were.

On 3/17/2020 at 5:39 AM, Sensei said:

Earth like planets with existing life forms might be extremely deadly place with unknown lethal pathogens.

I find that an interesting thought. Is alien microscopic life so alien it would, generally be unable to interact with us in any significant way, or would even the most benign organisms in their own environment prove devasting for multicellular terrestrial life?

"It's life, Jim, but not as we know it . . . Arggh!"

2 hours ago, qidran said:

With methane that has been found on Mars, this spread the rumor that life could have began at somewhere else but not earth.

The problem with the Martian methane is that each new batch of information seems to confuse the picture rather than clarify. Life? Chemical reactions in the near surface? Volcanic emissions? Instrumentation artifacts? It is worth keeping an eye on developments.

[AlexCaro]

it's very interesting how things could've change if a certain period of time was missing