What are the chances of survival on another planet? Scientists have started to believe that it is possible for people to live on another planet. What made this impossible before is the non-existence of water. However, now they believe that it is actually possible to live in a place that has no water. If this theory stands true, many nonhospitable places will now be accessible for living. Dirk Shulze-Makuch and Nediljko Budisa (astrobiologists) are leading a new theory that suggests alternatives to water that can make life possible and more convenient even on desert worlds. This would also increase the number of planets that are capable of supporting life. The reason due to which, water was considered a very important resource for life was because it is a solvent that makes most chemical reactions possible. This refers to the chemical reactions that take place in the environment as well as the human body. In the absence of an equivalent solvent, the chemistry of living organisms as we know would be non-existence. However, this new theory suggests that the supercritical carbon dioxide can actually function as an alternative solvent. Carbon dioxide as we know it, is an abundant compound; however, what makes it supercritical? It is known that when certain fluids exceed their pressure and temperature thresholds, they become supercritical. Once they achieve this point, individual gas and liquid phases do not exist anymore. They will be able to dissolve contents like liquids and will also be able to pass through solids like gasses. Carbon dioxide reaches its critical point when its pressure goes above 72.9 atm and the temperature is raised beyond 305 Kelvin. Carbon dioxide at this point will act as a better solvent than water; for example, enzymes in the body will be much easily soluble in the carbon dioxide as compared to water. The carbon dioxide solvent will also be more specific about the molecules that it reacts with, which will allow lesser unnecessary reactions. Hence, one candidate that qualifies as the future world now is Venus, which has an atmospheric pressure about ninety times that of earth, while its temperature is almost 872 degree Fahrenheit, while that required for the critical point is only 89 degrees. As a bonus, ninety seven percent of Venus’ atmosphere is carbon dioxide. This proves the neo-twenty-eth century movies false about only searching life on Mars for the signs of life. Several other planets and places could hence, also be good places to harbor life.
Related Article: http://www.researchomatic.com/New-Research/Is-There-Life-on-Other-Planets-55147.html