Are we Carbon based life, proton-proton based life, string based life, or

In summary, carbon based life forms are the most common on Earth, and fullerene is made of carbon. Non-carbon based lifeforms may exist, but they would need to be made of something other than carbon to qualify.
  • #1
S = k log w
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Are we Carbon based life, proton-proton based life, space-time based life, string based life, or what?
 
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  • #2
Aren't we carbon based life forms? I guess you could say our minds somehow incorporate space-time into thinking process because how else could we have such a unique understanding of how it works. There is also the electricity that runs through our bodies that could suggest a deeper connection between us and the universe other than just some complex configuration of atoms,who knows. I'm not too sure what you exactly mean by that question.
 
  • #3
Everything is spacetime based. All matter is particle (maybe string) based. But life is specifically based on carbon chemistry.
 
  • #4
I would say that we are carbon based lifeforms, because that is the norm i suppose. What if there was another type of life-form that wasnt carbon-based (i dunno, for example, aliens that were silicon based), if they were classed as proton-proton based or string based then u are classifying just about everything known into one super-group. Also its easier to understand being carbon based then part of quantum theory or string theory ...well that's what i think anyway!
 
  • #5
With the discovery of the Fullerene, do we need to qualify what we mean when we say "carbon" based life? Perhaps it may be Non-Buckey-carbon based life.
 
  • #6
Originally posted by S = k log w
With the discovery of the Fullerene, do we need to qualify what we mean when we say "carbon" based life? Perhaps it may be Non-Buckey-carbon based life.

Just because fullerene is made of carbon doesn't mean carbon is fullerene. We never said non-diamond-carbon-based life, or non-pencil-lead-carbon based life.
 
  • #7
So we are instead based upon graphite and/or diamond chemistry, then? Those are the only other known allotropes of carbon, last I checked. This of course sounds totally silly to me, but anyway.

You could probably make a significantly better case for us being water-based life, given that the main component in most organisms is water.

ETA: Must have started my reply after CSF replied. Blargh.
 
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  • #8
but water is a given, its what water is in combination with that renders the Earth life trademark.
 

1. Are we Carbon based life?

Yes, humans and other living organisms on Earth are primarily composed of carbon-based molecules. This is because carbon has the unique ability to form strong and stable bonds with other elements, making it essential for the complex structures and processes of life.

2. Are we proton-proton based life?

No, while protons (and other subatomic particles) are fundamental building blocks of matter, they do not directly play a role in the formation or function of living organisms. Instead, protons are involved in the processes of nuclear fusion in stars, which ultimately create the elements that make up our bodies.

3. Are we string based life?

No, the idea of string theory, which suggests that particles are made up of tiny vibrating strings, is still a hypothesis and has not been proven. Furthermore, there is currently no evidence to suggest that living organisms are composed of strings.

4. What is the most likely basis for life?

Based on current scientific understanding, carbon-based life is the most likely form of life. Carbon's versatility and abundance on Earth make it an ideal element for the complex molecules and processes necessary for life to exist.

5. Could life exist in other forms?

It is possible that life could exist in forms that are not carbon-based. However, carbon is the only element known to form such a wide variety of stable and complex molecules, making it the most likely basis for life as we know it. Further research into other elements and forms of life is ongoing.

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