Should We Develop a Unique Terminology for Alien Lifeforms?

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stefan r said:
Tardigrades:Edit:
Also see Conan the Bacterium:
The organisms found on the ISS weren't tardigrades. Although water bears have been actually tested and found to survive in space.
 
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p1l0t said:
So there is a 'bacteria' or some kind of microbial life that lives on the ISS. It lives in the harsh space enviornment. Everyone wants to know whether it came from Earth (and evolved?) or whether it came from an extraterrestrial source. While I too want to know where it traces back to... Part of me says WHO CARES!? There is LIFE in SPACE. It IS possible. That said I certainly hope we are not alone and have to spread across the Universe ourselves because it seems a bit lonely in something so vast it's seemingly infinite.
As far as we know though, space near Earth does not have indigenous life.
The fact that some bacteria and other simple Earth organisms can survive for a while n space doesn't really help.
Humans and other higher animals (and plants). cannot exist in space for more than a year or so without artificial life support,