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Should We Seed Life On Alien Worlds? (sciencemag.org)
Slashdot reader sciencehabit quotes an article from Science magazine: Astronomers have detected more than 3000 planets beyond our solar system, and just a couple of weeks ago they discovered an Earth-like planet in the solar system next door. Most -- if not all -- of these worlds are unlikely to harbor life, but what if we put it there?
Science chatted with theoretical physicist Claudius Gros about his proposed Genesis Project, which would send artificially intelligent probes to lifeless worlds to seed them with microbes. Over millions of years, they might evolve into multicellular organisms, and, perhaps eventually, plants and animals. In the interview, Gros talks artificial intelligence, searching for habitable planets, and what kind of organisms he'd like to see evolve.
"The robots will have to decide if a certain planet should receive microbes and the chance to evolve life," the physicist explains -- adding that it's very important to avoid introducing new microbes on planets where life already exists.
Science chatted with theoretical physicist Claudius Gros about his proposed Genesis Project, which would send artificially intelligent probes to lifeless worlds to seed them with microbes. Over millions of years, they might evolve into multicellular organisms, and, perhaps eventually, plants and animals. In the interview, Gros talks artificial intelligence, searching for habitable planets, and what kind of organisms he'd like to see evolve.
"The robots will have to decide if a certain planet should receive microbes and the chance to evolve life," the physicist explains -- adding that it's very important to avoid introducing new microbes on planets where life already exists.
If there are in fact other spacefaring civilizations out there in our galaxy, what would they think of us willy-nilly tossing our biologicals at random planets? Would they think we're smart and forward-thinking, or would they look at it as arrogant, self-centered, thoughtless, or hostile? Here on Earth (well, at least here in the U.S.) we expect Environment Impact studies done before real estate is developed, because we've learned that not doing so may cause us to do more harm than good. Why shouldn't we adopt the same policy with regard to exoplanets? Observe-and-report first, then consider carefully whether we do anything to 'develop' anything.
Are YOU using the TOOL, or is the TOOL using YOU? Think about it!
Not sure if you are just joking. In case, fully developed plant and life won't survive most alien conditions. Microbes can. Transporting several redwoods across space is not an easy task. you have to keep them alive on the trip, and they do weight a lot. but planting them is even harder. With microbes, you just need a few cups of goo, and you are good to go. practically, you have to crawl before you walk, and walk before you run.
Note that we should use a pretty generous definition of "intelligence" for that caveat. I'm not sure I'd count a chimp, but would definitely count Australopithecus Africanus, and maybe Afarensis.
Not chimps? How about Gorillas? Dolphins? Whales? Heck, it's possible a dog is as smart as Afarensis. I think your definition of "intelligence" may not be very smart.
The cesspool just got a check and balance.
Regardless of what Captain Kirk might do, it is silly to think that potentially habitable planets are not already microbial hosting life-forms. All the data about early life on Earth indicates we got it almost as soon as the planetary crust cooled enough for life to be possible. It seems more likely that life arrived from elsewhere (panspermia) than thinking it evolved here --not enough time to evolve. Plus, we have data indicating that life may have existed even before the Earth existed. Therefore we should expect every planet that can possibly support life to already have it.
Once we get sophisticated enough probes etc. we'll probably soon find that life is literally everywhere in the universe. From what's been found already on earth it's clear that microbes can live almost everywhere. And when you get things like tardigrades and the shrimp who live in hydrothermal vents etc. it's clear that multicellular life seems to find a niche almost everywhere.
Personally I think the whole multiverse is teeming with life. It just seems to be a natural part of things There are probably beetles everywhere !
Intelligence on the other hand is severely lacking :)
Sky subscribers are morons. They pay to be advertised at !
Pretty sure the takeaway from that scene is that Agent Smith has no understanding of what a virus is, computer OR biological, or pretty much any form of life. Probably because anything outside the Matrix not part of the human stacks or baby farm is a desolate wasteland of broken machine parts utterly devoid of any form of life.
Every mammal on this planet instinctively develops a natural equilibrium with the surrounding environment
Not through its own accord. Only through predation does this happen. Otherwise they achieve "equilibrium" by reproducing out of control and then starving to death. see: Lotka–Volterra equations for some math on the subject.
but you humans do not.
Humans are the only mammals that can even measure the capacity of their environment, let alone limit their own activity to stay within its bounds.
You move to an area and you multiply and multiply until every natural resource is consumed and the only way you can survive is to spread to another area.
Or improving the area that is "consumed." Sometimes we do that, too. Agriculture, for instance, increases the humany carrying capacity of a given area of land by vastly increasing the amount of human compatible resources that are produced there.
There is another organism on this planet that follows the same pattern. Do you know what it is? A virus.
Could've named pretty much any other organism on the planet other than viruses and been right. Viruses don't consume anything, and they don't even reproduce on their own. They just float around and take-over other organisms reproduction mechanisms.
You've made an assumption that continuing Earth life (we're not even talking Human life here) has some kind of value for humans who will be dead millennia before a probe reaches a viable candidate.
The very idea screams narcissism to me. On a scale never before imagined by any dictator.