Many people wonder if we are the only life in the universe or if there might be life on other planets. Scientists are trying to find signs of extraterrestrial life, but it’s challenging because life on other planets might look very different from what we know on Earth. However, a group of scientists in the United States has created a computer system using artificial intelligence that claims to be able to find signs of life with a high level of accuracy.
This AI system doesn’t search for classic green aliens with big eyes. Instead, it looks for more subtle clues that life could exist on another planet, like special molecules called molecular biosignatures.
They presented their work to other scientists at a conference in Lyon, France, and received a positive response. They recently published the details of their system in a respected scientific journal called PNAS.
According to Robert Hazen, the lead researcher, this technology is a big step forward in our ability to recognize signs of life on other planets. It could potentially be used on spacecraft to search for signs of life in space.
Scientists have known since the 1950s that certain chemical reactions can create complex molecules like amino acids, which are important for life. They have also found some of the necessary components for life, such as the building blocks of DNA, in space. However, the challenge is determining whether these molecules are created by biological processes or by other natural processes over time. Figuring that out is crucial in determining if we have actually found signs of life or not.
The Life test
Scientists conducted a “life test” by using a special method called pyrolysis gas-chromatography mass-spectrometry (GCMS) to examine 135 different carbon-rich samples. These samples came from various sources, including living cells, old and degraded materials, processed fossil fuels, carbon-rich meteorites, and lab-made organic compounds.
Out of these samples, 59 came from living things like rice grains, human hair, and crude oil. The other 74 samples were not from living things; they were either synthetic compounds made in the lab or samples from meteorites.
The scientists heated these samples in an oxygen-free environment, causing them to break down. Then, they used a device called GCMS to separate and identify the different parts of the mixture.
They also used computer programs and machine learning to analyze the data from each sample in three dimensions (time, intensity, and mass). When they tested this computer model on more samples, it was accurate more than 90% of the time.
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The Results
The scientists heated these samples in an oxygen-free environment, causing them to break down. Then, they used a device called GCMS to separate and identify the different parts of the mixture.
They also used computer programs and machine learning to analyze the data from each sample in three dimensions (time, intensity, and mass). When they tested this computer model on more samples, it was accurate more than 90% of the time.
According to Hazen, this also means that at a deep level, biochemistry and non-biological chemistry are somewhat different. This also suggests that if we find life elsewhere, we can tell if life on Earth and other planets came from a common origin, aligning with the theory of panspermia, or whether they have fundamentally different origins.
