Rath on 09 December 2009
Yeah water is a pretty neat liquid for life to form, it isn't an absolute necessity nor is it an absolute indicator of the existence of life, but a planet with large bodies of water would be closest to our idea of abiogenesis.
Also carbon based life isn't necessarily the only form, silicon also its a possibility. Other than that though there doesn't seem to be another element able to form the complex chains that would seem necessary for life to form.
