highwaystar101 on 09 December 2009
| Rath said: 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. |
Water is by far and away the most common liquid in the Universe as it is made up of two of the most common elements (Hydrogen and Oxygen), but other liquids are hypothesised to have a similar effect as water, such ammonia. A gas, a solid or an extremely unstable liquid would not offer a good place for life to form.
Silicon life is a possibility, but as far as I'm aware it can't get too complex due to the way reacts with many elements.
Actually this link has some good information about this
