Whoa - this could go partway towards explaining the origin of life on Earth and increase the probability of it existing elsewhere
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/03/230321132523.htm
@NorthernInvader
It is fun to learn more about our origins.
One problem we have when talking about this topic is that no one can agree on a definition of "life".
What specifically do we mean when we say "life"?
What will we recognize in aliens that will lead us to conclude they're alive?
What if the first beings from elsewhere come to tell us we're a prison planet, isolated here for our crimes? We're imperfect, broken, unredeemable.
Is that Scientology?
@Jeber there's an old rumor that L. Ron Hubbard created Scientology as part of a dare or bet with several other SF writers of the era.
As for life - well if there are cells that reproduce you have life of a sort. To me that would be the minimum definition. I doubt we will ever be in close contact with any extra terrestrial life forms - the constantly expanding universe and the speed of light restrictions (assuming we never solve the energy problems of creating an Alcubierre type FTL drive)