WEBVTT
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Sᴜᴘᴘᴏʀᴛᴇᴅ ʙʏ
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Sᴜᴘᴘᴏʀᴛᴇᴅ ʙʏ
Protocol Labs
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Sᴜᴘᴘᴏʀᴛᴇᴅ ʙʏ
Protocol Labs
Follow your curiosity.
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Sᴜᴘᴘᴏʀᴛᴇᴅ ʙʏ
Protocol Labs
Follow your curiosity.
Lead humanity forward.
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Protocol Labs
Follow your curiosity.
Lead humanity forward.
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Follow your curiosity.
Lead humanity forward.
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"In all the universe,
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"In all the universe,
there stands only one known tree of life."
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"Does it stand alone?
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"Does it stand alone?
Or is it part of a vast cosmic wilderness?"
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"Imagine a museum
containing every type of life in the universe."
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"What strange things would such a museum hold?"
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"What is possible under the laws of nature?"
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LIFE
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LIFE BEYOND
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CHAPTER II
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CHAPTER II
The Museum Of Alien Life
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To have any hope-
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of finding alien life,
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we have to know what to look for.
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But where do we begin?
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How do we narrow down...
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a seemingly infinite set-
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of possibilities...
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There's one thing we know for sure...
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nature will have to play-
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by her own rules.
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No matter how strange-
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alien life might be,
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is going to be limited-
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by the same physical...
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and chemical laws that we are....
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6
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6 C
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6 CO
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6 CO₂
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6 CO₂ +
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6 CO₂ + 6
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6 CO₂ + 6 H
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6 CO₂ + 6 H₂
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6 CO₂ + 6 H₂O
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6 CO₂ + 6 H₂O +
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6 CO₂ + 6 H₂O + L
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6 CO₂ + 6 H₂O + Li
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6 CO₂ + 6 H₂O + Lig
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6 CO₂ + 6 H₂O + Ligh
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6 CO₂ + 6 H₂O + Light
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6 CO₂ + 6 H₂O + Light →
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6 CO₂ + 6 H₂O + Light → C
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6 CO₂ + 6 H₂O + Light → C₆
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6 CO₂ + 6 H₂O + Light → C₆H
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6 CO₂ + 6 H₂O + Light → C₆H₁
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6 CO₂ + 6 H₂O + Light → C₆H₁₂
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6 CO₂ + 6 H₂O + Light → C₆H₁₂O
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6 CO₂ + 6 H₂O + Light → C₆H₁₂O₆
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6 CO₂ + 6 H₂O + Light → C₆H₁₂O₆ +
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6 CO₂ + 6 H₂O + Light → C₆H₁₂O₆ + 6
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6 CO₂ + 6 H₂O + Light → C₆H₁₂O₆ + 6 O
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6 CO₂ + 6 H₂O + Light → C₆H₁₂O₆ + 6 O₂
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On top of this,
6 CO₂ + 6 H₂O + Light → C₆H₁₂O₆ + 6 O₂
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On top of this,
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each alien environment will further limit-
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⁴⁵⁸ ʜʏᴅʀᴏɢᴇɴ
each alien environment will further limit-
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⁴⁵⁸ ʜʏᴅʀᴏɢᴇɴ | C₆
each alien environment will further limit-
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⁴⁵⁸ ʜʏᴅʀᴏɢᴇɴ | C₆H
each alien environment will further limit-
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⁴⁵⁸ ʜʏᴅʀᴏɢᴇɴ | C₆H₁
each alien environment will further limit-
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⁴⁵⁸ ʜʏᴅʀᴏɢᴇɴ | C₆H₁₂
each alien environment will further limit-
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⁴⁵⁸ ʜʏᴅʀᴏɢᴇɴ | C₆H₁₂O
each alien environment will further limit-
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⁴⁵⁸ ʜʏᴅʀᴏɢᴇɴ | C₆H₁₂O₆
each alien environment will further limit-
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⁴⁵⁸ ʜʏᴅʀᴏɢᴇɴ | C₆H₁₂O₆ →
each alien environment will further limit-
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⁴⁵⁸ ʜʏᴅʀᴏɢᴇɴ | C₆H₁₂O₆ → 2
each alien environment will further limit-
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⁴⁵⁸ ʜʏᴅʀᴏɢᴇɴ | C₆H₁₂O₆ → 2C
each alien environment will further limit-
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⁴⁵⁸ ʜʏᴅʀᴏɢᴇɴ | C₆H₁₂O₆ → 2C₂
each alien environment will further limit-
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⁴⁵⁸ ʜʏᴅʀᴏɢᴇɴ | C₆H₁₂O₆ → 2C₂H
each alien environment will further limit-
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⁴⁵⁸ ʜʏᴅʀᴏɢᴇɴ | C₆H₁₂O₆ → 2C₂H₅
each alien environment will further limit-
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⁴⁵⁸ ʜʏᴅʀᴏɢᴇɴ | C₆H₁₂O₆ → 2C₂H₅O
each alien environment will further limit-
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⁴⁵⁸ ʜʏᴅʀᴏɢᴇɴ | C₆H₁₂O₆ → 2C₂H₅OH
each alien environment will further limit-
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⁴⁵⁸ ʜʏᴅʀᴏɢᴇɴ | C₆H₁₂O₆ → 2C₂H₅OH +
each alien environment will further limit-
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⁴⁵⁸ ʜʏᴅʀᴏɢᴇɴ | C₆H₁₂O₆ → 2C₂H₅OH +2
each alien environment will further limit-
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⁴⁵⁸ ʜʏᴅʀᴏɢᴇɴ | C₆H₁₂O₆ → 2C₂H₅OH +2C
each alien environment will further limit-
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⁴⁵⁸ ʜʏᴅʀᴏɢᴇɴ | C₆H₁₂O₆ → 2C₂H₅OH +2CO
each alien environment will further limit-
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⁴⁵⁸ ʜʏᴅʀᴏɢᴇɴ | C₆H₁₂O₆ → 2C₂H₅OH +2CO₂ +
each alien environment will further limit-
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⁴⁵⁸ ʜʏᴅʀᴏɢᴇɴ | C₆H₁₂O₆ → 2C₂H₅OH +2CO₂ + E
each alien environment will further limit-
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⁴⁵⁸ ʜʏᴅʀᴏɢᴇɴ | C₆H₁₂O₆ → 2C₂H₅OH +2CO₂ + En
each alien environment will further limit-
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⁴⁵⁸ ʜʏᴅʀᴏɢᴇɴ | C₆H₁₂O₆ → 2C₂H₅OH +2CO₂ + Ene
each alien environment will further limit-
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⁴⁵⁸ ᴏxʏɢᴇɴ | C₆H₁₂O₆ → 2C₂H₅OH +2CO₂ + Ener
each alien environment will further limit-
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⁴⁵⁸ ᴏxʏɢᴇɴ | C₆H₁₂O₆ → 2C₂H₅OH +2CO₂ + Energ
each alien environment will further limit-
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⁴⁵⁸ ᴏxʏɢᴇɴ | C₆H₁₂O₆ → 2C₂H₅OH +2CO₂ + Energy
each alien environment will further limit-
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⁴⁵⁸ ᴏxʏɢᴇɴ | C₆H₁₂O₆ → 2C₂H₅OH +2CO₂ + Energy
each alien environment will further limit-
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⁴⁵⁸ ᴏxʏɢᴇɴ | C₆H₁₂O₆ → 2C₂H₅OH +2CO₂ + Energy
what kinds of life forms can evolve there.
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⁴⁵⁸ ɴɪʀᴏɢᴇɴ | C₆H₁₂O₆ → 2C₂H₅OH +2CO₂ + Energy
what kinds of life forms can evolve there.
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⁴⁰⁵⁰ ɴɪʀᴏɢᴇɴ | C₆H₁₂O₆ → 2C₂H₅OH +2CO₂ + Energy
what kinds of life forms can evolve there.
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Despite these natural boundaries,
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the possibilities are staggering to imagine.
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Trillions of planets,
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each a unique cauldron of chemicals,
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undergoing their own complex evolution.
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To guide our thinking,
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this museum of alien life-
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will be divided into two exhibits...
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Life as we know it,
NOTE Paragraph
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EXHIBIT I
Life As We Know It
ᶜᵃʳᵇᵒⁿ ᵃⁿᵈ ʷᵃᵗᵉʳ ᵇᵃˢᵉᵈ
Life as we know it,
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EXHIBIT I
Life As We Know It
ᶜᵃʳᵇᵒⁿ ᵃⁿᵈ ʷᵃᵗᵉʳ ᵇᵃˢᵉᵈ
home to beings-
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EXHIBIT I
Life As We Know It
ᶜᵃʳᵇᵒⁿ ᵃⁿᵈ ʷᵃᵗᵉʳ ᵇᵃˢᵉᵈ
with bio-chemistries like ours.
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EXHIBIT II
LIFE AS WE DON'T KNOW IT
ᴱˣᵒᵗᶦᶜ ᴮᶦᵒᶜʰᵉᵐᶦˢᵗʳᶦᵉˢ
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EXHIBIT II
LIFE AS WE DON'T KNOW IT
ᴱˣᵒᵗᶦᶜ ᴮᶦᵒᶜʰᵉᵐᶦˢᵗʳᶦᵉˢ
And life as we don't know it,
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EXHIBIT II
LIFE AS WE DON'T KNOW IT
ᴱˣᵒᵗᶦᶜ ᴮᶦᵒᶜʰᵉᵐᶦˢᵗʳᶦᵉˢ
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EXHIBIT II
LIFE AS WE DON'T KNOW IT
ᴱˣᵒᵗᶦᶜ ᴮᶦᵒᶜʰᵉᵐᶦˢᵗʳᶦᵉˢ
home to beings-
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EXHIBIT II
LIFE AS WE DON'T KNOW IT
ᴱˣᵒᵗᶦᶜ ᴮᶦᵒᶜʰᵉᵐᶦˢᵗʳᶦᵉˢ
that challenge our concept of life itself.
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Before we venture-
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too far into the unknown,
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we have to ask ourselves...
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what if alien life-
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is more like us...
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than we think?
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EXHIBIT I
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EXHIBIT I
Life As We Know It
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EXHIBIT I
Life As We Know It
ᶜᵃʳᵇᵒⁿ ᵃⁿᵈ ʷᵃᵗᵉʳ ᵇᵃˢᵉᵈ
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EXHIBIT I
Life As We Know It
ᶜᵃʳᵇᵒⁿ ᵃⁿᵈ ʷᵃᵗᵉʳ ᵇᵃˢᵉᵈ
If there's one feature-
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EXHIBIT I
Life As We Know It
ᶜᵃʳᵇᵒⁿ ᵃⁿᵈ ʷᵃᵗᵉʳ ᵇᵃˢᵉᵈ
that unites us...
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EXHIBIT I
Life As We Know It
ᶜᵃʳᵇᵒⁿ ᵃⁿᵈ ʷᵃᵗᵉʳ ᵇᵃˢᵉᵈ
with these other specimes in this museum,
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EXHIBIT I
Life As We Know It
ᶜᵃʳᵇᵒⁿ ᵃⁿᵈ ʷᵃᵗᵉʳ ᵇᵃˢᵉᵈ
00:04:19.922 --> 00:04:21.245
EXHIBIT I
Life As We Know It
ᶜᵃʳᵇᵒⁿ ᵃⁿᵈ ʷᵃᵗᵉʳ ᵇᵃˢᵉᵈ
it's carbon...
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Carbon
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Carbon ⁴
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S
Carbon ⁴ᵗʰ
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ᴀ Sᴜ
Carbon ⁴ᵗʰ ᵐ
00:04:22.212 --> 00:04:22.275
C
ᴀᴛ Sᴜʙ
Carbon ⁴ᵗʰ ᵐᵒ
00:04:22.275 --> 00:04:22.337
R | C 0
ᴀᴛᴏ Sᴜʙʟ
Carbon ⁴ᵗʰ ᵐᵒˢ
00:04:22.337 --> 00:04:22.400
R + | C 00
ᴀᴛᴏᴍ Sᴜʙʟɪ
Carbon ⁴ᵗʰ ᵐᵒˢᵗ
00:04:22.400 --> 00:04:22.462
R + 7: | C 006
ᴀᴛᴏᴍɪ Sᴜʙʟɪᴍ
Carbon ⁴ᵗʰ ᵐᵒˢᵗ ᵃ
00:04:22.462 --> 00:04:22.525
R + 7: 9 | C 006
ᴀᴛᴏᴍɪᴄ Sᴜʙʟɪᴍᴀ
Carbon ⁴ᵗʰ ᵐᵒˢᵗ ᵃᵇ
00:04:22.525 --> 00:04:22.587
R + 7: 9: | C 006
ᴀᴛᴏᴍɪᴄ ᴡ Sᴜʙʟɪᴍᴀᴛ
Carbon ⁴ᵗʰ ᵐᵒˢᵗ ᵃᵇᵘ
00:04:22.587 --> 00:04:22.650
R + 7: 9: 5 | C 006
ᴀᴛᴏᴍɪᴄ ᴡᴇ Sᴜʙʟɪᴍᴀᴛɪ
Carbon ⁴ᵗʰ ᵐᵒˢᵗ ᵃᵇᵘⁿ
00:04:22.650 --> 00:04:22.712
R + 7: 9: 56 | C 006
ᴀᴛᴏᴍɪᴄ ᴡᴇɪ Sᴜʙʟɪᴍᴀᴛɪᴏ
Carbon ⁴ᵗʰ ᵐᵒˢᵗ ᵃᵇᵘⁿᵈ
00:04:22.712 --> 00:04:22.775
R + 7: 9: 56: | C 006
ᴀᴛᴏᴍɪᴄ ᴡᴇɪɢʜ Sᴜʙʟɪᴍᴀᴛɪᴏɴ
Carbon ⁴ᵗʰ ᵐᵒˢᵗ ᵃᵇᵘⁿᵈᵃ
00:04:22.775 --> 00:04:22.837
R + 7: 9: 56:2 | C 006
ᴀᴛᴏᴍɪᴄ ᴡᴇɪɢʜᴛ Sᴜʙʟɪᴍᴀᴛɪᴏɴ ᴘ
Carbon ⁴ᵗʰ ᵐᵒˢᵗ ᵃᵇᵘⁿᵈᵃⁿ
00:04:22.837 --> 00:04:22.900
R + 7: 9: 56:25 | C 006
ᴀᴛᴏᴍɪᴄ ᴡᴇɪɢʜᴛ: Sᴜʙʟɪᴍᴀᴛɪᴏɴ ᴘᴏ
Carbon ⁴ᵗʰ ᵐᵒˢᵗ ᵃᵇᵘⁿᵈᵃⁿᵗ
00:04:22.900 --> 00:04:22.962
R + 7: 9: 56:25 | C 006
ᴀᴛᴏᴍɪᴄ ᴡᴇɪɢʜᴛ: ₁ Sᴜʙʟɪᴍᴀᴛɪᴏɴ ᴘᴏɪ
Carbon ⁴ᵗʰ ᵐᵒˢᵗ ᵃᵇᵘⁿᵈᵃⁿᵗ ᵉ
00:04:22.962 --> 00:04:23.025
R + 7: 9: 56:25 | C 006
ᴀᴛᴏᴍɪᴄ ᴡᴇɪɢʜᴛ: ₁₂ Sᴜʙʟɪᴍᴀᴛɪᴏɴ ᴘᴏɪɴ
Carbon ⁴ᵗʰ ᵐᵒˢᵗ ᵃᵇᵘⁿᵈᵃⁿᵗ ᵉˡ
00:04:23.025 --> 00:04:23.087
R + 7: 9: 56:25 | C 006
ᴀᴛᴏᴍɪᴄ ᴡᴇɪɢʜᴛ: ₁₂. Sᴜʙʟɪᴍᴀᴛɪᴏɴ ᴘᴏɪɴᴛ
Carbon ⁴ᵗʰ ᵐᵒˢᵗ ᵃᵇᵘⁿᵈᵃⁿᵗ ᵉˡᵉ
00:04:23.087 --> 00:04:23.150
R + 7: 9: 56:25 | C 006
ᴀᴛᴏᴍɪᴄ ᴡᴇɪɢʜᴛ: ₁₂.₀ Sᴜʙʟɪᴍᴀᴛɪᴏɴ ᴘᴏɪɴᴛ:
Carbon ⁴ᵗʰ ᵐᵒˢᵗ ᵃᵇᵘⁿᵈᵃⁿᵗ ᵉˡᵉᵐ
00:04:23.150 --> 00:04:23.212
R + 7: 9: 56:25 | C 006
ᴀᴛᴏᴍɪᴄ ᴡᴇɪɢʜᴛ: ₁₂.₀₁ Sᴜʙʟɪᴍᴀᴛɪᴏɴ ᴘᴏɪɴᴛ: ³
Carbon ⁴ᵗʰ ᵐᵒˢᵗ ᵃᵇᵘⁿᵈᵃⁿᵗ ᵉˡᵉᵐᵉ
00:04:23.212 --> 00:04:23.275
R + 7: 9: 56:25 | C 006
ᴀᴛᴏᴍɪᴄ ᴡᴇɪɢʜᴛ: ₁₂.₀₁₁ Sᴜʙʟɪᴍᴀᴛɪᴏɴ ᴘᴏɪɴᴛ: ³⁹
Carbon ⁴ᵗʰ ᵐᵒˢᵗ ᵃᵇᵘⁿᵈᵃⁿᵗ ᵉˡᵉᵐᵉⁿ
00:04:23.275 --> 00:04:23.337
R + 7: 9: 56:25 | C 006
ᴀᴛᴏᴍɪᴄ ᴡᴇɪɢʜᴛ: ₁₂.₀₁₁ Sᴜʙʟɪᴍᴀᴛɪᴏɴ ᴘᴏɪɴᴛ: ³⁹¹
Carbon ⁴ᵗʰ ᵐᵒˢᵗ ᵃᵇᵘⁿᵈᵃⁿᵗ ᵉˡᵉᵐᵉⁿᵗ
00:04:23.337 --> 00:04:23.400
R + 7: 9: 56:25 | C 006
ᴀᴛᴏᴍɪᴄ ᴡᴇɪɢʜᴛ: ₁₂.₀₁₁ Sᴜʙʟɪᴍᴀᴛɪᴏɴ ᴘᴏɪɴᴛ: ³⁹¹⁵
Carbon ⁴ᵗʰ ᵐᵒˢᵗ ᵃᵇᵘⁿᵈᵃⁿᵗ ᵉˡᵉᵐᵉⁿᵗ
00:04:23.400 --> 00:04:24.545
R + 7: 9: 56:25 | C 006
ᴀᴛᴏᴍɪᴄ ᴡᴇɪɢʜᴛ: ₁₂.₀₁₁ Sᴜʙʟɪᴍᴀᴛɪᴏɴ ᴘᴏɪɴᴛ: ³⁹¹⁵ ᴷ
Carbon ⁴ᵗʰ ᵐᵒˢᵗ ᵃᵇᵘⁿᵈᵃⁿᵗ ᵉˡᵉᵐᵉⁿᵗ
00:04:24.545 --> 00:04:24.670
R + 7: 9: 56:25 | Period 2
ᴀᴛᴏᴍɪᴄ ᴡᴇɪɢʜᴛ: ₁₂.₀₁₁ Sᴜʙʟɪᴍᴀᴛɪᴏɴ ᴘᴏɪɴᴛ: ³⁹¹⁵ ᴷ
Carbon ⁴ᵗʰ ᵐᵒˢᵗ ᵃᵇᵘⁿᵈᵃⁿᵗ ᵉˡᵉᵐᵉⁿᵗ
00:04:24.670 --> 00:04:26.147
R + 7: 9: 56:25 | Period 2
ᴀᴛᴏᴍɪᴄ ᴡᴇɪɢʜᴛ: ₁₂.₀₁₁ Sᴜʙʟɪᴍᴀᴛɪᴏɴ ᴘᴏɪɴᴛ: ³⁹¹⁵ ᴷ
Carbon ⁴ᵗʰ ᵐᵒˢᵗ ᵃᵇᵘⁿᵈᵃⁿᵗ ᵉˡᵉᵐᵉⁿᵗ
Carbon is ubiquitous,
00:04:26.147 --> 00:04:26.287
R + 7: 9: 56:25 | Period 2
ᴀᴛᴏᴍɪᴄ ᴡᴇɪɢʜᴛ: ₁₂.₀₁₁ Sᴜʙʟɪᴍᴀᴛɪᴏɴ ᴘᴏɪɴᴛ: ³⁹¹⁵ ᴷ
Carbon ⁴ᵗʰ ᵐᵒˢᵗ ᵃᵇᵘⁿᵈᵃⁿᵗ ᵉˡᵉᵐᵉⁿᵗ
00:04:26.287 --> 00:04:26.655
R + 7: 9: 56:25 | Period 2
ᴀᴛᴏᴍɪᴄ ᴡᴇɪɢʜᴛ: ₁₂.₀₁₁ Sᴜʙʟɪᴍᴀᴛɪᴏɴ ᴘᴏɪɴᴛ: ³⁹¹⁵ ᴷ
Carbon ⁴ᵗʰ ᵐᵒˢᵗ ᵃᵇᵘⁿᵈᵃⁿᵗ ᵉˡᵉᵐᵉⁿᵗ
it's one o' tho most-
00:04:26.655 --> 00:04:27.514
R + 7: 9: 56:25 | P-block
ᴀᴛᴏᴍɪᴄ ᴡᴇɪɢʜᴛ: ₁₂.₀₁₁ Sᴜʙʟɪᴍᴀᴛɪᴏɴ ᴘᴏɪɴᴛ: ³⁹¹⁵ ᴷ
Carbon ⁴ᵗʰ ᵐᵒˢᵗ ᵃᵇᵘⁿᵈᵃⁿᵗ ᵉˡᵉᵐᵉⁿᵗ
it's one o' tho most-
00:04:27.514 --> 00:04:28.790
R + 7: 9: 56:25 | P-block
ᴀᴛᴏᴍɪᴄ ᴡᴇɪɢʜᴛ: ₁₂.₀₁₁ Sᴜʙʟɪᴍᴀᴛɪᴏɴ ᴘᴏɪɴᴛ: ³⁹¹⁵ ᴷ
Carbon ⁴ᵗʰ ᵐᵒˢᵗ ᵃᵇᵘⁿᵈᵃⁿᵗ ᵉˡᵉᵐᵉⁿᵗ
common elements in the universe,
00:04:28.790 --> 00:04:29.357
R + 7: 9: 56:25 | Group 14
ᴀᴛᴏᴍɪᴄ ᴡᴇɪɢʜᴛ: ₁₂.₀₁₁ Sᴜʙʟɪᴍᴀᴛɪᴏɴ ᴘᴏɪɴᴛ: ³⁹¹⁵ ᴷ
Carbon ⁴ᵗʰ ᵐᵒˢᵗ ᵃᵇᵘⁿᵈᵃⁿᵗ ᵉˡᵉᵐᵉⁿᵗ
common elements in the universe,
00:04:29.357 --> 00:04:29.515
R + 7: 9: 56:25 | Group 14
ᴀᴛᴏᴍɪᴄ ᴡᴇɪɢʜᴛ: ₁₂.₀₁₁ Sᴜʙʟɪᴍᴀᴛɪᴏɴ ᴘᴏɪɴᴛ: ³⁹¹⁵ ᴷ
Carbon ⁴ᵗʰ ᵐᵒˢᵗ ᵃᵇᵘⁿᵈᵃⁿᵗ ᵉˡᵉᵐᵉⁿᵗ
00:04:29.515 --> 00:04:30.529
R + 7: 9: 56:25 | Group 14
ᴀᴛᴏᴍɪᴄ ᴡᴇɪɢʜᴛ: ₁₂.₀₁₁ Sᴜʙʟɪᴍᴀᴛɪᴏɴ ᴘᴏɪɴᴛ: ³⁹¹⁵ ᴷ
Carbon ⁴ᵗʰ ᵐᵒˢᵗ ᵃᵇᵘⁿᵈᵃⁿᵗ ᵉˡᵉᵐᵉⁿᵗ
and is very good at forming-
00:04:30.529 --> 00:04:30.883
R + 7: 9: 56:25 | [He] 2s² 2p²
ᴀᴛᴏᴍɪᴄ ᴡᴇɪɢʜᴛ: ₁₂.₀₁₁ Sᴜʙʟɪᴍᴀᴛɪᴏɴ ᴘᴏɪɴᴛ: ³⁹¹⁵ ᴷ
Carbon ⁴ᵗʰ ᵐᵒˢᵗ ᵃᵇᵘⁿᵈᵃⁿᵗ ᵉˡᵉᵐᵉⁿᵗ
and is very good at forming-
00:04:30.883 --> 00:04:32.351
R + 7: 9: 56:25 | [He] 2s² 2p²
ᴀᴛᴏᴍɪᴄ ᴡᴇɪɢʜᴛ: ₁₂.₀₁₁ Sᴜʙʟɪᴍᴀᴛɪᴏɴ ᴘᴏɪɴᴛ: ³⁹¹⁵ ᴷ
Carbon ⁴ᵗʰ ᵐᵒˢᵗ ᵃᵇᵘⁿᵈᵃⁿᵗ ᵉˡᵉᵐᵉⁿᵗ
large stable molecules.
00:04:32.351 --> 00:04:32.822
R + 7: 9: 56:25
ᴀᴛᴏᴍɪᴄ ᴡᴇɪɢʜᴛ: ₁₂.₀₁₁ Sᴜʙʟɪᴍᴀᴛɪᴏɴ ᴘᴏɪɴᴛ: ³⁹¹⁵ ᴷ
Carbon ⁴ᵗʰ ᵐᵒˢᵗ ᵃᵇᵘⁿᵈᵃⁿᵗ ᵉˡᵉᵐᵉⁿᵗ
large stable molecules.
00:04:32.822 --> 00:04:33.545
R + 7: 9: 56:25 | C 006
ᴀᴛᴏᴍɪᴄ ᴡᴇɪɢʜᴛ: ₁₂.₀₁₁ Sᴜʙʟɪᴍᴀᴛɪᴏɴ ᴘᴏɪɴᴛ: ³⁹¹⁵ ᴷ
Carbon ⁴ᵗʰ ᵐᵒˢᵗ ᵃᵇᵘⁿᵈᵃⁿᵗ ᵉˡᵉᵐᵉⁿᵗ
large stable molecules.
00:04:33.545 --> 00:04:34.574
R + 7: 9: 56:25 | C 006
ᴀᴛᴏᴍɪᴄ ᴡᴇɪɢʜᴛ: ₁₂.₀₁₁ Sᴜʙʟɪᴍᴀᴛɪᴏɴ ᴘᴏɪɴᴛ: ³⁹¹⁵ ᴷ
Carbon ⁴ᵗʰ ᵐᵒˢᵗ ᵃᵇᵘⁿᵈᵃⁿᵗ ᵉˡᵉᵐᵉⁿᵗ
00:04:34.574 --> 00:04:36.829
R + 7: 9: 56:25 | Period 2
ᴀᴛᴏᴍɪᴄ ᴡᴇɪɢʜᴛ: ₁₂.₀₁₁ Sᴜʙʟɪᴍᴀᴛɪᴏɴ ᴘᴏɪɴᴛ: ³⁹¹⁵ ᴷ
Carbon ⁴ᵗʰ ᵐᵒˢᵗ ᵃᵇᵘⁿᵈᵃⁿᵗ ᵉˡᵉᵐᵉⁿᵗ
00:04:36.829 --> 00:04:37.079
R + 7: 9: 56:25 | P-block
ᴀᴛᴏᴍɪᴄ ᴡᴇɪɢʜᴛ: ₁₂.₀₁₁ Sᴜʙʟɪᴍᴀᴛɪᴏɴ ᴘᴏɪɴᴛ: ³⁹¹⁵ ᴷ
Carbon ⁴ᵗʰ ᵐᵒˢᵗ ᵃᵇᵘⁿᵈᵃⁿᵗ ᵉˡᵉᵐᵉⁿᵗ
00:04:37.079 --> 00:04:38.638
R + 7: 9: 56:25 | P-block
ᴀᴛᴏᴍɪᴄ ᴡᴇɪɢʜᴛ: ₁₂.₀₁₁ Sᴜʙʟɪᴍᴀᴛɪᴏɴ ᴘᴏɪɴᴛ: ³⁹¹⁵ ᴷ
Carbon ⁴ᵗʰ ᵐᵒˢᵗ ᵃᵇᵘⁿᵈᵃⁿᵗ ᵉˡᵉᵐᵉⁿᵗ
Carbon has the rare ability-
00:04:38.638 --> 00:04:38.888
R + 7: 9: 56:25 | P-block
ᴀᴛᴏᴍɪᴄ ᴡᴇɪɢʜᴛ: ₁₂.₀₁₁ Sᴜʙʟɪᴍᴀᴛɪᴏɴ ᴘᴏɪɴᴛ: ³⁹¹⁵ ᴷ
Carbon ⁴ᵗʰ ᵐᵒˢᵗ ᵃᵇᵘⁿᵈᵃⁿᵗ ᵉˡᵉᵐᵉⁿᵗ
to form four way bounds-
00:04:38.888 --> 00:04:40.354
R + 7: 9: 56:25 | Group 14
ᴀᴛᴏᴍɪᴄ ᴡᴇɪɢʜᴛ: ₁₂.₀₁₁ Sᴜʙʟɪᴍᴀᴛɪᴏɴ ᴘᴏɪɴᴛ: ³⁹¹⁵ ᴷ
Carbon ⁴ᵗʰ ᵐᵒˢᵗ ᵃᵇᵘⁿᵈᵃⁿᵗ ᵉˡᵉᵐᵉⁿᵗ
to form four way bounds-
00:04:40.354 --> 00:04:40.651
R + 7: 9: 56:25 | Group 14
ᴀᴛᴏᴍɪᴄ ᴡᴇɪɢʜᴛ: ₁₂.₀₁₁ Sᴜʙʟɪᴍᴀᴛɪᴏɴ ᴘᴏɪɴᴛ: ³⁹¹⁵ ᴷ
Carbon ⁴ᵗʰ ᵐᵒˢᵗ ᵃᵇᵘⁿᵈᵃⁿᵗ ᵉˡᵉᵐᵉⁿᵗ
with other elements...
00:04:40.651 --> 00:04:41.533
R + 7: 9: 56:25 | [HE] 2s² 2p²
ᴀᴛᴏᴍɪᴄ ᴡᴇɪɢʜᴛ: ₁₂.₀₁₁ Sᴜʙʟɪᴍᴀᴛɪᴏɴ ᴘᴏɪɴᴛ: ³⁹¹⁵ ᴷ
Carbon ⁴ᵗʰ ᵐᵒˢᵗ ᵃᵇᵘⁿᵈᵃⁿᵗ ᵉˡᵉᵐᵉⁿᵗ
with other elements...
00:04:41.533 --> 00:04:41.753
R + 7: 9: 56:25 | [HE] 2s² 2p²
ᴀᴛᴏᴍɪᴄ ᴡᴇɪɢʜᴛ: ₁₂.₀₁₁ Sᴜʙʟɪᴍᴀᴛɪᴏɴ ᴘᴏɪɴᴛ: ³⁹¹⁵ ᴷ
Carbon ⁴ᵗʰ ᵐᵒˢᵗ ᵃᵇᵘⁿᵈᵃⁿᵗ ᵉˡᵉᵐᵉⁿᵗ
00:04:41.753 --> 00:04:42.433
R + 7: 9: 56:25 | [HE] 2s² 2p²
ᴀᴛᴏᴍɪᴄ ᴡᴇɪɢʜᴛ: ₁₂.₀₁₁ Sᴜʙʟɪᴍᴀᴛɪᴏɴ ᴘᴏɪɴᴛ: ³⁹¹⁵ ᴷ
Carbon ⁴ᵗʰ ᵐᵒˢᵗ ᵃᵇᵘⁿᵈᵃⁿᵗ ᵉˡᵉᵐᵉⁿᵗ
and to bind to itself-
00:04:42.433 --> 00:04:42.914
R + 7: 9: 56:25
ᴀᴛᴏᴍɪᴄ ᴡᴇɪɢʜᴛ: ₁₂.₀₁₁ Sᴜʙʟɪᴍᴀᴛɪᴏɴ ᴘᴏɪɴᴛ: ³⁹¹⁵ ᴷ
Carbon ⁴ᵗʰ ᵐᵒˢᵗ ᵃᵇᵘⁿᵈᵃⁿᵗ ᵉˡᵉᵐᵉⁿᵗ
and to bind to itself-
00:04:42.914 --> 00:04:42.977
R + 7: 9: 56:25
ᴀᴛᴏᴍɪᴄ ᴡᴇɪɢʜᴛ: ₁₂.₀₁₁ Sᴜʙʟɪᴍᴀᴛɪᴏɴ ᴘᴏɪɴᴛ: ³⁹¹⁵ ᴷ
Carbon ⁴ᵗʰ ᵐᵒˢᵗ ᵃᵇᵘⁿᵈᵃⁿᵗ ᵉˡᵉᵐᵉⁿᵗ
in long stable chains;
00:04:42.977 --> 00:04:44.556
R + 7: 9: 56:25 | C 006
ᴀᴛᴏᴍɪᴄ ᴡᴇɪɢʜᴛ: ₁₂.₀₁₁ Sᴜʙʟɪᴍᴀᴛɪᴏɴ ᴘᴏɪɴᴛ: ³⁹¹⁵ ᴷ
Carbon ⁴ᵗʰ ᵐᵒˢᵗ ᵃᵇᵘⁿᵈᵃⁿᵗ ᵉˡᵉᵐᵉⁿᵗ
in long stable chains...
00:04:46.164 --> 00:04:47.475
enabling the formation...
00:04:47.525 --> 00:04:51.146
of huge complex molecules.
00:04:56.197 --> 00:04:59.093
This versatility makes carbon the center piece
00:04:59.093 --> 00:05:01.130
in the moleculary machinery of life.
00:05:03.520 --> 00:05:07.742
And the same carbon compounds that we use
have been found far from Earth,
00:05:08.736 --> 00:05:10.087
clinging to meteorites
00:05:12.359 --> 00:05:15.623
and floating in far off
clouds of cosmic dust.
00:05:18.670 --> 00:05:23.518
The building blocks of life drifting
like snow through the universe.
00:05:30.162 --> 00:05:34.920
And if alien life has selected other carbon
compounds for the biochemistry,
00:05:35.783 --> 00:05:37.413
they will have plenty to choose from.
00:05:42.088 --> 00:05:47.570
Scientists recently identified over a
million possible alternatives to DNA:
00:05:48.588 --> 00:05:49.862
all carbon based.
00:05:57.948 --> 00:06:00.795
If we ever discover other
carbon based life forms,
00:06:01.650 --> 00:06:03.973
we will be fundamentally related.
00:06:07.928 --> 00:06:09.840
They will be our cosmic brother.
00:06:13.296 --> 00:06:15.137
But would they look anything like us?
00:06:19.975 --> 00:06:21.742
If they hail from Earth like planets,
00:06:22.857 --> 00:06:24.471
we could share even more in common,
00:06:25.065 --> 00:06:26.417
than just our biochemistry.
00:06:29.826 --> 00:06:33.104
What would life be like in another
planets, if its evolved?
00:06:33.566 --> 00:06:36.246
Would it be like, the world
today here on Earth?
00:06:37.477 --> 00:06:38.736
Or would be completely different?
00:06:38.819 --> 00:06:42.121
There are those, who argue that
00:06:42.456 --> 00:06:44.470
from the argument of convergent evolution,
00:06:44.803 --> 00:06:50.206
if conditions on other planets are similar to here, then we will see very similar life forms;
00:06:54.726 --> 00:06:58.236
animal and plant-like organisms, that look very familiar.
00:07:12.238 --> 00:07:16.618
On Earth, certain features like eyesight, echo-location and flight
00:07:16.628 --> 00:07:20.812
have evolved multiple times, independently, in different species.
00:07:23.648 --> 00:07:28.978
This process of convergent evolution could extend to alien planets like Earth,
00:07:29.222 --> 00:07:32.242
where creatures share similar environmental pressures.
00:07:35.632 --> 00:07:40.372
It's no guarantee, but there could be certain universalities of life;
00:07:44.337 --> 00:07:48.337
the greatest hits of evolution on repeat across the Universe.
00:07:58.040 --> 00:08:02.040
Each feature would be a tune to its local environment.
00:08:02.798 --> 00:08:09.491
Dimly lit planets would produce huge eyes to suck in extra light, like nocturnal mammals.
00:08:14.190 --> 00:08:19.231
Some people have gone so far as to say
that human type organism, humanoids,
00:08:19.231 --> 00:08:20.809
will occur on other planets.
00:08:26.136 --> 00:08:29.706
The existence of other human-like
organisms seems unlikely,
00:08:30.155 --> 00:08:33.602
given the long convoluted chain
of events that produced us.
00:08:35.296 --> 00:08:36.400
But we can't rule it out.
00:08:40.817 --> 00:08:44.838
If just one in every 100 trillion
Earth-like planets produced
00:08:44.838 --> 00:08:49.551
a human-like form, the could still be
thousands of creatures like us out there.
00:09:02.605 --> 00:09:07.335
But in reality, we are more likely to find
something lower on the food chain.
00:09:10.171 --> 00:09:13.423
Convergent evolution is also
rampant in plant life
00:09:14.037 --> 00:09:19.312
and C4 photosynthesis has arisen
independently over 40 times.
00:09:21.799 --> 00:09:25.178
Would alien plants look like ours or
something else entirely?
00:09:36.926 --> 00:09:40.857
On Earth, plants appear green because
they absorb the other wavelenghts
00:09:40.997 --> 00:09:42.537
in the Sun's light spectrum.
00:09:45.739 --> 00:09:47.778
But stars come in many colors
00:09:52.629 --> 00:09:56.984
and alien plants would evolve different pigments
to adapt to their sun's unique spectrum.
00:10:04.431 --> 00:10:07.530
Plants feeding off hotter stars
could appear redder,
00:10:08.284 --> 00:10:11.161
by absorbing their energy rich bluer light.
00:10:19.761 --> 00:10:24.219
Around dim Red Dwarfs stars,
vegetation could appear black,
00:10:25.072 --> 00:10:28.155
adapted to absorb all visible
wavelengths of light.
00:10:45.058 --> 00:10:47.572
Earth itself may have once
appeared purple,
00:10:48.101 --> 00:10:52.004
due a pigment called retinal, that was
an early precursor to chlorophyll.
00:10:55.019 --> 00:10:57.779
Some think that retinal's molecular simplicity
00:10:58.189 --> 00:11:00.547
could make it a more universal pigment.
00:11:04.070 --> 00:11:09.146
If so, we may find that purple,
is life's favorite color.
00:11:19.820 --> 00:11:23.713
But the color of alien vegetation
is more than just a curiosity,
00:11:25.696 --> 00:11:29.155
it's chemical information that could
be seen from light years away.
00:11:34.504 --> 00:11:38.528
Earth plants leave a signature bump
in the light reflected off our planet.
00:11:40.306 --> 00:11:43.434
Finding a similar signal from another
world could point the way
00:11:43.647 --> 00:11:45.116
to alien vegetation.
00:11:50.376 --> 00:11:53.866
Perhaps this will be our first glimpse at alien life;
00:11:54.965 --> 00:11:58.375
a vibrant hue, cast by a distinct world.
00:12:12.005 --> 00:12:20.055
But the biggest influence on life won't be it's host star; it will be it's home planet.
00:12:20.715 --> 00:12:23.415
What happens, when you change the day - length of a planet?
00:12:23.495 --> 00:12:25.465
What happens when you change the tilt of a planet?
00:12:25.545 --> 00:12:27.626
What happens when you change the shape of the orbit?
00:12:27.965 --> 00:12:30.637
What happens when you change the gravity of a planet?
00:12:34.498 --> 00:12:38.938
Planets with long, elliptical orbits would see drastic seasons.
00:12:41.298 --> 00:12:44.823
There could be worlds that appear dead for thousands of years,
00:12:45.528 --> 00:12:47.496
then suddenly spring to life.
00:13:02.583 --> 00:13:07.073
Most of the rocky planets discovered so far have been massive "Super Earths".
NOTE Paragraph
00:13:09.243 --> 00:13:12.433
GJ 357 DSuper Earth Distance : ~ 31 Light Years Mass : ~ 7× Earth Temperature : ~ -53°C
00:13:12.570 --> 00:13:15.097
How would life evolve on these worlds?
00:13:18.580 --> 00:13:21.656
In the seas, gravity may not matter much at all.
00:13:29.590 --> 00:13:32.120
A high - gravity planet isn't high - gravity all over.
00:13:33.680 --> 00:13:37.660
If you're in the sea, that's where all life starts, there's very nearly no gravity,
00:13:37.660 --> 00:13:40.225
cause you're much the density as the stuff around you.
00:13:43.450 --> 00:13:47.270
It's when the animals come out on land, that they feel the gravity.
00:13:51.628 --> 00:13:53.628
High G - forces [vaguely, gravitational forces] would necessitate
00:13:53.628 --> 00:13:57.458
large bones and muscle mass in complex life on land.
00:13:59.748 --> 00:14:03.178
They would also demand a more robust circulatory system.
00:14:04.958 --> 00:14:10.578
And plant life could be stunted by the energy cost of carrying nutrients under stronger gravity.
00:14:17.318 --> 00:14:21.446
Low - gravity planets would more easily lose their atmospheres to space;
00:14:21.838 --> 00:14:25.158
and lack a magnetic field to protect from cosmic rays.
00:14:35.821 --> 00:14:39.091
But smaller worlds could be home to secret oases;
00:14:46.251 --> 00:14:49.451
huge cave systems that provide hide-outs for life.
00:15:02.751 --> 00:15:11.242
With steadier temperatures and protection from cosmic rays, life could thrive underground on planets with deadly surfaces.
00:15:26.732 --> 00:15:33.093
The smallest possible habitable planets are estimated at 2.5% Earth's mass.
00:15:35.042 --> 00:15:37.735
If surface life does evolve on these worlds,
00:15:38.822 --> 00:15:40.766
it could be a sight to behold.
00:15:44.584 --> 00:15:47.064
Plant life could grow to towering heights,
00:15:47.484 --> 00:15:50.594
able to carry nutrients higher, at lesser gravity.
00:15:59.194 --> 00:16:02.611
And without the need for bulky skeletons and muscle mass,
00:16:02.904 --> 00:16:06.031
animals could have body types, that boggle the mind.
00:16:22.292 --> 00:16:28.347
Despite our eager imagination, large complex lifeforms are probably a cosmic rarity.
00:16:31.631 --> 00:16:34.920
Here on Earth, it took three
billion years for evolution
00:16:34.920 --> 00:16:37.234
to produce complex plant and animal life.
00:16:39.723 --> 00:16:42.584
Simple organisms are hardier,
more adaptable
00:16:42.986 --> 00:16:44.041
and more widespread.
00:16:48.383 --> 00:16:51.390
The largest collection in the
museum of alien life
00:16:51.390 --> 00:16:54.309
would likely be the Hall of Microbes.
00:17:10.306 --> 00:17:14.674
Yet finding even the tiniest alien microbe
would be a profound discovery.
00:17:30.735 --> 00:17:33.619
And bite-sized life could leave
a big footprint.
00:17:35.892 --> 00:17:39.997
Like stromatolites on Earth, layers of
microbes could build up into huge
00:17:39.997 --> 00:17:41.170
rock mounds over time.
00:17:41.642 --> 00:17:43.876
Leaving behind eery structures.
00:17:48.780 --> 00:17:51.202
And in big enough numbers
some alien
00:17:51.202 --> 00:17:54.004
bacteria could leave a
distinct biosignature,
00:17:55.964 --> 00:17:58.622
by exhaling gases that wouldn't
coexist naturally:
00:17:59.453 --> 00:18:01.124
like oxygen and methane.
00:18:07.406 --> 00:18:08.996
There's ways to make oxygen without life.
00:18:08.996 --> 00:18:10.579
There's ways to make methane without life.
00:18:11.067 --> 00:18:12.582
But to have them in the atmosphere together?
00:18:13.212 --> 00:18:16.501
Is almost impossible unless you've got
biology making those gases at the surface.
00:18:17.883 --> 00:18:20.828
And it would have a imprint on
the planet's spectrum of colors.
00:18:22.945 --> 00:18:26.267
Next generation space telescopes
could find a signal like this,
00:18:28.574 --> 00:18:30.531
on a world not far from home.
00:18:32.274 --> 00:18:36.578
The closest Sun-like star with an
Earth-like exoplanet in the
00:18:36.578 --> 00:18:40.206
habitable zone is probably only
20 light years away
00:18:40.489 --> 00:18:42.409
and can be seen with a naked eye.
00:18:46.298 --> 00:18:52.373
But there may be an even easier target to aim for than tiny Earth-like planets.
00:18:54.805 --> 00:19:02.008
The Brown Dwarfs: too small to
be stars, to big to be planets.
00:19:06.389 --> 00:19:09.928
Most Brown Dwarfs are too hot
to support life as we know it.
00:19:11.136 --> 00:19:12.604
But some are just cold enough.
00:19:13.978 --> 00:19:14.558
WISE 0855-0714
00:19:14.758 --> 00:19:15.008
WISE 0855-0714
Sub-Brown Dwarf
00:19:15.008 --> 00:19:15.258
WISE 0855-0714
Sub-Brown Dwarf
Distance: 7 Light Years
00:19:15.268 --> 00:19:15.518
WISE 0855-0714
Sub-Brown Dwarf
Distance: 7 Light Years
Mass: 3.10x Jupiter
00:19:15.518 --> 00:19:22.724
WISE 0855-0714
Sub-Brown Dwarf
Distance: 7 Light Years
Mass: 3.10x Jupiter
Temperature: -50 - -13ºC
00:19:24.457 --> 00:19:28.640
All the prime elements for life have
been detected inside their atmospheres.
00:19:31.588 --> 00:19:35.755
And within these clouds, some layers
would provide ideal temperatures
00:19:35.755 --> 00:19:37.456
and pressures for habitability.
00:19:46.176 --> 00:19:48.938
There could be photosynthetic
plankton in these skies,
00:19:50.092 --> 00:19:52.500
kept aloft by churning upwinds.
00:19:57.603 --> 00:20:01.186
And with enough force, these upwinds
could even support larger,
00:20:01.186 --> 00:20:02.722
more complex life.
00:20:06.101 --> 00:20:06.754
Predadors.
00:20:15.348 --> 00:20:19.238
There are over 25 billion Brown
Dwarfs in our galaxy alone,
00:20:19.238 --> 00:20:24.396
and their sizes will make them
easier targets for study.
00:20:27.046 --> 00:20:35.235
The first specimen we discover from the museum of life may not be from a planet at all.
00:20:44.142 --> 00:20:46.054
This raises a crucial question:
00:20:47.920 --> 00:20:50.253
what if we've been looking in
all the wrong places?
00:20:52.618 --> 00:20:54.896
What if nature has other ideas?
00:20:58.925 --> 00:21:01.213
EXHIBIT II
00:21:01.213 --> 00:21:03.494
EXHIBIT II
LIFE AS WE DON'T KNOW IT
00:21:03.494 --> 00:21:08.057
EXHIBIT II
LIFE AS WE DON'T KNOW IT
EXOTIC BIOCHEMISTRIES
00:21:21.172 --> 00:21:25.627
Most of the Universe is too cold or too
hot for liquid water and the
00:21:25.627 --> 00:21:28.161
biochemistry that supports
life as we know it.
00:21:31.514 --> 00:21:33.544
But in case our biases are misleading,
00:21:34.680 --> 00:21:36.307
we have to cast a wide net.
00:21:38.908 --> 00:21:41.431
To search for life outside
the habitable zone,
00:21:42.271 --> 00:21:44.881
in places that seem wildly hostile to us.
00:21:49.586 --> 00:21:53.085
Exotic environments will demand
exotic biochemistries.
00:21:53.646 --> 00:21:56.533
And while no element can match
carbon's versatility,
00:21:57.125 --> 00:21:58.918
one contender is a front runner.
00:22:07.707 --> 00:22:10.713
At first glance, silicon seem
similar to carbon.
00:22:13.025 --> 00:22:16.850
It forms the same four-way bonds and is
also abundant in the Universe.
00:22:19.462 --> 00:22:23.215
But a closer look reveals that these
two elements are false twins.
00:22:27.388 --> 00:22:32.397
Silicon bonds are weaker and less prone
to forming large complex molecules.
00:22:36.420 --> 00:22:39.961
Despite this, they can withstand
a wider range of temperatures,
00:22:41.050 --> 00:22:43.670
opening up intriguing possibilities.
00:22:47.381 --> 00:22:50.405
Life based on the silicon atom
instead of carbon,
00:22:50.698 --> 00:22:53.262
would be more resistant to
the extreme cold.
00:22:54.722 --> 00:22:57.982
Providing a whole new range of weird forms.
00:23:01.491 --> 00:23:02.755
But silicon has a problem:
00:23:04.616 --> 00:23:08.125
in the presence of oxygen,
it binds into solid rock.
00:23:10.373 --> 00:23:13.339
To avoid turning to stone, silicon beings
00:23:13.339 --> 00:23:15.970
might be confined to oxygen free environments.
00:23:16.598 --> 00:23:18.717
Like Saturn's frigid moon, Titan.
00:23:18.717 --> 00:23:23.048
TITAN
Saturnian Moon
Distance: 1,2 Million KM
Mass: .023X Earth
Temperature: -129ºC
00:23:23.048 --> 00:23:27.089
Its vast lakes of liquid methane and
ethane could be an ideal medium
00:23:27.089 --> 00:23:28.755
for silicon-based life,
00:23:29.204 --> 00:23:31.472
or other radical biochemistries.
00:23:37.433 --> 00:23:39.913
Without ample sunlight, beings on worlds
00:23:39.913 --> 00:23:42.961
like Titan, would likely be chemosynthetic.
00:23:43.337 --> 00:23:46.043
Deriving their energy by
breaking down rocks.
00:24:01.536 --> 00:24:03.770
Such life forms could have ultra slow
00:24:03.770 --> 00:24:07.906
metabolisms and life cycles
measured in millions of years.
00:24:16.015 --> 00:24:21.377
And frozen worlds aren't the only possible
harbor for exotic life.
00:24:22.566 --> 00:24:23.026
CoRoT-7B
00:24:23.026 --> 00:24:23.376
CoRoT-7B
Super Earth
00:24:23.376 --> 00:24:23.626
CoRoT-7B
Super Earth
Distance: ~520 Light Years
00:24:23.636 --> 00:24:23.886
CoRoT-7B
Super Earth
Distance: ~520 Light Years
Mass: -8x Earth
00:24:23.886 --> 00:24:25.961
CoRoT-7B
Super Earth
Distance: ~520 Light Years
Mass: -8x Earth
Temperature: 1026-1526ºC
00:24:25.961 --> 00:24:30.279
In high temperatures, typically rigid
silicon oxygen bonds become more
00:24:30.279 --> 00:24:31.780
flexible and reactive.
00:24:33.003 --> 00:24:34.831
Triggering more dynamic chemistry.
00:24:40.080 --> 00:24:42.846
This has led to a truly bizarre proposal:
00:24:43.704 --> 00:24:48.609
silicon-based life forms that live
inside molten silicate rock.
00:25:01.093 --> 00:25:03.424
In theory, these forms could even exist
00:25:03.424 --> 00:25:06.104
deep beneath the Earth inside
magma chambers
00:25:06.306 --> 00:25:08.460
as part of a shadow biosphere.
00:25:12.472 --> 00:25:16.505
If so, then the aliens are right
under our noses.
00:25:20.799 --> 00:25:23.017
Other shadow biospheres have
been proposed:
00:25:23.570 --> 00:25:27.036
forms of life living alongside us
that we don't even know are here.
00:25:27.528 --> 00:25:30.416
Including tiny RNA-based life, small
00:25:30.416 --> 00:25:33.543
enough to go undetected by
existing instruments.
00:25:46.821 --> 00:25:50.797
Clouds of dust and empty space might
seem like the last place you'd expect
00:25:50.797 --> 00:25:52.092
to find anything living.
00:25:54.398 --> 00:25:57.207
But when cosmic dust makes
contact with plasma,
00:25:57.570 --> 00:25:59.006
a type of ionized gas,
00:25:59.494 --> 00:26:00.717
something strange happens.
00:26:05.770 --> 00:26:08.338
In simulated conditions, dust particles,
00:26:08.341 --> 00:26:11.105
have been seen spontaneously
self-organizing
00:26:11.105 --> 00:26:13.623
into helical structures that resemble DNA.
00:26:18.848 --> 00:26:22.262
These plasma crystals even begin
to exhibit life-like behavior:
00:26:23.728 --> 00:26:28.464
replicating, evolving into more stable
forms and passing on information.
00:26:35.715 --> 00:26:38.878
Could these crystals be considered alive?
00:26:41.564 --> 00:26:48.715
To some researchers, they meet all the criteria
to qualify as inorganic life forms.
00:26:52.469 --> 00:26:57.113
So far, we have only ever seen them in computer simulations.
00:26:58.443 --> 00:27:04.672
But some speculate we could find them
among the ice particles in the rings of Uranus.
00:27:12.270 --> 00:27:15.761
Plasma is the most common state
of matter in the Universe.
00:27:17.666 --> 00:27:20.769
If complex evolving plasma
crystals really exist
00:27:21.252 --> 00:27:22.758
and if they can be considered life,
00:27:23.377 --> 00:27:25.253
they could be its most common form.
00:27:38.505 --> 00:27:43.043
Or perhaps life is lurking in the
polar opposite environment:
00:27:43.043 --> 00:27:46.997
inside the hearts of dead stars.
00:27:51.400 --> 00:27:54.319
When massive suns explode, some collapase into
00:27:54.319 --> 00:27:57.044
ultra dense cores called neutron stars.
00:27:57.044 --> 00:27:58.168
PSR B1509-58
Neutron Star
Distante: 17,000 Light Years
Spin Rate: ~7/second
00:27:58.168 --> 00:28:01.902
Hulking masses of atomic nuclei
crammed together like sardines.
00:28:05.556 --> 00:28:07.774
Conditions on the surface are mind-boggling:
00:28:08.922 --> 00:28:12.210
gravity is a hundred billion times
stronger than Earth's.
00:28:15.724 --> 00:28:19.243
But beneath their iron nuclei
crust lies something strange:
00:28:21.474 --> 00:28:25.358
a hot dense sea of neutrons
and subatomic particles.
00:28:34.550 --> 00:28:36.827
Stripped of their electron shells, these
00:28:36.827 --> 00:28:39.906
nuclei would obey entirely
different laws of chemistry,
00:28:40.486 --> 00:28:42.714
based not on the electromagnetic force,
00:28:42.994 --> 00:28:44.956
but the strong nuclear force,
00:28:45.227 --> 00:28:46.655
which binds nuclei together.
00:28:49.720 --> 00:28:52.129
In theory, these particles could link-up
00:28:52.129 --> 00:28:55.406
to form larger macronuclei,
which could then
00:28:55.406 --> 00:28:58.253
combine into even bigger super nuclei.
00:29:06.696 --> 00:29:09.665
If so, then this bewildering environment
00:29:09.665 --> 00:29:11.714
would mimic the basic conditions for life.
00:29:12.484 --> 00:29:16.745
Heavy nucleon molecules floating
in a complex particle ocean.
00:29:22.729 --> 00:29:25.221
Some scientists have proposed
the unimaginable:
00:29:26.532 --> 00:29:30.326
exotic life forms drifting through
the strange particle sea,
00:29:31.143 --> 00:29:35.880
living, evolving and dying on
incomprehensibly fast time scales.
00:29:55.942 --> 00:30:01.025
There's probably no chance of ever detecting
such a strange breed of life.
00:30:02.572 --> 00:30:07.802
But there may be hope for finding
an even more exotic form.
00:30:19.436 --> 00:30:22.466
Life is not something that has to evolve naturally.
00:30:26.286 --> 00:30:27.456
It can be designed.
00:30:41.566 --> 00:30:45.176
And once intelligence is introduced into the evolutionary process,
00:30:46.226 --> 00:30:48.206
a Pandora's Box is opened.
00:31:06.007 --> 00:31:12.989
Free from typical biological limitations, synthetic and machine - based life could be the most successful of all.
00:31:16.547 --> 00:31:20.375
It could thrive almost anywhere, including the vaccum of space,
00:31:20.807 --> 00:31:25.244
opening up vast frontiers unavailable to biological organisms.
00:31:31.777 --> 00:31:36.777
And compared to the glacial pace of natural selection, technical evolution
00:31:36.927 --> 00:31:41.941
allows exponentially faster growth, adaptability and resilience.
00:31:56.237 --> 00:32:00.377
By some estimates, autonomous, self - replicating machines could colonize
00:32:00.377 --> 00:32:03.923
an entire galaxy in as little as a million years.
00:32:18.877 --> 00:32:22.870
We can't predict how hyper - intelligent life would organise itself,
00:32:26.507 --> 00:32:29.893
but in theory, there could be convergent evolution at play.
00:32:32.247 --> 00:32:37.819
The electrical properties of Silicon might make it a universal basis for machine intelligence,
00:32:38.697 --> 00:32:41.689
a redemption for its biological shortcomings.
00:33:03.036 --> 00:33:04.776
With all its potential advantages,
00:33:04.776 --> 00:33:10.016
With all its potential advantages, machine life may even be a universal endpoint :
00:33:10.016 --> 00:33:15.393
With all its potential advantages, machine life may even be a universal endpoint : the apex of evolutionary process.
00:33:53.413 --> 00:33:58.123
As the universe ages, perhaps machine intelligence would come to dominate,
00:33:58.733 --> 00:34:03.738
and naturally occurring biological life will be viewed as a quaint starting point.
00:34:09.663 --> 00:34:12.156
Perhaps, we ourselves will lead this transition,
00:34:12.973 --> 00:34:19.695
and the great human experiment would be merely a first link in a sprawling intergalactic chain of life.
00:34:51.225 --> 00:35:01.959
In the end, we are still the only beings we know of in the museum of alien life.
00:35:07.479 --> 00:35:10.489
To truly know ourselves, we will have to know :
00:35:10.489 --> 00:35:13.409
To truly know ourselves, we will have to know : are we the only ones?
00:35:27.479 --> 00:35:32.229
Loren Eisley has said, that one does not meet oneself until
00:35:32.229 --> 00:35:36.531
one catches the reflection from an eye other than human.