Researchers have discovered a new method for remotely detecting life from vast distances away.
Image by Clinton Steeds
Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) with funding provided by the European Space Agency may have discovered a method for detecting alien life, and best of all we don’t even have to leave earth to discover it. The technique involves looking for left or right handed light and has the advantage that detection can be performed across vast distances. The research team have even built and tested a prototype device.
“You don’t want to limit yourself to looking for specific materials like oxygen that Earth creatures use, because that makes assumptions about what life is,” said Germer one of the NIST researchers. “But amino acids, sugars, DNA — each of these substances is either right- or left-handed in every living thing.” Scientific philosophers have wondered if there might be alien life on Earth already but not carbon based, with the effect that we just don’t see it. This device might result in some interesting discoveries even on Earth.
How Does It Work
Many molecules essential to life favor a particular handedness. A left handed molecule essentially has the same composition as the it’s left handed counterpart. But as Germer, points out “life’s self-assembly means they all go one way. It’s hard to imagine a planet’s surface exhibiting handedness without the presence of self assembly, which is an essential component of life”. Because left handed molecules reflect light differently to right handed molecules the researches were able to build a prototype device that detected handedness from light reflected from plant leaves and bacteria.
Alien Detector
The research team are improving on the detector and will progressively scale the design to detect life on pond surfaces and then onto whole regions of the Earth. Provided they can get good results they will propose that the device be fitted to a large telescope to be launched into space.
ET we can now find you!
SOURCE: sciencedaily.com
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About Danny Sheehan
Danny lives in Hong Kong but is originally from Australia. He is Married to Maggie and together they have two children with whom they enjoy sharing and enjoying an exciting life with daily. Danny's passions are freedom, adventure and discovery, mainly in nature and science but also spiritually. He is a great believer in living in the NOW.
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