extraterrestrial life froms: how different could they be?

[billygrippo]

reading posts about life on other planets and evolution etc got me thinking.

could there be some form of life in the universe that doesnt have a limited lifespan? like it could only be killed or die from lack of food/whatever?

is/was there similar life on our planet? im thinking possibly fungai.

what other massive differences can you think of that are possible according to modern science?

[bunny]

I think there are some deepsea worms that dont die. They are at the bottom of the food chain and have no chance of overpopulating due to being eaten by just about everything. (Just a half-remembered popular science article from new scientist (I think)).

[Rduke55]

There have been a couple papers on the adaptive value on senescence (Alfred Russel Wallace did a treatment on this back in the day). The short version is that if we never died due to old age, etc. (or lived for a really long time) then we'd be competing with our progeny for resources so senescence after a certain age is adaptive.

So it's been suggested that some animals where the offspring either go far away or stick around and help raise other offspring that the adaptiveness for senescence is reduced and they have a longer maximum lifespan.

Of course, in some of these helper-type places animals may accrue too much damage in a longer life to be useful so it makes more sense to replace them. So again, here senescence would be adaptive.

What I think is that it's a combination of selection and the more heavily weighted accruing-damage-as-you-age idea. I'm not sure how you could avoid the accumulated damge due to environmental exposure (even the pre-industrial pristine environment - I'm not making a political statement here), random mistakes in gene transcription, etc. IMO there's just not enough selection pressure (or more selection pressure against; or we're evolutionarily constrained) to get past getting old/damaged and expiring.

[billygrippo]

i think the "damage" could be taken care of by said organisim's possible regenerative capabilities.

[HLMencken]

[ QUOTE ]
i think the "damage" could be taken care of by said organisim's possible regenerative capabilities.

[/ QUOTE ]

They'd be in a world of hurt when their nearest star collapses.

[mostsmooth]

[ QUOTE ]
what other massive differences can you think of that are possible according to modern science?

[/ QUOTE ]
size, strength

[Ming]

I am immortal!

And have brains and POWER you puny earth people could not begin to imagine.

[r3vbr]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fantastic_Voyage_%28Kurzweil%29

[Rduke55]

[ QUOTE ]
I am immortal!

And have brains and POWER you puny earth people could not begin to imagine.

[/ QUOTE ]

I usually hate gimmick acocunts, but I'm excited by this one.

[Flash Gordon]

This Ming is a psycho!

[Ming]

do not question me, Earth man.

Every thousand years, I test each life system in the Universe. I visit it with mysteries, earthquakes, unpredicted eclipses, strange craters in the wilderness... If these are taken as natural, I judge that system ignorant and harmless - I spare it. But if the Hand of Ming is recognized in these events, I judge that system dangerous to us. I call upon the great god Dyzan, and for his greater glory...and for our mutual pleasure... I destroy it utterly.

[Flash Gordon]

You're crazy. We'll never give up.
I'll use my mad quarterbacking skills to stop you.

Why aren't I going with them?

[Ming]

Earth Man. You seem resourceful and brave. Would you join me?

I'd much rather see you on my side, than scattered into... atoms.

[Flash Gordon]

You'd call off the attack?

Everyone would be saved?

[sensitive girl]

[ QUOTE ]
I am immortal!

And have brains and POWER you puny earth people could not begin to imagine.

[/ QUOTE ]

Your power is turning me on. Are you attracted to earth women?

[Ming]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I am immortal!

And have brains and POWER you puny earth people could not begin to imagine.

[/ QUOTE ]

Your power is turning me on. Are you attracted to earth women?

[/ QUOTE ]

Yes. They are fine specimens, with suitable hip width and elasticity to recieve Ming's mighty seed.

You will however need to submit to every whim and need of the emperor whenever it is required, and failing this you will be dispatched to the eternal frozen wastes of Fridgia forever. Is this acceptable, wench?

[Ming]

[ QUOTE ]
You'd call off the attack?

Everyone would be saved?

[/ QUOTE ]

BWAHAHAHAHA!

Pathetic earthlings. Hurling your bodies out into the void, without the slightest inkling of who or what is out here. If you had known anything about the true nature of the universe, anything at all, you would've hidden from it in terror.

But, perhaps, your terms are acceptable, for now...

[billygrippo]

holy super gimick highjack shabadoo!!


that movie rules tho.

[soon2bepro]

Don't trees and other plants continue to grow forever under optimal circumstances?

[SNOWBALL]

AFAIK you can clone and reclone most plants ad infinitum with fairly simple methods. Some plants require more advanced methods though, but nothing too difficult.

[Grey]

There was a show on Discovery a month or two ago which asked this exact question. It was really good.

[billygrippo]

[ QUOTE ]
There was a show on Discovery a month or two ago which asked this exact question. It was really good.

[/ QUOTE ]

what show?

[Grey]

I have no idea. Maybe some extensive googling will find it. I think it covered the possibility of "intelligent life", "life", and then the forms that they could possibly take. The discovery channel is what I flip to during commercials so I don't know the name of hte shows.