(This post is in response to Discovery’s online article, “Does Alien Life Thrive in Venus’s Mysterious Clouds?” published 16 May 2013)
It has always been thought that to live in the clouds, we would have to work our way up. Life needs a solid surface to develop and evolve… or does it? Could it be possible for life to evolve in an atmosphere of a world that only offers its hospitality amongst the clouds? A world where the surface temperature is too hot, at a constant 880 degrees Farenheit (1), yet just 30 to 40 miles above the surface the temperature and pressure almost mimics that of Earth’s (2). I am, of course, talking about Earth’s “twisted sister,” Venus.
The Discovery article lists a few reasons to consider life on Venus:
1. Venus demonstrates Earth-like temperature and pressure in a certain part of the atmosphere, about 30 to 40 miles above its surface.
2. There are currently bacteria in Earth’s clouds and in highly acidic conditions on Earth, as well, making acid-loving bacteria in the clouds of Venus seem plausible.
3. Venus’s mysterious absorption of UV light along with other unidentified particles could be a result of speculated acid-loving cloud bacteria.
There is one more consideration, unmentioned, but worth examining:
Perhaps it is possible to use a gas medium rather than a liquid medium for the formation of life. It may not have the highest probability, yet look at the Sun: a perfect example of how a miniscule probability can show itself if presented with enough opportunities (I am speaking of the miniscule probability that Hydrogen should fuse into Helium, of course.). Biochemistry with gas may have a low probability, but just look at the abundance of gases on Venus; look at the opportunity.
There may not be mystical cities among the clouds of Venus, such as the ones we see in Star Wars and other works of science fiction, but perhaps the planet can at least sustain microbial life. If only Carl Sagan were still around to speculate with us…
(1) Bennete’s Life in the Universe Textbook, chapter 7
(2) http://news.discovery.com/space/alien-life-exoplanets/are-venus-clouds-a-haven-for-life-130516.htm
