Abigail Shimniok

UW-Platteville’s Biology Club hosted a discussion on March 6 on the topic of alien life and what it could look like.
The group agreed that alien life is most likely not similar to the gray, big-headed organisms that are commonly depicted on television. Alien life may not be how we imagine it, but it is probable that some sort of life exists outside of Earth, even if it is microscopic.
If larger extraterrestrial organisms existed, they might resemble some of Earth’s creatures that inhabit extreme environments. Variances in temperature, gravity or atmospheric composition would shape the appearance of each organism similar to how animals such as the tardigrade or the giant tube worm display specific traits that help them better survive in their respective environments.
One point brought up in the discussion was the Drake equation. This equation is used to estimate the number of active, communicative extraterrestrial civilizations in our universe. It is theoretically possible that there is some sort of life form intelligent enough to release detectable signs of their existence into space, but it is so highly unlikely that alien life is nothing more than a small clump of cells because of the complexities of evolution.
Having the right environment to even sustain life is crucial. Elements like oxygen, carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, phosphorus and sulfur form organic molecules such as lipids, nucleic acids and proteins. If any of these elements were missing, it is likely that life could not be sustainable. Other factors that could influence the presence of life include access to water and energy, temperature and planetary conditions like size, gravitational pull and geology.
Space missions and technological advancements may soon uncover discoveries that could shed light on the existence and nature of life beyond Earth. For now, all that can be done is speculate.