For years, scientists have focused on tracking specific molecules as potential signs of extraterrestrial life, but a recent study suggests a different approach that may be more effective in this field.
This approach is based not on searching for the molecules themselves, but rather for a “hidden pattern” that connects them and reveals the way they are organized.
The researchers believe that this method may open up broad horizons, as it allows the use of statistical analysis of data from other planets, instead of relying on specialized devices to monitor specific vehicles, with the possibility of applying it to data previously collected from space missions.
In the new study, scientists were inspired by a concept from ecology that is used to measure biodiversity, by assessing the number of species present and the regularity of their distribution.
This concept was then applied to space chemistry, through the analysis of amino acids and fatty acids taken from a variety of sources, including asteroids and fossil remains.
The results showed that samples of biological origin clearly differ from non-living samples, as the former reveals distinct organizational patterns that can be monitored statistically.
This variation has enabled researchers to reliably distinguish between biological and non-biological specimens, as well as track the way traces of life are preserved over time.
Even highly degraded specimens, such as fossilized dinosaur egg shells, have also shown statistical signals that can be used in the search for extraterrestrial life.
Scientists stress that there is no single method capable of proving the existence of extraterrestrial life alone, but this approach may constitute an important supporting tool in this field.
“Our method represents an additional tool to assess the possibility of life there, and if multiple indicators come in the same direction, this greatly strengthens the conclusion,” said Fabian Kleiner, one of the study’s authors. (Arm News)
