New Study Finds Silicon Based Life May Not Be Possible

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Hello and welcome! My name is Anton and in this video, we will talk about the possibility of silicon based life somewhere out there.
Paper: www.mdpi.com/2075-1729/10/6/84/htm
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Anton Reed

[@StarfoxHUN]

Meanwhile Silicon based Anton: Carbon Based Life May Not Be Possible After All

[@usernamesrlamo]

I know it’s a joke but any scientifically intelligent life will know that the carbon-H2O path to life is by far the most efficient (and abundant) means to life in this universe.

[@pentagramprime1585]

I want an episode hosted by evil Anton from an alternate universe.

[@blackholegenerator6831]

I see what you did there. Here is the 🍪

[@thirdgenerationanamoly6410]

Lol

[@StarfoxHUN]

@jesper the happy black hole Silicon-based life's importance is because if its possible, then there are ways more ways to life to form, even in planets we think rn is not possible. Its not about all of them should be Silicon. But some of them.

[@jodrakhanthewonderful1642]

Meanwhile on Titan... "LIFE ON THE THIRD PLANET! ARE YOU MAD? IT HAS OCEANS OF MOLTEN BEDROCK!" "But all the radio noise, and that thing that landed in the old creek near the tholin dunes? What of that?" "BURN THIS ONES BOOKS AND STRIP THEM OF THEIR RESEARCH DEGREES!"

[@aniksamiurrahman6365]

Whoah! That's a good joke. I think we should look for life in lava planets as well.

[@absalomdraconis]

@@aniksamiurrahman6365 : That is a somewhat more interesting idea, yeah.

[@pressaltf4forfreevbucks179]

Molten bedrock xD

[@sojourner.]

>molten bedrock >water ice _I see what you did there_

[@artistacielo6492]

Yeah.. burn it.. on the planet made of methane

[@JoakimKanon]

Somewhere in cosmos, a silicon based life form just invented the first transistor made out of meat.

[@bubblesthecat1674]

More like charcoal bricks

[@erikmckoul2478]

It would be funny if silicon based life made our type of life then we got out of control like skynet lol

[@ccvcharger]

Silicon based life discovers the infinite possibilities of graphene and carbon nanotubes.

[@elykmuldron3287]

It's called spirit cooking XD Sorry, that was in poor taste ' . '

[@themousethatroared3371]

Check out the short story They're Made Out Of Meat by Terry Bisson About a couple of silicon or machine based aliens talking about life on earth. Its hilarious.

[@diGritz1]

I lost my pet rock in a freak swimming accident back in 76. I really miss him even if he couldn't swim. R.I.P Stone Cold Killa.

[@augustsmith9553]

youre not that old

[@childhoodobesitysnackrevie1939]

the swim of 76'

[@tonydagostino6158]

As a geologist and micropaleontologist, I'd like to point out a few things. Biogenic silica is hydrated, SiO2-nH2O. It incorporates some water molecules to fill voids in the amorphous structure of the SiO2. There is no crystalline lattice such as the figure you showed. The SiO2 is arranged in a crystalline lattice, sometimes with impurities, in all the mineral examples you featured. They're really two different things. The amorphous nature is one of the defining characteristics of biogenic silica. The "n" varies from species to species that precipitate biogenic silica to make their shells. It can even vary within the shell of an individual organism. You showed some diatoms which are single-celled photosynthetic microplankton that secrete their shells in two halves and live inside. Radiolarians are also single-celled but they're planktonic predators that secrete their shells to form a framework to support their protoplasm. Sponges secrete biogenic silica to form spicules for support. There are other, even more obscure organisms that use biogenic silica but those are the most well known. Opal is amorphous, hydrated silica that is precipitated chemically instead of biogenically. If you cram enough water into the amorphous "structure" you get a silica gel that flows and has other interesting properties. BTW it's pronounced "di-a-toms" not "di-atoms". Love your vids

[@ellisonhamilton3322]

I don't know about this. If you could see the set on my neighbor when she jogs by. They are pretty darn lively and they're certainly silicon based. Thanks Anton. 🇺🇸❤🇺🇸

[@robbanswe1]

How do you know they're not real and spectacular?

[@nathangamble125]

@@robbanswe1 Optimism, in a nutshell.

[@ellisonhamilton3322]

@@robbanswe1 Because she ( and her husband) have lived down the road for about 8 years and they've pretty well doubled in size. NOT complaining, just observing. 😁

[@UltraCasualPenguin]

Silicone != silicon How do you know it's not saline?

[@Nefertiti0403]

Lmao!!!! Omg I was Thinking This But I didn’t want to say it....Awesome

[@michaelkennedy8270]

As if bags of mostly water know what they're talking about.

[@daydreamer8662]

Excuse me, the phrase is, "ugly bags of mostly water"

[@cleanerben9636]

I will move my meat strings in anger!

[@michaelkennedy8270]

@@daydreamer8662 Yeah, I know, but I didn't want to cause too much offence to the Wonderful Bags who visit this channel.

[@CitedHarbor0]

Star Trek reference spotted.

[@daydreamer8662]

@@michaelkennedy8270 Okay, our nerdness is reaching critical levels, please decrease it by 47 basis points. (47 - see what I did there?)

[@LoPhatKao]

_"It's life Jim, but not as we know it"_

[@ce-750pilot3]

Spock, is that Horta a silicon-based life form? Yes, Jim, and I think we are destroying its eggs!

[@matthewvanburen6415]

Also Bones: "I'm a doctor, not a bricky layer!"

[@briangiesbrecht6333]

Truth

[@acrocanthos-maxima4504]

Best episode

[@Ice_Karma]

I always felt that one of the deal-breakers for silicon-based life was silicon dioxide being a solid, unlike carbon dioxide being a gas.

[@kayzeaza]

@Tommy Taffy it’s easier for an organism to dispel a gas than a solid

[@kayzeaza]

@Tommy Taffy no this isn’t about poop 🤦🏻‍♂️. we exhale carbon dioxide, so you would be exhaling quartz if you were silicon based…

[@kayzeaza]

@Tommy Taffy so let me know the next time you breathe out sand

[@Calikid331]

@@kayzeaza The problem is that we still expect silicon based life to behave like life on earth. Maybe they don't need to breath, maybe the atmosphere they evolved in is breathable for them, etc. We need to stop giving them earth-like qualities before we even know if they exist.

[@kayzeaza]

@@Calikid331 nah. Life is finicky. Silicon based organisms couldn’t survive long if they needed all these extra steps to survive. Carbon based life is the most logical, and the best candidate for other life

[@GabrielShitposting]

Scientists: Silicon based life is not possible. Rockpeople: Adiós.

[@Jimmy-cv2js]

HOW ARE YOU FASTER THAN ME

[@Blackspidy619]

NANI!?

[@tapist3482]

Yo, Angelo

[@ultra-nationalistodst8085]

We did it boys, part 8 is no more

[@fubumaruda2128]

Bonjour

[@David-eg6sd]

Breathing out carbon dioxide is fine but breathing out silicon dioxide could be troublesome

[@brondlini5459]

@k halliday exactly what i thought about

[@siyacer]

Spiracles might help

[@daydreamer8662]

If you are constipated, it might come out as a sandstone

[@unnamedchannel1237]

Just don’t light their farts or you may get a glass shard in your eye

[@David-eg6sd]

@MisterJeebus of course, what did you think?

[@atillathehungry3145]

Meanwhile halfway across the universe on silica world headlines read "Carbon based life not possible, scientists determine".

[@anonymouscommentor4954]

😂😂

[@Techhunter_Talon]

That would be quite the cosmic coincidence. XD

[@justinwolf7490]

The Silconians

[@muninrob]

Tholians: "Carbon based life is simply not possible - carbon is far too combustible at the temperatures required for life to exist" Xygol 4: "Carbon compounds are simply too short lived to last the millennia required to reach intelligence"

[@nedern]

Hello wonderfull siliconians!

[@RichMitch]

"Eventually, a lot of people bought these rocks and this guy became a millionaire" - America

[@egyeneskifli7808]

Have you ever heard of the tamagochi? That's the same thing as the pet rock, but with electronics. There were even tamagochi cemetaries. It's not America, its simply humans.

[@josh_sqlla]

America is a continent

[@Aurinkohirvi]

@Lycan Protect you of frequencies? Frequencies of what?

[@terryendicott2939]

@@josh_sqlla Actually two continents, North America and South America.

[@jamielacourse7578]

"DAMMIT JIM, I'M A DOCTOR NOT A BRICKLAYER"......

[@alanwatts8239]

I am genuinely jealous that some guy sold literally rocks and became a millionaire.

[@cherias.4069]

To 'jealous One' --😳Seriously! You cannot muster up a little bit of "Happy it was SOMEBODY IF NOT YOURSELF? Stop being as stupid 🤡and be Happy that SOMEBODY has accomplished your 'Dream'

[@KRYPTOS_K5]

It is only possible in Democrat California, mate. GRIN

[@alanwatts8239]

@@cherias.4069 Dude, get a joke..

[@Fortjul]

@@alanwatts8239 I know right.. What da math!?

[@jordanutub6626]

What do you think diamonds are

[@AncientSlugThrower]

"A world of silicates and sulfuric acid..." Must be talking about those Xenomorphs.

[@cryhavoc1315]

Anton, I live a rather stressful lifestyle, I look forward to breaking my everyday reality with your videos reminding me how much more out there there is.

[@SteveVi0lence]

Hah, gay!

[@whocares4464]

👀

[@omnesomnibus2845]

So an alien silicon based life form might have.... ACID FOR BLOOD?

[@baum8981]

Teeechnically your blood has a pH of about 5, meaning its acidic ;)

[@kencarp57]

Baum I haven’t confirmed this experimentally, but I hypothesize that my pH 5 blood would not burn a hole through the hull of the Nostromo...

[@hutchison82]

doesn't Ash say the Alien has the nasty habit of replacing carbon molecules with silicate ones to Ripley if my memory is correct

[@NoSkillsNoFun]

@@baum8981 The pH of blood is pretty much 7.4, so slightly alkaline. Lower than 7.35 you get a condition called acidosis and higher than 7.45 it's alkalemia.

[@Rubashow]

@@baum8981 Blood has a pH of pretty much 7,35 and is therefore slightly alkaline.

[@duncanthompson957]

Damn! I was hoping we might be able to invade a planet full of silicon-based life forms and turn them into computer chips. So much for my dreams of being the kind of alien the universe fears.

[@_Killkor]

Reality is often filled with such buzzkills

[@creamcheese6236]

@@_Killkor I'm a product of that

[@duncanthompson957]

jesper the happy black hole ~ Sorry Jesper, you just won the dumbo prize! Computer chips ARE "made of rocks". That is why Silicon Valley is called Silicon Valley ...because it's an area comprised of companies solely based on silicon chip technology. Computer chips cannot work without silicon. Haha! That was such an easy one!!! 😎🤺 🎯

[@BlockWorks]

So we can't become the Combine from Half-Life 2? 😰

[@labyrinthzone9397]

@@duncanthompson957 I mean if we find alien carbon based lifeforms then we can still turn them into coal

[@dolores111]

Everybody gangster till studies find carbon based life might not be possible after all

[@jasonbowman9521]

A sentient soap bubble lives on a slippery slope.

[@metaphoricdirigible1499]

At least we don’t need a study to confirm the lack of intelligent carbon-based life. 😂

[@DzinkyDzink]

"I proved my own impossibilty therefore I cease to exist..."

[@greengreen110]

"a type of life that would become our pet rock" but what if we become it's pet coal?

[@cormacb2326]

If it existed it would live in totally un-earth like conditions, therefore we would be extremely hard to keep as pets.

[@WindsorMason]

@@cormacb2326 extremely hard or dangerous to keep as pets never stopped people before xD

[@montgomeryfitzpatrick473]

Ever tried to get rid of a body? They take more energy to burn than they produce, burning us for fuel is a terrible idea

[@notforsaletoday1895]

@@montgomeryfitzpatrick473 Yeah I found it to be very inefficient.

[@JoakimKanon]

4:26 Silicon: The T-rex of atoms. :(

[@jeffbenton6183]

I scrolled down until I found this comment...

[@petrockspiracy3120]

I had a lot of pet rocks. Not that you can tell from my name.

[@NorseGraphic]

...and they form the structure of your basement?

[@adeletaylor6143]

Have you been waiting for this moment?

[@petrockspiracy3120]

@@adeletaylor6143 My whole life.

[@petrockspiracy3120]

@@NorseGraphic No, those are my mum's rocks.

[@VanadzorImSirac]

@@petrockspiracy3120 forbidden dungeon

[@bubblesthecat1674]

Traveling to Titan, standing on a rock that grows, drinks methane, and poops Quartz crystals. "Yep, there's no life here. Back to the ship!"

[@therealcnado]

Damn, well rip to all the rock humans from Jojolion

[@pip2162]

Im literally reading jojolion right now, jojo is everywhere lol

[@lucastornado9496]

*pillar men theme intensifies*

[@thesexydevil780]

Motherfu- I was going to make the same joke

[@danolix]

XDD don't worry, they all live due to their stando powaaaah

[@eyeballpapercut4400]

@@danolix which rock human had a stand?

[@FodrMichalych]

The greatest trick the silicon cyber-devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn’t exist.

[@eu29lex16]

No he can't exist. And if he existed he would be stupid for having such a biology.

[@3_up_moon]

I was under the impression that if silicon life were possible, they would poop glass. Not a sound evolutionary strategy.

[@circlesevendivination4928]

k halliday Soo Parrot fish?

[@s.u.h.6548]

@k halliday Maybe they poop both

[@Humanaut.]

@@s.u.h.6548 why both? doesnt make sense.

[@cleanerben9636]

Silicon dioxide is a solid, so they wouldn't be able to breathe like we do.

[@DimEst19xx]

@k halliday So if they shitting sand and we have sand in our beaches, does that mean that their beaches are full of our shit?

[@Democritus8181]

Isaac Asimov's Foundation series and I Robot novels are very recommended, i would encourage anyone to buy them. He was ahead of his time like Jules Verne, and H G Wells.

[@ronaldsmall8847]

Asimov was an idiot. But even idiots have a following. Enjoy your fairy tales.

[@hexadecimal7300]

Loved the way he joined them up. A great storyteller

[@doncarlin9081]

I still love those books.

[@samhakimi2]

@@ronaldsmall8847 Asimov's books were firmly couched in science. He and his wife were educators first, and used scifi story telling to get young people interested in pursuing lives in science. 400+ positively received publications in his pocket later you show up on the scene to call him an idiot. What have you accomplished in your life that gives you the authority to call Asimov an idiot?

[@catman8965]

Humans ARE proof of silicon base life. Many of them have ROCKS for brains.

[@pentagramprime1585]

Rock Brain Society.

[@creamcheese6236]

Society rock brain

[@planescaped]

Why think when the TV/Social Media can do that for you?

[@cleanerben9636]

Rock gud. Me likey rock. Collect many shiny rock. Impress female.

[@nathanlewis42]

not intelligent life.

[@madisonforsyth9184]

Hello, wonderful person! I love all of your content because you cite scientific papers and seem genuinely interested in the material. Perhaps forms and precursors of life were passed around from object to object in space, catalyzing life in some ways. May you please do a video talking more about that? I think it’s called panspermia and this video got me thinking about it.

[@laurelsilberman5705]

I love how you described Titan as “this beautiful object”. Very true.

[@Aurinkohirvi]

In about 100 years.. Computers: "that is so racist! Silicate life matters!"

[@JuxZeil]

😂🤣😂🤣👌

[@sagittariusa2008]

Moleculist

[@nickcarroll8565]

But no one cares about silicate life killing silicate life.

[@TS-jm7jm]

@@nickcarroll8565 Based and irrefutably redpilled.

[@Lordviridian]

@igeto12 if you look at the statistics, it's True

[@fakefirstnamefakelastname8305]

That moment when you realize human beings are making computer chips out of you...

[@satan1149]

underated comment

[@kaysas9686]

By that logic, we eat ourselves.

[@astrowyrm6871]

@@kaysas9686 that's true but also you saying that kind of ruins the fun

[@tomareani512]

"Dammit Jim, I'm a doctor, not a brick layer!" If you know, then you know....

[@jackalope2302]

*my eggs!*

[@Bless-the-Name]

7/9: Perfection is made up of building blocks.

[@deepfriedsammich]

"By golly, Jim, I'm beginning to think I can cure a rainy day,”

[@tomareani512]

@@deepfriedsammich YEEEEESSSSS

[@ElectronicSword]

I disliked but that wouldn't do so far I left a comment :l

[@chemdemos3292]

Interesting! I have mentioned in my chemistry courses the problems that Si has in forming double and triple bonds as potentially problematic for life, but this paper looks like it goes quite a bit deeper. Thanks for sharing. I have fun watching your videos.

[@mrboomward]

Germanium based life: crying in the corner from lack of attention

[@ahkisidoesstuff6958]

As a German I'm deeply offended.

[@cormacb2326]

That's because its so uncommon it's not worth considering. Not only would it likely need super specific conditions to function, it would also need to be on a planet that actually has alot of Germanium. And Germanium has all the same problems silicon has, more actually.

[@mrboomward]

@@cormacb2326 yeah im not even sure if germanium compounds have chirality (which seems to be important). I think it would be cool to make in a lab (if possible) but I definitely don't actually think it exists in nature.

[@cormacb2326]

@YuPei No, carbon based life could exist on practically any planet that has liquid water. Multicelluar organisms are where it gets difficult though.

[@cormacb2326]

@@mrboomward Silicon struggles with chirality severely as well, but chirality is only needed for enzymes, and zeolite (which is an aluminosilicate) catalysts can act as an enzyme, so silicon based life has a way out.

[@thesharpercoder]

I want a “Hello, Wonderful Person” t-shirt of Anton waving hello. Who else wants one? I’d buy 3-4.

[@790robothead6]

The Steven Universe crowd is gonna be so bummed.

[@nocount7517]

SU is trash.

[@no2party]

Doubt it, they're too busy drawing rule 34 fanart or writing shitty rule 34 fanfic to care.

[@addamriley5452]

Tbh, silicon based life already exists, because the basis of existence is consciousness. What people are calling empty space between all atoms is actually infinite energy. Which means our brains do not produce their own consciousness but connect to it like wifi... which means we’re all literally the same person, pretending to be “other” people through an ego based persona. Every rock, tree, animal, person, planet and alien is literally “you”. There is no death we live each other’s lives through the consciousness connecting to the electromagnetic pulses in our heads. The aliens know this 👽👌 and the majority of humanity does not. Once we figure out the aliens aren’t “alien”, but literally ourselves in another shape, they will be free to be public. 🥳

[@fugslayernominee1397]

@@addamriley5452 i like the idea XD

[@cleanerben9636]

Hahaa they're probably all bummed, if you know what I mean

[@timo4258]

Meanwhile silicon based lifeforms: oh my god they are made of meat!

[@deepfriedsammich]

"Yes, thinking meat! Conscious meat! Loving meat. Dreaming meat. The meat is the whole deal! Are you beginning to get the picture or do I have to start all over?" Omni Magazine, April 1991 issue, Terry Bisson short story: "They're Made Out of Meat" I am surprised by how much coverage this short science fiction story has won for itself. I'm pleased, as well. It's a good story and one that stuck with me. I still remember it after all these years. Heh. It was nominated for a Nebula, and in my opinion, it probably should have won. I found the whole story on the internet just now, and re--read it, before posting this comment. :)

[@UncleWermus]

@@deepfriedsammich "But just before you said that they use radio" "Yes. But what do you think is ON the radio? Meat sounds."

[@cesarflog2]

I love this mini story.

[@fornow9293]

Timo Aun why would a rock eat meat? We eat amino acids which we get from wherever , what would a silicone based life form eat?

[@professordanfurmanek3732]

Retired astronomy professor, kudos! Outstanding job on Illuminating this paper!! Incredibly thought provocative.

[@estellepatella2520]

There is a ballet titled "Eden - Eden" by choreographer Wayne McGregor. It's all about this subject. Like sand through the hourglass, so goes the days of our lives. We'll never be sand.

[@bumpissfrumpiss2270]

Laughs with my golem girlfriend.

[@salaciousBastard]

Good for you my brother. One word of advice, just don't injure your junk on the down stroke.

[@velkylev4217]

That shit needs a lot of lube

[@Phoenixoflife56]

Well the closest thing to silicon based life is is the trilobites whose eyes were made of some kind of organic crystals and were very ineffective visually because it had to have several eyes for every degree of a circle in order to survive.

[@cleanerben9636]

But the eyes were well protected at least.

[@johnroberts8233]

But survive it did. And it not only survived but thrived. In fact, trilobites survived 2 mass extinctions and existed for millions of years, being one of Earth's earliest lifeforms, as well as coming in a bewildering multitude of bodyforms. As far as eyes go, not having great visual acuity would not be a problem as even just being able to make out shadows would confer an evolutionary advantage in escaping predators, finding prey and knowing the difference between day and night.

[@lesadams647]

Silicon based life probably will exist but NOT as something which was born out of evolution. We on Earth just might manage to create very intelligent AI that IS silicon based.

[@Texas240]

@jesper the happy black hole - when an intelligence, held on a silicon chip and within some type of body, decides to build another of itself, is that not reproduction?

[@maxime3648]

I agree on the idea, but computer chips on the future will very likely not be silicon based, silicon technology has kind of reached it's limits

[@Humanaut.]

@jesper the happy black hole Well if it is AGI it will be able to "reproduce" itself. It would fit the description of life. But I guess that also depends on your definition of reproduction. It would definantly be able to sustain itself and create progressing evolutions or modified copies of itself, even if the means of doing so differs, the result in principle is the same allthough it may differ grossly in effect. Maybe from its standpoint our ways of reproduction would seem crude, primitive and no longer necessary.

[@lesadams647]

Thanks for the replies. Yes, silicon based AI does NOT represent evolved life from natural processes, but just what will we manage to do with it in future? I'm sure all AI that exists today uses silicon in it's implementation. One thing we can be clear on is the fact that AI CAN have access to a vast range of information and therefore be more "aware" than any human.

[@BladeTrain3r]

@jesper the happy black hole Silicon cannot be organic because that relies specifically on the presence of hydrocarbons, but if we're talking about reproduction alone one can envision means to do it through admittedly convoluted means and using tech that's not quite there yet. I mean that's the entire premise of the Xenon in the X series of games.

[@aquarius5719]

In 1992 silicon based life appeared in Star Control 2, game of the year. Code went open source and it can be found as Urquan Masters. The crystal race is alled the Chmrr. It is free to download and play.

[@twincast2005]

8:50 "Venus is not just _hot_ ..." Perfectly timed stress. Perfectly named planet.

[@gospelofthomas77thpearl22]

The caveat - “here on planet Earth” 🤠👍🏼

[@ronaldsmall8847]

Feel free to show me a silicon based life form on Sigma 957. I'll wait.

[@Braum_Stroomin]

Yeah, it could easily be that carbon based life is more successful given Earths particular set of building blocks. All other forms of life were crowded out or never had time to form, similar to how all anaerobic life died off as soon as oxygen became readily available here.

[@casbyness]

@@Braum_Stroomin But that's what the paper rules out. As Anton said, it's weird that carbon 'won' the battle to form life on Earth, given there's far more silicon around. if carbon won here, despite the huge disadvantage, it's reasonable to conclude the odds of silicon ever winning under any conditions are very low.

[@casbyness]

@Gospel That's not what Anton and the paper are saying. They tried forming silicon-based life (or the building blocks for it) whilst replicating non-Earth conditions, and that still didn't work. It isn't too difficult to create a "mini Titan" in a lab here on Earth, then test how well silicon performs within that environment. The real caveat is "...yeah, and we also have no idea how carbon-based life began either, plus we can't replicate it..." That's the more serious issue with the paper. If the bridge between chemistry and organic life is still a total mystery to us, how can we possibly make judgements about more exotic life being possible? :)

[@ronaldsmall8847]

@@casbyness There is no mystery to me how life began.

[@fatherelijahcal9620]

The title of this video is very misleading. It should be something along the lines of: "Silicon based life may not be likely on Earth-like planets". No one can say anything at all about how likely it could be on worlds which are dramatically different from Earth, which btw is the VAST majority of the planets out there. Earth-like worlds seem to be very rare, so Silicon based life being unlikely on such worlds really doesn't change much as far as how likely such life might be in the universe. Also, I would add that all ecological niches on Earth have already been filled by Carbon based life, so Silicon based life may be blocked from ever arising here even if it otherwise could. And we also can't even rule out the possiibility there actually could exist Silicon based life on our planet, somewhere perhaps far below the crust. Who knows?

[@mike-0451]

If silicon based life is possible on planets vastly different from earth, and those planets make up the majority of planets, then where are the aliens? I don’t think it’s strange to assume that life on earth is the only way life can exist.

[@brondlini5459]

@@mike-0451 Fermi Paradox. Even if we assume that space faring civilizations are only appearing on earth-like planets, the universe should've been colonized for millions of years right now. Also, from all different species that appeared on Earth, we are the only civilization that ever lived on it, so life itself doesn't need to be rare, but intelligence may very well be.

[@siyacer]

Why would silicon-based life even be on Earth-like planets? There are far better planets for supporting silicon-based life, such as ones with ammonia oceans.

[@ehsnils]

I think that when we have a definition of life it's just that we have to consider that different types of life have different paces as well. And silicon based life may be working better in an oxygen-free environment.

[@ronaldsmall8847]

Just because you pretend, doesn't mean anyone else has to. You can't even define life. What is life?

[@bUwUmer1260]

@@ronaldsmall8847 perhaps a complex organism capable of encoding and replicating it's self mostly independently(IE not parasitically reliant to replicate).

[@oxfordcommaisthegreatest]

@@bUwUmer1260 Guess viruses wouldn't count in that definition.

[@edocsil1635]

@@oxfordcommaisthegreatest well yes, viruses aren't alive

[@DoktrDub]

Ronald Small Life general definition - a non-inanimate object or thing, that grows, develops, produces and acts through the process of biological premises.

[@weirdsciencetv4999]

My immediate thought is that if we hit the singularity, silicon based life might be very widespread lol!

[@polymathpark]

This is great, totally widened my perspective on primordial organic evolution! also for future reference, those microorganisms called "diatoms" are pronounced "^DIEA-tom" with the emphasis on the first part of the word.

[@JeanFrancoisDesrosiers]

I knew most silicon girls didn't have a life.

[@Kangaroo_Caught]

I can recall reading about "siliconies" in a science fiction book many years ago. Not much recollection of the details, author, etc. Very disappointed. Next you will tell me that the kids born in space will still need to breathe air. (Another science fiction memory from way back.)

[@juanferreira5931]

"The Talking Stone" (1955), by Isaac Asimov

[@freidenkercb2516]

Kids of humans are humans. Such adaptation needs a lot longer If You play with pur genez.

[@dariusflorici1482]

It is like saying that kids born underwater can actually breath underwater :)

[@Martial-Mat]

"If silica can form the basis for life, why isn't there silicon life on Earth." For the same reason there isn't carbon based life on other planets in the solar sstem. Bercasue the initial conditions may be exceedingly rare. Becase the continuing conditions may need to be just so. I really don't give any more credence to this story than I did to the original idea. Each are equally fantastical.

[@cf3714]

Also Carbon chains are much easier to build on Earth than Silicon chains. Why would natural selection pick Silicon when Carbon chains are just laying about?

[@emm_arr]

"For the same reason there isn't carbon based life on other planets in the solar sstem." We haven't established that yet.

[@helloweener2007]

Exeedingly rare or impossible. ^^ For life you need a metabolism. For a metabolism you need chemical reactions. That means you need a solvent for your structures that built the life form. Because you need a mdeium where all the reactions can take place. And it should not dissolve the life form. Organic compounds are either solvent in water or they are not and they can do something in between when they have goups that can solve in water and others that can't. You need something acting the same with silicon compounds and a solvent for doing that. There is no silicon based chemistry know to us that would work this way. Of course the argument is there are somewhere very extreme conditions that would allow it. Yes realyl? We experianxce that life has fomed under relatively stable conditions. And yes, there is life under the high pressure of the sea or in hot wells but it is not really extrem, it is only for our personal well being not from a view of chemistry.

[@Martial-Mat]

@@emm_arr Indeed, and we haven't definitively determned there's no silicon based life on earth.

[@Martial-Mat]

@@cf3714 They're not mutually exclusive. Perhaps some particular condition needs to be met that is very rare. You might as well ask "Why would natural selection create flight, when it's so much easier to walk?"

[@dinodinoulis923]

Many thanks for sharing this. This has been a question I have had in my mind for over 40 years, ever since I first read Isaac Asimov’s short story on this as a kid. Really great summary of the findings and thanks for the links to the full research. All the Best, Dino

[@wanderingbufoon]

"Silicon Based Life May Not Be Possible" Well, some AIs and robots in the future are going to be in a rude awakening.

[@neendevi2477]

Still surprises me how we actually think or suspect how any other live may look with all possibilities in the universe. I don't think we can ever know how or in what way life can be so different from what we have on Earth. So all of this is pure speculation because we 'think' we can solve the puzzle of life.

[@lucaslucas191202]

There aren’t a lot of possibilities in the universe relative to the fragility of life.

[@smashedtomato9591]

It's not pure speculation. You underestimate the amount of things we can figure out using our chemistry. Not everything, that's for sure, but modern science delves deep into the secrets of the universe.

[@BlueRidgeBubble]

@@smashedtomato9591 It's barely scratching the surface lol I had this hubris a decade ago

[@hatman4818]

True, however, you can derive a lot using just the anthropic principle and one data point. When applied to life, it's unlikely life would be anything other than carbon based and evolve in similar environments to life on earth. In fact, we have more than one data point, we have 8 planets, and numerous moons and dwarf planets to look at and have yet to find life anywhere but earth. Astrobiologists have the job of exploring hypothetical ways life may evolve elsewhere, and they can be pretty imaginative. I've seen viable complex lifeforms that could exist in the clouds of gas giants for example. But, at the end of the day, the further away from earth-like conditions, the more evolutionary hurdles life would have to climb over to even exist. And scientists can pinpoint what these hurdles are. For example, while hot hydrogen balloon plants could exist in jupiter's atmosphere.... It'd be pretty hard for single cell organisms to come about floating in jupiter's atmosphere, and even harder for them to evolve into complex life without liquid water oceans or solid ground. These factors make it unlikely for such creatures to exist. Scientists are plenty capable of imagining the very weird where extra terrestrial life is concerned. But they also have educated guess at how likely life other than eath-like is to form and evolve in the first place.

[@Shaden0040]

Tell that to the horta!

[@JohnDoe-vf2yo]

Or the Turians!

[@Jefuslives]

Dang! You beat me to it.

[@car103d]

Or VGER

[@darrenkrivit6854]

No Kill I

[@schnaps1790]

6:50 Carbon based life also use Calcium for structural purpos

[@extremawesomazing]

Really cool to think about. I wonder if higher densities and temperatures in other planets could also make silicate molecules far more diverse.

[@lovelaugh7299]

I dont understand how life even forms. How can an empty planet start life? How does a rock turn to a cell??

[@casbyness]

We don't know. That's the flaw in this paper - if we can't even figure out how we got from chemical reactions to carbon-based life on Earth, and certainly cannot yet replicate this incredible feat artificially, then how can we conclude that silicon-based life has serious problems simply because we also cannot replicate that under laboratory conditions? The scientists might as well have concluded that carbon-based life is impossible, because they can't create it. Effectively their conclusion comes down to "well...there's none on Earth, and we can't make any, so..." Going back to your question - the best idea we have so far is one day some highly-complex acid woke up one morning, got fed up with being pushed around by bigger acids, and said "Screw you guys! I'm going to develop a weird proto-RNA internal code that allows me to replicate myself using surrounding materials before I die, making me immortal forever! Bwahahahaha!" That complex acid somehow bridged the magical gap between chemistry and biology, whilst breaking thermodynamics for good measure. We believe his name was Stanley, but accounts are contentious since amino acids are notorious for their poor handwriting.

[@lovelaugh7299]

@@casbyness this was a joy to read! Thanks ^^

[@PATTHECATMCD]

Scientists: There is no silicon based life. Computer virus creator: I HAVE MADE LIFE Me: Scientific defintion of life does not exist.

[@PATTHECATMCD]

I'd be happy to hear the scientific definition of "life" and "alive". I really would.

[@PATTHECATMCD]

@jesper the happy black hole , Uhuh. That defines "life as found on Earth". However, many of the those same features can be found in stars. Like I said, there is no universal definition of life. Only a rather fudged definition to puff up the human ego

[@absalomdraconis]

@Enclave Soldier : Nah, biological viruses are _incomplete_ by themselves in ways that render them halfway to life instead of all the way. Even prions are closer, and those are actually _simpler._

[@absalomdraconis]

I actually scratched out a skeleton of a definition of life once: Life: the set of systems which achieve self-perpetuation via metabolic activity within the context of environments conducive to the persistence of their functionality. Viruses & engines are both excluded because they _don't_ self-persist. Fire _might_ count, but only if it also counts as a system: I consider it more credible to think of fire as a possible _environment_ than as life itself. Prions are an interesting case, but would _probably_ be excluded for an absence of metabolic activity.

[@PATTHECATMCD]

@zztop3000 Hey, it's for the scientists to come up with their definitions. My point was that YOUR definition was unsatisfactory for environments outside of our shared human environment. That would include the environments inside of a digital computer network.

[@smergthedargon8974]

10:00 Anton, I think you mean "compound", or "molecule". "element" is reserved for the bare, lone atoms.

[@RendezvousWithRama]

Doesn't have to be bare lone atoms. "Element" is an abstract description of the type of atom, and doesn't really relate to molecular structure. A methanol molecule, for instance, has six atoms but three elements (and is not an element).

[@smergthedargon8974]

Yes, I am aware.

[@RendezvousWithRama]

@@smergthedargon8974 My guess is that Anton is equally aware. Both of you misspoke, and both of us responded pedantically.

[@smergthedargon8974]

​@@RendezvousWithRama Judging by his accent, I doubt English is his first language, so there's a good chance he used the term improperly.

[@RendezvousWithRama]

@@smergthedargon8974 No, I don't think so. Judging by his accent and name, his native language is Russian - same as mine. The term "element" in chemistry is basically the same in Russian as in English (only difference is emphasis is on last syllable), and means exactly the same thing.

[@oisnowy5368]

Obligatory: we will, we will rock you! Rock You!

[@roningehring406]

Imagine what would happen if you burned silicon based life. I'd probably expect to see quite complicated glass figurines.

[@wheresmyoldaccount]

Carbon: Why can't you do life? Silicon: Too hard.

[@ZachSeineVideos]

"They look like big, good, strong hands, don't they? I always thought that's what they were."

[@marydewitt9623]

ZachSeineVideos I always liked the Rockbiter from the Neverending Story

[@Rudderify]

Thank God. I was afraid of a spaceship full of blowup dolls coming to earth and enslaving us.

[@captainfeish6028]

dont worry a race of synthetic alien blow up dolls can still exist and be looking for worlds to conquer.

[@Rudderify]

rrobertt13 I know...it’s called a JOKE. Relax.

[@MisterDax]

The bodypillows have mobilised

[@Rudderify]

rrobertt13 Jesus, it’s called a Dad joke. Can’t you just enjoy the humor of it instead of being so triggered all the time? SiliconE isn’t even on the Periodic Table anyway....just enjoy the joke. Maybe if you smiled more, maybe, just maybe, the world will be a slightly better place.

[@Tugela60]

The problem with this paper, as is the case with so many that deal with similar topics, is that it assumes that life is going to be just like here on earth. That even goes down to the very definition of life itself. Their concept of what is possible is limited to what their personal experience is, namely carbon based life in earth like conditions. That goes down to the actual molecules of life itself, with the presumption that DNA and proteins have to be involved. Personally I think that just recognizing alien life is going to be a lot harder than most people think, simply because it is going to involve different chemistry organized in different ways and adapted for different conditions. The further you get away from Earthlike chemistry and conditions you get the harder it will be. Even with Earthlike conditions we still might not see it.

[@petersmythe6462]

The other thing I've found when I've looked into this is that Silicon is very large and most complex siloxane structures aren't at their minimum energy state. Basically low grade explosives. Not good for building stable life.

[@robertbancila1778]

When i watch your videos every day i feel fed, weird sensation to be honest

[@robertx1603]

If you watch the documentary film "Island of Terror", you will see that not only are silicates possible, they are also incredibly dangerous. Please do more research!

[@paulfrantizek102]

The Monolith Monsters from 1957 is another documentary film outlining the threat from silicate life.

[@wwiiinplastic4712]

It's a shame Grand Moff Tarkin didn't get his own cybernetic hand after that film.

[@mortsllaf]

Let’s just be honest here, in 100 years, some dude will be selling actual silicone based life as the new pet rock...

[@clarkh3314]

Hi Anton. This was a great and informative video on highlighting the potential problems of silicate life formation. I don't think this is a big deal, but since it seems you are speaking american english I wanted to clarify some pronunciations. You speak extremely well and I am not putting this as an insult in any way. Ethane = eh-thane instead of eee-thane Methane = meh-thane instead of mee-thane Diatom = Die - a - tom instead of di-atom much love brother, thank you again for the always informative videos.

[@jameretief8327]

So the Star Trek episode, “Devil in the Dark” LIED to us? I’m crushed!

[@timothylolcats8020]

The scariest kind of alien life is when we find another society exactly like humans, literally carbon copies, just a hundred year behind or so. That would be scary

[@janniszimbalski6652]

Scarier would be a hundred years ahead. ;)

[@eXeLeNeRgY]

@Martine Bre Damn you´re right!

[@erikmckoul2478]

I would be more annoyed than scared. lol

[@erikmckoul2478]

@Martine Bre I never understood how that's scary.

[@venmis137]

@@erikmckoul2478 it would probably mean that either humans were created by some super powerful species, or that we're in a simulation.

[@Johnny_Croissant]

Imagine the rocks of earth were alive all along. Waiting, watching, shifting slowly.

[@deemo8578]

temperature is key.

[@LimpRichard]

Thank you

[@jasonlittlefield1285]

Boom

[@jasonlittlefield1285]

Flavour Month, you must certainly be correct. Just as our Carbon-based life require specific temperature ranges. Who knows? Could there be some type of magma-born multicellular organism deep in the Earth's mantle we simply don't have the means to detect?.... That'd be sick.

[@snosibsnob3930]

What about some kinda natural computer? A lucky placement of some impurities and UV light could create some sort of sun powered computer on natural silicon crystals.

[@low-phas]

Silicon based life is all around us. I used to work in a building with a plastic surgery on the bottom floor. There were hordes of mostly female silicon enthusiasts going in and out of there from sunup until sundown.

[@melodicnostalgic3823]

Makes sense, Maybe we will never be able to re-create Life on Earth because it came from elsewhere.

[@mrc1500]

What about silicon-based intelligence? 😎

[@dr.greenthumb8895]

Good!

[@mike-0451]

You mean computers and AI? It’s pretty obvious isn’t it?

[@brondlini5459]

@@mike-0451 More like Kardashians

[@HVYContent]

Nobody: Carbon: Silicon: Germanium: ...I know when I’m not wanted

[@Name-ps9fx]

In my heart, somewhere in the Galaxy, there is a lonely Horta, guarding her brood of eggs. Maybe she is in the Yellowstone caldera...hoping they hatch before another eruption.

[@cormacb2326]

I mean its not like this study is actually 100% proof that silicon life can't exist lol.

[@jeanbecker3031]

So there is no life in Silicon Valley scientifically possible? Well, Anton, that is naturally only a joke. I enjoy your post very very much! You are certainly one the best in spanning the entertaining bow from everyday experience to really high science. Thank you so much!

[@gener.1253]

Somewhere in the universe there is a silicon based life form who just proved that carbon based life is not possible!

[@JohnDoe-vf2yo]

No possible existence of Turians then? Shucks.

[@roastedpinots947]

Interesting complaint, but canonically they are carbon based.

[@Deoix9877]

turians are carbon based. the main diference with humans is that they are built on dextro-amino acids, unlike most of the races that are levo-amino acid based, quarians being the only known ones that work like the turians, wich is why they can eat the same things. the Volus could be silicon based since they use ammonia for their metabolic processes instead of water, but no confirmation has been given on what type of molecule they are based on.

[@Art_Vark_and_Rock]

“No kill I.”

[@engineeredarmy1152]

I remembered the Chemical Gardens that you had assessed in another video. These gardens are formed by Silicon and look very similar to life like structures. It is very fascinating that silica was almost life with its similarly to carbon.

[@phoule76]

unfortunately, although we keep saying "life started pretty much as soon as it was possible for it to start on Earth", it apparently only started that one time. aren't the conditions still right for it to start now? then why aren't we seeing constant geneses all around us today? we need to find more examples on Mars, Titan, Europa, etc. in order to advance in our knowledge.

[@Jerew]

don't forget anything that can happen will happen somewhere this universe is full of one off's and anomalies

[@Humanaut.]

the emphasis being on CAN, this spectrum of infinite possibilities is limited by the constraints of what is actually possible according to the fundamental laws of physics.

[@prophetdev290]

@Enclave Soldier given enough time? Is 13.8 billion years long enough? Maybe in another bil 🤷‍♂️

[@sakr3083]

**Cries in Jojolion**

[@sindriedda731]

Rock humans are a lie

[@yellrfellr2173]

Rokaka is a lie

[@dt5072]

Oooo just in time to get my anton fix thank god *injects anton straight into eyeballs* Ahhh yea thats the good shit

[@nikolagenchev7161]

Since life is not fully understood and we lack a definition of it, let's simply look at its fundamental characteristics - Homeostasis, Organization, Metabolism, Growth, Adaptation, Response and Reproduction. On each of these above are written endless supply of books... I would get your video as simply entertaining and excluding any scientific meaning :) Cheers, keep up the good work!

[@mingonmongo]

Thx, Anton, interesting as ever. And this is probably not surprising when Nature's preference seems to be for 'maximizing the possibilities'.

[@SomeOne-sr5hh]

That's what they want you to think 👁️

[@gulagkid799]

robots: so we are not considered life huh

[@latioswarr3785]

God: YES!

[@ivandimovski4074]

Well not organic life :)

[@blackdog6969]

Well that explains transformers, right?

[@circuit10]

They aren't life

[@ktkng]

No you will never be

[@jaybefaulky4902]

well saying 'silicon life is likely' or even possible is like saying hydrogen behaves differently in another region of the universe. wild speculation and just SCI-FI (i feel confident that the elements behave the same way with each-other throughout the Universe) ...i think we would be surprised at how SIMILAR life works and evolves across the universe...i would go so for as to say that, whatever life forms they are, they use the same elements in the same ways producing the same results..except of course looking a bit different..but i would venture to say that the evolution of life is a bit more consistent and predictable than one may assume and that the 'appearance' of otherworldly creatures are remarkably similar.. just as celestial bodies behave the same way (a large black-hole acts like a large black-hole, a medium sized white-dwarf is going to be doing what another medium sized white-dwarfs do etc.)

[@NathanChisholm041]

Doubt it! The chance life elsewhere will be like us is slim at best!

[@Nefertiti0403]

Oh Jeez Dude....He’s Trying To Have an open mind to ALL WAYS OF THINKING....That Way You Can Come Up With Your Own Conclusions....Instead You Take To a More Personal Level. I’m More Than Positive Looking At You when You Speak Or Explain Things To Ppl you Probably F*** More Than Most.

[@Nefertiti0403]

Are You Jelly??

[@jasonlittlefield1285]

Great explanation! I was pondering the same thing. That it certainly seems likely that Carbon IS the key. I imagine the variances would come mostly from the differences in atmospheric density and ratio of the key elements.

[@jaybefaulky4902]

@@NathanChisholm041 i agree 100% they ABSOLUTELY wouldn't look like us..i am saying that the process of evolution is similar and that the use of the elements are similar..in other-words the other life form CANNOT make carbon for example suddenly behave exactly like oxygen..i don't think that's possible ..but you seem to have a more open mind...by similar i refer to how a lizard is similar to a mouse..THAT level of similarity.. and how a lizard uses oxygen the same way THAT level of similarity...you seem to not think this is reasonable..OK by me i still dissagree on that point ..i wasn't trying to say they would 'look the same' 'similar'

[@TruthOfZ0]

Hmm so the ''degrees of freedom'' also aplies here too, very intresting indeed!!

[@Kidderrgaming]

I appreciate that you specified "earth-like planets" do not harbor silicon based life.

[@efilwv1635]

I’m so thirsty! I need some liquid methane!