Found Proof of Extraterrestrial Life. Or Did We?

Yet again, we are back to discussions about existence of extraterrestrial life and another instance of having located it. A recent study published in the Journal of Cosmology points towards the existence of life in space. A specially-designed balloon sent 27km into the stratosphere to monitor the Perseid meteor shower returned with small organisms on board that researchers believe could only have originated from space. Professor Milton Wainwright, from the University of Sheffield’s department of molecular biology and biotechnology, said the particles – a diatom fragment and some ‘unusual biological entities’ – were too large to be lifted from the Earth to such a height.

"The only known exception is by a violent volcanic eruption, none of which occurred within three years of the sampling trip," he said. Thus the paper argues for its incidence from space, with a probable origin in the watery environment of a comet.

The author advocates that there is no mechanism by which such a large sized particle can reach upto the stratosphere as it has a large residence time. Also, commercial airplanes do not fly at the height at which these were detected.  The only possible source from Earth is a volcano - which did not take place just before the sampling. However, I agree with Terry Kee, that it is too soon to conclude anything from that. The scientific community still needs a proof that the particle does not belong to Earth before they can start looking out for life in outer space.

Regarding conducting more experiments to analyse this situation, Prof Wainwright added, "The absolutely crucial experiment will come when we do what is called "isotope fractionation"."

Biochemical processes cause a fluctuation in the amount of carbon isotope ratios incorporated into a biological being. The difference between the true amount of carbon and the amount in the plant is known as isotope fractionation.

He explained, "We will take some of the samples which we have isolated from the stratosphere and introduce them into a complex machine – a button will be pressed. If the ratio of certain isotopes gives one number then our organisms are from Earth, if it gives another, then they are from space. The tension will obviously be almost impossible to live with!"

Let us wait for what the isotope fractionation brings to light and to what extent can we rely on its results! Till then, let's hope that life does exist in some other parallel universe!