Dave5

The more I see a lack of success in the SETI field, the more I feel our own bio-chem chauvinism is getting the in way… Our own planet teaches us that life is weirdly untethered from our surface dwelling norms.

Astrobiologists hunting for the first definitive signs of life outside of Earth often target planets that likely contain liquid water, a key component for virtually all life on Earth. Now, astrophysicists Adam Frank from the University of Rochester and Amedeo Balbi from the University of Roma Tor Vergata have published research in Nature Astronomy that could help redefine our search for intelligent life in the universe.

Their study focuses on the vital role of atmospheric oxygen in the development of advanced technology on distant planets, introducing the concept of what they call an “oxygen bottleneck.” Mainly, the astrophysicists argue that oxygen is essential not just for life as we know it, but more critically, for the production of fire.