I’m writing to inform the American public that microscopic life exists in Europa and Enceladus.
New readers will hopefully have fun. They will learn that Europa is a moon of Jupiter and Enceladus a moon of Saturn. Both moons have life.
How do I know? Statistics holds the answers, and I present a formal statistical argument at the end. I hope readers will have a pleasant read and consult the mathematical statistics only if necessary.
I’ve often read statistical arguments that prove knowledge of something. That’s all I do. I simply use statistics to prove where life exists.
The search for life is fascinating. Space agencies all over the world are attempting to observe life directly on planets, asteroids, and comets. Other pioneers are searching for fossil proof of life. The key is the definition of life. I might conclude that the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s Stardust Mission found life when it discovered amino acids in the tail of a comet. Amino acids are the basic building block of life, and the probe returned to Earth with the proof in 2006.
But that would leave me with nothing to write.
To avoid the writer’s nightmare, I define life as microscopic or microbial life other than simple amino acids. I avoid the issue of intelligent life and focus mainly on microbes in Europa and Enceladus. Microbes may be anything under a microscope, including new forms not present on Earth. Readers who tolerate me will know that microbes exist.
I give credit to Dr. David Darling and the Greeks.
Halley’s Comet. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration discovered amino acids in comets. Image courtesy of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.
Copyright, 2012. Wade Hobbs
