PortalsOS

Eukaryotes are significant because they represent a singularity in the history of life on Earth, arising once about 2 billion years ago. This event gave rise to all complex life, despite bacteria and archaea having a greater genetic repertoire.

The origin of life might be linked to deep-sea hydrothermal vents, where mineralized sponges with cell-like pores could have facilitated the formation of life by providing a structured environment for chemical reactions.

Nick Lane argues that life on other planets is likely to be carbon-based and water-dependent due to the commonality of these elements. He suggests that out of a thousand planets with life, 999 might follow this pattern, with only one being radically different.

The Earth acts like a giant battery, producing little living cell mini-batteries through hydrothermal vents. This fascinating theory suggests that the structure of cells mirrors the Earth's own structure, with electrons inside and a relatively oxidized outside.

At about 2,000 to 3,000 meters, when it's really dark, I would turn all the lights off on the submarine and then on again, like blinking. Often, I'd see flashes of light throughout the ocean, like lightning.

The continuity between geological environments and cells suggests that life forms are continuous with Earth's geochemistry, challenging the idea of a 'Frankenstein moment' where life suddenly zaps into existence.

Hydrothermal vents, driven by the mineral olivine, are likely to be found on any wet, rocky planet. These vents produce hydrogen gas in alkaline fluids, a fundamental process that could lead to the emergence of life.

Species like bats and moles, which may lack vision, survive superbly due to their acute sense of hearing, highlighting the essential role of sound in survival.

There's something called chemosynthesis, where colonies of life draw energy from methane seeping from rocks, living off chemical reactions in the minerals. This is a different form of life than what we have on the surface of the Earth.

Despite the vast number of planets, the unique development of eukaryotes on Earth suggests that while other methods of achieving complexity might exist, they are not easily realized in nature.