On the Concept of Life: Why it should be no surprise about arsenic based life

If we limit our immigrations for the concept of life – an altogether abstract concept – we risk conforming to our intuitive cognitive constraints. We must realise the immensity of possibilities in our cosmos, all mathematically theoretically more than probable to include the certainties of earth like planets and alien civilisations. To limit life to mainstream formulas is wrong. The history of scientific knowledge has been an exponential history of growth and expansion. Therefore if we extrapolate this historical record we have a future of enlightenment and the realisation that we are not alone in this cosmic sea and that life is more complex than thought.

The newfound discoveries of arsenic based life and synthetic replicating DNA show that life is such a diverse and abstract concept that our outdated definitions are on the brink of major reformation. When we gaze up at the distant stars and galaxies, at their stellar and galactic figures, what we are actually looking at are systems of planets and specs of cosmic dust that maintain a high possibility of life. We, humans, tend to like to believe that we are special and that we hold all the knowlegde about life. Yet, this flaw is special in its self.

Just as the Fermi Equation shows us the likelihood of alien life and civilization, surely the mathematical and theoretical immensity of possibilities and the plethora of chances and diversity, new and interesting and even bizarre concepts and facts are revealed all the time.

The realms of life science and biochemistry, where biological complexity and chemical possibilities converge to formulate immensities of life forms, show us that even the basic biologies are not to be underestimated. We must replace our preconceived parameters for such an abstract concept of life and use innovation inspired by the nature that is all around us.