Far as we know (which is very little), Titan doesn't harbor life (the life we know), but has two strong (Earth Life) biosignatures N2 98% and CH4 2%. As far as we know, abiotic processes occurred on Titan Atmosphere formation. On Earth, the only planet that has life, we have N2 78%, O2 21% and CH4 ~1.9 ppm. Both the N2 and mainly CH4, are out of geochemical equilibrium by the biological production.
What should we know about "Life" in our Solar System? What could know about "Life" in the nearest stars?
If a hypothetical spectrometer was placed in Alpha Centauri and headed toward Titan transit, What would be our conclusions?
I am not sure I would say that Titan does not harbor life. First, if Titan has a deep ocean it could well have life there. http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2012/28jun_titanocean/
Second, I would by no means regard the issue of surface life _not_ as we know it, possibly a very slow moving biology using methane or ethane as a working fluid.
On a higher level, for whatever reason biology has basically been ignored in space exploration since circa 1976. (Of course, a lot has been done in the lab and from Earth based telescopes.) I personally think that the low-hanging fruit here could be atmospheric biospheres.
Venus has a level in its atmosphere that could support Earth life and is not in chemical equilibrium. This has been known for decades, never followed up.
The Viking biology experiments had mixed results, but were ignored based on mass spectrometer data that has now been shown to possibly be in error. Known for decades, not followed up. At least there is an active Mars program, so I am willing to give this one a bye.
Jupiter has a plethora of regions not in chemical equilibria, and regions with stagnant flow (i.e., not quickly recycled), including the Great Red Spot. Jupiter (and Saturn) also have level with Earth like temperatures (~ at the 10 bar level).
Given that the Earth has a "high biology" http://ijs.sgmjournals.org/content/56/7/1465
https://www.technocrates.org/bacteria-in-the-clouds/36005/ there is in my opinion no reason not to search Venus, Jupiter and Saturn for similar biologies.
I am not sure I would say that Titan does not harbor life. First, if Titan has a deep ocean it could well have life there. http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2012/28jun_titanocean/
Second, I would by no means regard the issue of surface life _not_ as we know it, possibly a very slow moving biology using methane or ethane as a working fluid.
On a higher level, for whatever reason biology has basically been ignored in space exploration since circa 1976. (Of course, a lot has been done in the lab and from Earth based telescopes.) I personally think that the low-hanging fruit here could be atmospheric biospheres.
Venus has a level in its atmosphere that could support Earth life and is not in chemical equilibrium. This has been known for decades, never followed up.
The Viking biology experiments had mixed results, but were ignored based on mass spectrometer data that has now been shown to possibly be in error. Known for decades, not followed up. At least there is an active Mars program, so I am willing to give this one a bye.
Jupiter has a plethora of regions not in chemical equilibria, and regions with stagnant flow (i.e., not quickly recycled), including the Great Red Spot. Jupiter (and Saturn) also have level with Earth like temperatures (~ at the 10 bar level).
Given that the Earth has a "high biology" http://ijs.sgmjournals.org/content/56/7/1465
https://www.technocrates.org/bacteria-in-the-clouds/36005/ there is in my opinion no reason not to search Venus, Jupiter and Saturn for similar biologies.
Well the recognition of robust populations of extremophiles on the Earth show us life can form in many hostile environments, Galielo (the nasa mission, not the scientist) unfortunately did not detect atmospheric biospheres in Jupiter as it descended
through the atmosphere for 78 minutes.
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