The Science of Alien Life: 223

Somewhere in the universe, perhaps at this very moment, something may be eating something else.That may not sound like the opening sentence to one of humanity's greatest scientific mysteries, but it gets directly to the point. Life is chemistry that somehow became ambitious. On Earth it started with simple molecules, graduated to cells, eventually invented teeth, nervous systems, accountants, reality television, and people willing to spend entire careers listening to radio static in hopes that one particularly suspicious squeak came from another civilization.The question of alien life is often presented as though scientists are standing on a hilltop staring dramatically at the stars and asking, "Are we alone?" In reality, the work is considerably messier. Researchers study microorganisms living inside rocks, organisms thriving in boiling water, creatures surviving without sunlight, chemicals floating through the atmospheres of distant planets, frozen moons containing underground oceans, meteorites carrying organic compounds, radio signals from deep space, and planets so strange that they make Florida weather appear predictable.