Life Beyond Water? Ionic Liquids as a Potential Solvent for Alien Life
UPSC Relevance
Prelims: Science & Technology (Space - Exoplanets like Super-Earths; Chemistry - Ionic Liquids; Biology - Origin of Life, Astrobiology).
Mains: GS Paper 3 (Science and Technology- developments and their applications and effects in everyday life; Awareness in the fields of Space).
Key Highlights from the News
Main Theory: A new study suggests that life might exist on rocky super-Earths, planets with very little water.
Life-Sustaining Factor: The discovery indicates that ionic liquids, rather than water, can sustain life.
What are Ionic Liquids? These are salts that stay liquid even in a vacuum, making them stable in the harsh conditions found on alien planets.
How can they form? On planets with volcanic activity, they can form from the combination of sulphuric acid from volcanoes and organic molecules.
Significance: This finding challenges the long-held scientific view that water is essential for life, thereby increasing the possibilities for the search for alien life.
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