A team of scientists from the Weizmann Institute and the University of California has developed a completely new, universal method for detecting life in the universe. Instead of searching for specific molecular markers like DNA or proteins, they proposed analyzing the statistical order in the molecular structure of substances. This approach allows for the detection of signs of life even in the absence of highly complex laboratory equipment on board space probes. This is reported by Ixbt.com reports .
The new method is based on the fundamental difference between living organisms and inorganic nature. In abiotic processes, the laws of thermodynamics dominate, creating disordered and predictable mixtures. Life, however, spends energy to create order. By adapting Hill numbers, used in ecology to measure species diversity, to molecular data, researchers created a mathematical filter that distinguishes biological organization from cosmic debris.
Mathematician Barak Sober, who developed this algorithm, notes that the method does not depend on the specific form of life. It searches for the fundamental organizational principle of life, which is why it can also detect life forms with a different biochemical basis that are unknown to us. This approach is particularly important for studying the icy moons of Jupiter and Saturn, such as Europa and Enceladus.
Model tests have shown that the method can detect biological traces even in samples partially damaged by radiation. The algorithm has already been successfully tested on microbial cultures, ancient fossils, and samples from the Bennu and Ryugu asteroids. Experts from NASA and ESA plan to use this statistical approach in future space missions, including the ExoMars project.
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