Why Aliens Might Love Their Frozen Home

TL;DR

Ice can protect against radiation and provide a shield for life on other worlds, host life within its crystal structure, and even facilitate nutrient transport in deep oceans on exoplanets.

Transcript

Thanks to Brilliant for  supporting this SciShow video! As a SciShow viewer, you can keep building your STEM skills with a 30 day free trial and 20% off an annual premium subscription  at Brilliant.org/SciShow. Ever since astronomers  discovered worlds beyond Earth, they’ve been trying to find life on them. And most were willing to bet that they’d ... Read More

Key Insights

• 🥶 Ice can form a protective shield against dangerous radiation, making it a potential habitat for life on worlds without magnetic fields or atmospheres.
• 🥶 Microbes have been found surviving under kilometers of Antarctic ice, showcasing the ability of life to thrive in icy environments.
• 🥶 Methane hydrate ice can trap organisms within its bubbles, suggesting that icy worlds may host life within their ice structures.
• 🥶 Deep oceans on exoplanets with ice layers may benefit from nutrient transport facilitated by the ice, supporting the potential for life.
• 👨‍🔬 Europa and other icy moons, comets, and planets may be promising targets for the search for extraterrestrial life.
• 🥶 NASA's Europa Clipper mission, launching in 2024, aims to search for signs of life beneath Europa's ice.
• 🚴 The European Space Agency's Juice mission, scheduled for 2032, will explore Europa, the first icy moon it visits.

Questions & Answers

Q: How does ice act as a shield against radiation?

Ice, similar to our atmosphere, is effective at absorbing radiation, protecting potential life from dangerous high-energy particles.

Q: What are some examples of icy worlds that could potentially host life?

Jupiter's moon Europa, with its thick ice shell covering an ocean, is a prime candidate for hosting life. Additionally, comets, moons, and planets with methane hydrates and other icy blends could also support life.

Q: How do organisms survive within methane hydrate ice?

Microbes have been discovered living within trapped bubbles of oil and saltwater in methane hydrate ice, creating a miniature habitat within the ice crystal.

Q: How does ice facilitate nutrient transport in deep oceans on exoplanets?

On some exoplanets, where a dense ice layer separates the liquid ocean from the rocky interior, the ice's crystal structure can store salt. Temperature differences within the ice cause it to churn, moving the salt up to the base of the liquid ocean and providing nutrients for potential life.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Ice can act as a shield against dangerous radiation in space, making it a potential habitat for life on icy worlds.

• Microbes have been found surviving under kilometers of Antarctic ice, demonstrating that life can thrive in icy environments.

• Ice on exoplanets with deep oceans may facilitate the transport of nutrients from the planet's rocky interior to the liquid ocean, supporting potential life.