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- #21
You are patient. Yes. DNA's tenacity is legendary. But remember, it took 3.8 billion years, and around 7 billion tries to get homosapiens. Once a species finds it's niche, it stops evolving ... or almost anyway. Our branch of the DNA tree was a very happy accident. There are/were 7 billion prior, and present examples of this. Sharks have cruised the oceans for 350 million years essentially unchanged. This is no accident. The life at the great rift will never get to radio-capable. They are happy right where they are. It is a safe bet that life is also 350 million years old ....
But once started, a non-DNA based life would be subjected to the same evolutionary pressures as the life that came before us was.
And, no, I cannot imagine what the alternative base would be. More into geology than biology. Hope someone on the board has enough knowledge in this area to present some alternatives.
Well, I am certain there are many 'possible' alternatives. But they would be nothing more than pure speculation. On the order of "The universe could have been created by fairy dust." There is a ton of evidence that DNA works great. No evidence of any kind that any other combination will. The SETI experiments for over 50 years have proven one thing beyond ANY shadow of doubt. Intelligent ( radio capable ) life ... past or present ... is much rarer than anyone thought. Those who don't agree simply don't know the facts. And don't understand the numbers involved. Or ... like those at SETI ... simply refuse to accept reality.