Alien life forms have always been a human fascination. The unfathomable vastness and complexity of our universe incline us to believe that life in one form or another must exist outside our pale blue dot.
The evolution of life on earth is a consequence of extraordinary sequence of events. The probability of the same chronology of events occurring in nature is believed to be too low. The Rare Earth Theory suggests that the inception of simple organisms would be possible elsewhere in the universe but the evolution to an intelligent and complex life form would be very rare.
Size Matters
Our planet has just the right size to provide us the sustainable condition for life. If it would have been slightly smaller, the gravity would not be sufficient to hold our atmosphere. If it would have been slightly larger, it would attract too many asteroids causing frequent catastrophic events.
The Moon
The size of our Moon with respect to Earth is very large as compared to other planets. The perfect distance and its size with respect to Earth help our planet to maintain its tilt and prevent it from wobbling in space. This helps in having smooth transition between seasons which is extremely important for the species to adapt to the environment.
The Sun
Being in the habitable zone of the Sun, the temperature on Earth has been an optimum for life forms to evolve. We are lucky enough to have Sun of perfect mass. If it would have been larger, its life would be too short to allow evolution on Earth. If it would have been smaller, our planet would have to be closer to the Sun to be in the habitable zone. At such a short distance, Earth would go into a tidal lock, with one face of the Earth permanently facing the Sun while other in constant darkness.
Big Brother
Jupiter is the big brother of our neighbourhood. It attracts the asteroids which would otherwise hit our planet and make catastrophic events more common on Earth.
Active Molten Core
The core is responsible for Earth's Magnetic field. It deflects the harmful solar winds from Sun. In addition, it is also responsible for regulating our planet’s temperature and driving the plate tectonics.
Atmosphere and Ocean
Apart from providing necessary Oxygen to live, atmosphere and ocean drive our climate and help maintain an optimum temperature. They collaboratively transfer heat from warm places to the cold.
Although the theory suggests the rarity of existence of complex life, it doesn’t deny its subsistence. It is the exploring nature and the quest to comprehend the universe that has led to the profusion of ideas and innovations that we see around us. We should never stop looking!
Bibliography
The evolution of life on earth is a consequence of extraordinary sequence of events. The probability of the same chronology of events occurring in nature is believed to be too low. The Rare Earth Theory suggests that the inception of simple organisms would be possible elsewhere in the universe but the evolution to an intelligent and complex life form would be very rare.
Size Matters
Our planet has just the right size to provide us the sustainable condition for life. If it would have been slightly smaller, the gravity would not be sufficient to hold our atmosphere. If it would have been slightly larger, it would attract too many asteroids causing frequent catastrophic events.
The Moon
The size of our Moon with respect to Earth is very large as compared to other planets. The perfect distance and its size with respect to Earth help our planet to maintain its tilt and prevent it from wobbling in space. This helps in having smooth transition between seasons which is extremely important for the species to adapt to the environment.
The Sun
Being in the habitable zone of the Sun, the temperature on Earth has been an optimum for life forms to evolve. We are lucky enough to have Sun of perfect mass. If it would have been larger, its life would be too short to allow evolution on Earth. If it would have been smaller, our planet would have to be closer to the Sun to be in the habitable zone. At such a short distance, Earth would go into a tidal lock, with one face of the Earth permanently facing the Sun while other in constant darkness.
Big Brother
Jupiter is the big brother of our neighbourhood. It attracts the asteroids which would otherwise hit our planet and make catastrophic events more common on Earth.
Active Molten Core
The core is responsible for Earth's Magnetic field. It deflects the harmful solar winds from Sun. In addition, it is also responsible for regulating our planet’s temperature and driving the plate tectonics.
Atmosphere and Ocean
Apart from providing necessary Oxygen to live, atmosphere and ocean drive our climate and help maintain an optimum temperature. They collaboratively transfer heat from warm places to the cold.
Although the theory suggests the rarity of existence of complex life, it doesn’t deny its subsistence. It is the exploring nature and the quest to comprehend the universe that has led to the profusion of ideas and innovations that we see around us. We should never stop looking!
Bibliography