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 Originally Posted by chemist
Going back to an old topic.
"If it's there, it's going to be exotic to say the least."
"Niel DeGrasse Tyson has said that he would be excited just to find DNA anywhere but Earth."
If it is so exotic why would it necessarily have DNA?
Could something exotic without DNA still be considered a life form?
The first question answers itself. It would be hugely unlikely for it to have DNA if it isn't something that the universe or periodic table favors. If it could be shown that the DNA-having stuff originated from somewhere else, that's huge. (If it turns out it came from here and contaminated to somewhere else, then that's meh.) If it turns out that there is non-DNA-based life, then that's huge.
The second question is probably better answered by a biologist, but my gut says that if it can argue that it is alive, then it's probably best to not argue back that it isn't.
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