Microbes Capable of Surviving Harsh, Mars-Like Conditions Discovered

[exboyfil]

2. I bet we will find it and

it will use the same combination of four nucleotides as DNA (or be RNA driven with uracil replacing thymine). I think we have shared a biosphere with Mars, and we may never be able to distinguish which started first.

You are right if it does use a different chemistry (the more different the better for gaining knowledge) then it would be one of the greatest discoveries of all time and completely change everything. The probability of microbial life spread widel through the universe will shoot up tremendously.

The efforts to build replicating life from the simplist molecules will also have a chance of answering that question. We only need one instance in an environment roughly equivalent to the early earth to shut down any sort of argument against a material (not supernatural) origin of life.