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Tech & Science
A new statistical approach, inspired by ecology, may detect life on other planets by analyzing the hidden order of molecules.
A statistical method that looks for the "hidden order" linking molecules, rather than searching for specific particles as evidence of life on distant planets, could soon be available to scientists. A new study suggests this approach, borrowed from ecology, may be more effective because it doesn't require specialized equipment and can be applied to data from instruments already in space.
The research team adapted a concept used on Earth to measure biodiversity, which counts the number of species present (richness) and how evenly they are distributed (evenness). Applying this idea to extraterrestrial chemistry, they examined amino acids and fatty acids from a range of samples, including asteroids and fossils.
Results showed that samples of biological origin have distinct organizational patterns that differ markedly from non-biological ones. This difference allowed researchers to reliably and consistently separate the two types and observe how traces of life are preserved. Even heavily degraded samples, such as fossilized dinosaur eggshells, retained these detectable statistical fingerprints.
Scientists emphasize that no single method, including this new one, can by itself prove the existence of extraterrestrial life. However, they view it as a powerful additional tool in the search for alien life.
Fabian Kleiner, a co-author of the study, said: "Our method is an additional way to assess whether life might be there. And if different techniques all point in the same direction, then that becomes very powerful."
The study, titled "Molecular diversity as a biosignature," was published in the journal Nature Astronomy.
