A planet that can host life like ours is extremely rare. Gazing at the night sky, we can only speculate where else life appears. It is safe to assume that other stars surely have planets revolving in their gravitational field.
For life, some necessities are liquid water, distance from a star that warms but doesn’t burn, a planet with a gravitational pull neither too small nor too large and possibly lightning.
The presence of the element carbon can also not be overstated. This building block has a valance of four that allows long and complex chains with tetrahedral backbones. Life on this planet also needs nitrogen, hydrogen and oxygen to start with. Our air, comprised of 78 percent nitrogen and 21 percent oxygen, allows us to “burn” carbohydrates and, in unusual circumstances, proteins for energy.
The one percent left in air is water vapor, halogens, noble gases, pollen, dust and (ideally) under 350 ppm carbon dioxide, which plants use to grow and we in turn eat.
First to develop from primordial ooze is the blueprint for life: deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA). The messenger molecule that carries instructions back and forth from DNA to other parts of cells is ribonucleic acid (RNA).
Silicon is closest to carbon chemically. Divine evolution may allow computers to reach self-awareness with a quantum leap in technology. This new life form may compete or collaborate with us. Its hardware and software in the non-space matrix would require energy, but very little space (if any).
David Ivan Piccioni
Eugene
A Note From the Publisher
Dear Readers,
The last two years have been some of the hardest in Eugene Weekly’s 43 years. There were moments when keeping the paper alive felt uncertain. And yet, here we are — still publishing, still investigating, still showing up every week.
That’s because of you!
Not just because of financial support (though that matters enormously), but because of the emails, notes, conversations, encouragement and ideas you shared along the way. You reminded us why this paper exists and who it’s for.
Listening to readers has always been at the heart of Eugene Weekly. This year, that meant launching our popular weekly Activist Alert column, after many of you told us there was no single, reliable place to find information about rallies, meetings and ways to get involved. You asked. We responded.
We’ve also continued to deepen the coverage that sets Eugene Weekly apart, including our in-depth reporting on local real estate development through Bricks & Mortar — digging into what’s being built, who’s behind it and how those decisions shape our community.
And, of course, we’ve continued to bring you the stories and features many of you depend on: investigations and local government reporting, arts and culture coverage, sudoku and crossword puzzles, Savage Love, and our extensive community events calendar. We feature award-winning stories by University of Oregon student reporters getting real world journalism experience. All free. In print and online.
None of this happens by accident. It happens because readers step up and say: this matters.
As we head into a new year, please consider supporting Eugene Weekly if you’re able. Every dollar helps keep us digging, questioning, celebrating — and yes, occasionally annoying exactly the right people. We consider that a public service.
Thank you for standing with us!
Publisher
Eugene Weekly
P.S. If you’d like to talk about supporting EW, I’d love to hear from you!
jody@eugeneweekly.com
(541) 484-0519
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