It took life more than 4 billion years to evolve on Earth till begetting our civilization. Can life emerge faster elsewhere in the universe? I strongly argue in favor of this possibility. Many thanks to my colleagues for the enlightening discussion which has followed.
Abstract
Biogenesis and evolution require the four basic resources of physical reality: Space, time, matter and energy. Of these, time is particularly crucial for estimating the likelihood for life emerging anywhere in the universe, and then giving rise to a biosphere and a civilization which can be detected and further encountered. I consider the possibility of an environment where the three other resources are much more abundant, namely a very large planet, harboring huge amounts of chemicals, and a warmer climate. From the thermodynamic viewpoint, the probability of biogenesis under such conditions is much higher, and the subsequent evolution can be orders of magnitude faster than the familiar billion-years scale of that of Earth. This should radically revise the basic premises underlying the search for extraterrestrial life.
