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Sources of Energy
Topic Started: Jul 18 2009, 08:46 PM (1,286 Views)
Ànraich
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L'évolution Spéculative est moi

So I'm thinking we need a topic about possible new methods of gathering energy in alien organisms. Here on Earth we have producers, such as plants, that undergo photosynthesis. Sunlight, along with water and nutrient-rich soil, is used in plants to generate food. Next on the list is the herbivores, who eat the plants, then the carnivores, who eat the herbivores and each other. So basically we have photosynthesizers, herbivores, and carnivores. What other ways of getting energy might there be, and what might they evolve from?

Are there organisms out there somewhere that break down minerals for energy through some form of chemosynthesis? If so might they use the minerals that are not converted into energy as some form of shield or shell; secreting solid rock onto their bodies for protection? What about liquivores? Perhaps even some vampire-like hemavores that gain energy from blood and blood alone? Maybe even some unique form of hydrolysis where the organism breaks down water into hydrogen for energy and oxygen for respiration?

Your thoughts, comments, concerns?
We should all aspire to die surrounded by our dearest friends. Just like Julius Caesar.

"The Lord Universe said: 'The same fate I have given to all things from stones to stars, that one day they shall become naught but memories aloft upon the winds of time. From dust all was born, and to dust all shall return.' He then looked upon His greatest creation, life, and pitied them, for unlike stars and stones they would soon learn of this fate and despair in the futility of their own existence. And so the Lord Universe decided to give life two gifts to save them from this despair. The first of these gifts was the soul, that life might more readily accept their fate, and the second was fear, that they might in time learn to avoid it altogether." - Excerpt from a Chanagwan creation myth, Legends and Folklore of the Planet Ghar, collected and published by Yieju Bai'an, explorer from the Celestial Commonwealth of Qonming

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ATEK Azul
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Well the water would have been gone long ago in my opinion being used to generate energy which is stored in life by seperating water like a hydrogen powered technology and after that all thats left would be the hydrogen and oxygen which would be burnt up by life as propulsion and the tar oceans which burn and explode.
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colddigger
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the fires would burn the hydrogen and oxygen back into water
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colddigger
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oh! there we go! we have our seasons right there! the water is taken apart into hydrogen and oxygen, resulting in the sludge concentrating in the oceans, eventually the oceanic fires would burn the hydrogen so fast that it would start burning by itself resulting in loads of water being put back into the ocean, as the water falls back down to the planets surface it would collect the smog that blocks out the sun thus clearing the skies. then it all starts over.
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Ànraich
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That sounds pretty cool, you should build on that. It would be an interesting project.
We should all aspire to die surrounded by our dearest friends. Just like Julius Caesar.

"The Lord Universe said: 'The same fate I have given to all things from stones to stars, that one day they shall become naught but memories aloft upon the winds of time. From dust all was born, and to dust all shall return.' He then looked upon His greatest creation, life, and pitied them, for unlike stars and stones they would soon learn of this fate and despair in the futility of their own existence. And so the Lord Universe decided to give life two gifts to save them from this despair. The first of these gifts was the soul, that life might more readily accept their fate, and the second was fear, that they might in time learn to avoid it altogether." - Excerpt from a Chanagwan creation myth, Legends and Folklore of the Planet Ghar, collected and published by Yieju Bai'an, explorer from the Celestial Commonwealth of Qonming

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ATEK Azul
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Yeah you should make a topic for this(my topics almost always die quickly).

I would help with it.
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colddigger
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sure, i guess i could make the project, although it's pretty vague, you think the more critical members would be able to resist spamming it with ''NOT SCIENCY ENUFF''?
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ATEK Azul
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I have no idea, though most likely they will.
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Ànraich
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Generally we try to provide constructive criticism as opposed to scrutinizing. But can you really blame us for being precise and skeptical; it's a forum full of scientists (amateur and professional alike).
We should all aspire to die surrounded by our dearest friends. Just like Julius Caesar.

"The Lord Universe said: 'The same fate I have given to all things from stones to stars, that one day they shall become naught but memories aloft upon the winds of time. From dust all was born, and to dust all shall return.' He then looked upon His greatest creation, life, and pitied them, for unlike stars and stones they would soon learn of this fate and despair in the futility of their own existence. And so the Lord Universe decided to give life two gifts to save them from this despair. The first of these gifts was the soul, that life might more readily accept their fate, and the second was fear, that they might in time learn to avoid it altogether." - Excerpt from a Chanagwan creation myth, Legends and Folklore of the Planet Ghar, collected and published by Yieju Bai'an, explorer from the Celestial Commonwealth of Qonming

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ATEK Azul
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Nope I can't blame you it is just that most of my ideas because of how different from our world or universe seem to be ignored or rejected even if they are suppose to be slightly different from our universe. For example my supermammal topic which is an alternate comic book world instead of our true earth.

I like critizism it is just that my worlds like this one don't seem to belong in spec evo or at least they don't connect with the people here.
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colddigger
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alright, since i made the project thread i guess this thread can go back to its original purpose.
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ATEK Azul
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Okay thats good.

So what about combinations of things like photosynthesis and chemosynthesis.
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Ànraich
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What do you mean by combination? Like an organism that has adapted to gather energy from both photosynthesis and chemosynthesis? The only reason I can think of it doing that would be if the amount of light that got to the surface was limited by a thick, cloudy atmosphere. Or maybe it's on a world like Ganymede, which rotates very slowly (a day on Ganymede is almost eight Earth days long) and which may go long periods of time without any light at all because the gas giant it orbits is in blocking the sun.
We should all aspire to die surrounded by our dearest friends. Just like Julius Caesar.

"The Lord Universe said: 'The same fate I have given to all things from stones to stars, that one day they shall become naught but memories aloft upon the winds of time. From dust all was born, and to dust all shall return.' He then looked upon His greatest creation, life, and pitied them, for unlike stars and stones they would soon learn of this fate and despair in the futility of their own existence. And so the Lord Universe decided to give life two gifts to save them from this despair. The first of these gifts was the soul, that life might more readily accept their fate, and the second was fear, that they might in time learn to avoid it altogether." - Excerpt from a Chanagwan creation myth, Legends and Folklore of the Planet Ghar, collected and published by Yieju Bai'an, explorer from the Celestial Commonwealth of Qonming

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ATEK Azul
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Yes or maybe the organism uses both because those prosesses together are able to make unique chemicals?
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Ànraich
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That's possible too; it could fit into the previous idea for a living battery. I had an idea for a "battery flower," a plant with a bulb full of naturally produced electrolytes. They'd live in large groups and their stalks would act as either an anode or cathode. When an organism stepped between an anode and cathode (perhaps males are one and females another, assuming these plants have separate sexes like cannabis on Earth?) it completes the circuit and gets electrocuted. It dies and its body fertilizes the soil the battery flowers live on. Kind of like those things from Expedition/Alien Planet, but more plausible.
We should all aspire to die surrounded by our dearest friends. Just like Julius Caesar.

"The Lord Universe said: 'The same fate I have given to all things from stones to stars, that one day they shall become naught but memories aloft upon the winds of time. From dust all was born, and to dust all shall return.' He then looked upon His greatest creation, life, and pitied them, for unlike stars and stones they would soon learn of this fate and despair in the futility of their own existence. And so the Lord Universe decided to give life two gifts to save them from this despair. The first of these gifts was the soul, that life might more readily accept their fate, and the second was fear, that they might in time learn to avoid it altogether." - Excerpt from a Chanagwan creation myth, Legends and Folklore of the Planet Ghar, collected and published by Yieju Bai'an, explorer from the Celestial Commonwealth of Qonming

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ATEK Azul
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Sounds cool though how would animals feed on them without completing the circutes?
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