Odds favor life arising on Earth-like worlds

Q. When scientists talk about searching for alien life, they always seem to look for planets similar to ours. Why couldn’t life start on a planet whose physical makeup is totally foreign (and environmentally hostile) to our survival?

A. This will sound more like an answer from a Las Vegas casino than a college science department, but the odds simply favor life arising on worlds similar to our own.

Of the seven most common elements in the Milky Way, life on Earth is composed mostly of four of them: No. 1 hydrogen, No. 3 oxygen, No. 4 carbon and No. 7 nitrogen. In fact, we are said to be “carbon-based life forms” because carbon is able to bond and make chains with other elements, especially hydrogen, oxygen and nitrogen, which can lead to the formation of complex DNA molecules. Not that it couldn’t happen, I suppose, but it stands to reason that you would be far less likely to see life popping up from less abundant or trace elements.

For example, a silicon atom, like carbon, has bonding sites and is near carbon on the periodic table of elements, making it another possible candidate. In fact, fans of the original “Star Trek” may remember that William Shatner said his favorite episode was “The Devil in the Dark,” which featured a silicon-based, rocklike creature. But silicon is only one-seventh as abundant as carbon in our galaxy and has other chemical drawbacks, so chances are that seeking worlds similar to ours will prove more rewarding.

Q. I have tried many times in the past couple of years to find where all those Art on the Square sculptures are located in Belleville. Your paper’s recent insert showed beautiful pictures, but not their locations. I have guests arriving next week and would like to show them all of them. Can you help? I think Belleville should be proud of these outstanding pieces of art and advertise them as something to see.

A. As TV impresario Ed Sullivan was fond of saying, your guests can enjoy a really big shoe — and a lot more — thanks to Sculpture in the City, which the Art on the Square folks started in 2007 to beautify Belleville through the private purchase, donation and installation of top-quality, three-dimensional fine art.

Although there is no comprehensive list on the Internet yet, my good friend (and Belleville West schoolmate) Dede (Weidmann) Farquhar was kind enough to stop by my house Monday and drop off a glitzy set of notecards with pictures and locations of the nearly three dozen works. They include (perhaps my favorite) Dale Rogers’ “The Raven” at the Belleville Public Library; Rogers’ “Guitar” at Althoff High School; Andrew Carson’s delightful “Whimsical Palm” at the city’s new Bicentennial Park; and, of course, Marina Lee’s “Big Red Shoe” near West Main and Sixth Street to honor radio personality Delilah’s 2010 “Paint the Town” crusade.

I promise to swing by your house to drop off the cards in the next couple of days. For others wanting a complete list, I’ll type up a sheet of names and locations and will send you one if you send me an e-mail or stamped, self-addressed envelope. Farquhar hopes to soon entice some Internet-savvy youngsters to start a list online. Until then, you can view a partial list at www.artonthesquare.com; click on “Sculpture in the City” and perhaps watch for a future sculpture tour like the one Farquhar led in May.

Q. At a recent Cardinal game, two guys went on the field at Busch Stadium and were arrested. A friend wants to know what the punishment might be.

A. Cardinal officials, of course, thought it was pretty foul, but Brad Birkenmeier said he felt he had hit a home run May 4 after running across the field and doing a terrible imitation of an Ozzie Smith somersault at home plate.

The 24-year-old Winfield, Mo., resident said afterward it was something he “always, always, always” wanted to do and didn’t regret it. So he will have something to tell his grandkids, but for the moment he likely will be a little lighter in the wallet. According to St. Louis code, a charge of “being a spectator on a playing field without permission” can result in a fine of $25-$500 and/or a prison sentence of not more than 30 days.

Of course, he also missed seeing the rest of the game after he was carted off to the cell inside the stadium and later to the St. Louis city pokey for arraignment. He said it was no big deal because he intended to come back two nights later, promising this time to play ball with the ushers. Naturally, his escapade is memorialized on YouTube.

Today’s trivia

What distinction does the Troggs’ hit “Wild Thing” hold in musical recording history?

Answer to Tuesday’s trivia: In 1977, the American League outlawed external chest protectors for new umpires behind the plate, but allowed old-timers to keep using them. The last AL ump to hang up his cumbersome “balloon” style shield was Marine native Jerry Neudecker, who worked in the Junior Circuit from 1966 to 1985. After his retirement, his protector was sent to The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, but that still wasn’t the last time such gear was seen on the field. During two umpire strikes, Bill Deegan, who had quit during the 1980 season, wore the old-fashioned device on opening day in 1991 and two games in 1995. Neudecker, who officiated three All-Star games and two World Series, still was working in the baseball umpire development program when he died of cancer in 1997 at age 66.

This story was originally published July 14, 2015 at 11:28 AM with the headline "Odds favor life arising on Earth-like worlds."