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<blockquote data-quote="Umbran" data-source="post: 5416648" data-attributes="member: 177">Look, you're a carbon based life form, right?&nbsp; Does that mean you can move through coal, or turn into a shower of diamonds or graphite flakes?&nbsp; No?&nbsp; Well, then don't expect that kind of behavior from other bases for life, unless magic is involved.When discussing other chemical underpinnings for life, you are usually still talking about having some complex molecules, in some kind of fluid-filled bubble, making something analogous to a cell.&nbsp; Silicon-based life forms don't look like rocks - they look like life forms.&nbsp; You probably cannot tell the chemical basis from gross physical appearance.Having strong acids or bases as the solvent in the cell is a bad idea - whatever your chemical basis is, strong acids and basis will do nasty things to your complex molecules.&nbsp; You might have atmospheres or oceans that are somewhat acidic or basic, mind you, but you have to go some way to figure out how stable systems of complex molecules developed in highly oxidative or reductive environments.The biggest issues are how these critters with other basis manage to share environments.&nbsp; Having a silicon basis doesn't mean you eat rock, any more than being carbon based means we drink crude oil.&nbsp; Your silicon-based monster cannot eat carbon-based life forms and expect to get its require nutrients.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Umbran, post: 5416648, member: 177"] Look, you're a carbon based life form, right? Does that mean you can move through coal, or turn into a shower of diamonds or graphite flakes? No? Well, then don't expect that kind of behavior from other bases for life, unless magic is involved. When discussing other chemical underpinnings for life, you are usually still talking about having some complex molecules, in some kind of fluid-filled bubble, making something analogous to a cell. Silicon-based life forms don't look like rocks - they look like life forms. You probably cannot tell the chemical basis from gross physical appearance. Having strong acids or bases as the solvent in the cell is a bad idea - whatever your chemical basis is, strong acids and basis will do nasty things to your complex molecules. You might have atmospheres or oceans that are somewhat acidic or basic, mind you, but you have to go some way to figure out how stable systems of complex molecules developed in highly oxidative or reductive environments. The biggest issues are how these critters with other basis manage to share environments. Having a silicon basis doesn't mean you eat rock, any more than being carbon based means we drink crude oil. Your silicon-based monster cannot eat carbon-based life forms and expect to get its require nutrients. [/QUOTE]

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