
Thermophiles are a type of extremophiles that can survive above 45 degrees Celsius. These organisms are usually bacteria, and here on Earth they are found in hot springs.
I wanted to talk about the possibility of life existing on Venus, not on the surface (it is far too hot there – 475 degrees Celsius). But, instead the life could possibly exist in the perpetual clouds above the surface. Above are the temperatures that these clouds get to be. It is hypothesized by scientists that these clouds are cool enough (in reference to the surface temp) that these thermophiles can exist.
I think this is super interesting because it expands our parameters of what conditions life could possibly survive in. It allows us to question if intelligent life could evolve from these bacteria in other solar systems, and it could even change what our definition of what intelligent life could look like on other planets; it may not (and is most likely) to not even look humanoid at all! Isn’t that interesting? 🙂