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Updated: Sep 26, 2025
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Using Generative Art to Convey Past and Future Climate Transitions
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Gaia as Solaris: An Alternative Default Evolutionary Trajectory.
Srdja Janković1, Ana Katić2, Milan M Ćirković3
1University Children's Hospital, Tiršova 10, 11000, Belgrade, RS, Serbia.
Summary
Earth-like planets are common and older than Earth, prompting questions about life
Area of Science:
- Astrobiology
- Theoretical Biology
- Planetary Science
Background:
- Earth-like planets are abundant and often older than Earth.
- Understanding planetary evolution and the potential for life requires considering astrobiological factors.
- The "Gaia" hypothesis suggests a self-regulating Earth system.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the uniqueness of Earth's evolutionary path.
- To explore alternative macroevolutionary pathways on exoplanets.
- To investigate the "extremely strong" Gaia hypothesis in an astrobiological context.
Main Methods:
- Reviewing advances in theoretical astrobiology.
- Analyzing the history of habitable planet formation.
- Examining the role of Gaian feedback loops and temporal windows.
Main Results:
- An alternative macroevolutionary pathway may lead to highly integrated biospheric superorganisms.
- Stanisław Lem's novel "Solaris" provides a fictional model for such a scenario.
- This extreme Gaia hypothesis offers novel predictions for biosignatures.
Conclusions:
- Investigating extreme functional integration in biospheres is valuable.
- Such studies can yield new insights into astrobiology and philosophy.
- Exploring "Solaris" as a model for planetary evolution is warranted.
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