(July 7, 2013 at 11:37 pm)popeyespappy Wrote: Maybe not, but DNA recovered from the 15 million year old ice just above the liquid level of Antarctica's hidden Lake Vostok is good evidence that life is possible on the icy moons.
http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Ado...67221-g003
The water in lake vostok is practically fresh, being mostly melt water from the glacier above.
The water under the ice cover of Europa and Enceladus would be to be highly enriched in inorganic minerals, and is likely to be quite acidic or basic. There is good chance DNA won't survive in the water in Europa and Encledus.
Lake Voctok results suggests life can exist in cold, low light, ice conditions. But there are a lot more hurdles life must overcome before it can survive in the likely water conditions on the ice moons.
