Water is the most essential and significant resource and the key to life on earth. All living organism like humans, plants, animals and even micro-organisms rely on water for survival.
We have been told since our existence that life is impossible without this H20 solvent component but a new study may change our perspective for life time.
Study finds that water may not be the only liquid capable for supporting life. It can be key to life on earth but may not be the same living resource for other planets.
According to Independent News, a collective research paper was published on Monday, August 11, 2025, in the journal proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Study claims that water may not be essential for life in the newly discovered “Alien world”.
A new lab experiment suggests that salts existing in liquid forms in lower temperatures could help living on other plantes, though unlike resembling earth’s water.
Researchers from Massachusetts’s Institute of Technology, explained that the liquid salts known as “iconic salts” can exist below 100 degrees Celsius.
Moreover, these iconic salt fluids can remain stable in the liquid form at wider conditions to be hospitable environments for life-signature molecules such as proteins.
Theories from the study published in PNAS journal claims that even planet that are too hot or those with low atmospheric pressures could still support these iconic brine liquids.
Lead author of the study Dr.Rachana Agrawal from MIT, said: “We consider water to be required for life because that is what’s needed for Earth’s life, but if we look at a more general definition, we see that what we need is a liquid in which metabolism for life can take place.”
“Now if we include iconic liquid as a possibility, this can dramatically increase the habitability zone for all rocky world’s,” Agrawal added.
Dr Agrawal and team studied iconic liquids and found that salts that are liquid at sub-boiling temperatures (below hundred degrees Celsius are potential source for hospitable environment for life.
Furthermore, as per the laboratory experiment the iconic liquids are likely formed by ingredients found on rocky planets and moon.
This unusual study sparked new debates among researchers. A co-founder of the study, MIT Professor Sara Saegar, said” “We just opened up Pandora’s box of new research and it has been a real journey.”
Additionally, researchers also find that these iconic salts do not occur naturally on Earth and are only made for industries. Only in an exceptional case iconic salts can be made by mixing two rival species of ants.
This new study helped scientists envision about the broad conditions under which iconic liquids can be produced naturally by doing possible experiments, said, Dr Seagar.