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I find it fascinating how many deeply embedded tactical considerations that we just take for granted come from the fact that our ecosystem lives in a gravity well. I wonder how differently an alien that had evolved for millennia in zero G would think?

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It's pretty likely that most life arises in gravity wells, simply because life requires a concentration of matter somewhat higher than that in empty space (otherwise what is it made out of?), and a concentration of matter is equal to a gravity well.

Life as we know it.

Surely you're not implying there might ever be such a thing as life not made out of matter, are you?

There was a fun little episode of PBS SpaceTime that wondered what if there is life inside a sun?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XNK5oahmw3I

Practically speaking, aquatic life moves around pretty freely in three dimensions. It's not perfectly equivalent to zero G, but it's at least illustrative.

People often forget how insanely varied life on earth is. Often we see anthropomorphic aliens depicted in media while it’d be so easy to look into the ocean to find any possible shape or life that doesn’t resemble humans in the least.

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