Could plasma really be a basis for life?
The only form of life known on Earth is chemistry-based. Indeed, this is what we generally think of as the most plausible form of alien life. “Energy”-based lifeforms abound in some sci-fi, often as amorphous glowing blobs that somehow yet can take on a human face.
But plasma might actually be able host complex interactions that could allow it to be a basis for life. This is all still very theoretical – and of course we don’t know of any examples in nature.
Plasma is essentially a very hot gas that begins to act in a unique way; the electrons of each atom will strip away and the naked nuclei will float in a cloud of electrons. This gives plasma some unique properties, such as being strongly affected by magnetic fields (which is how the super-high temperature plasma in a fusion reactor are controlled!).
Due to this, plasma can form into spheres in a double-layer, superficially similar to the lipid coverings of living cells. They can also trap within themselves other components that may allow them to function like a lifeform!
In some circumstances, these plasma bubbles can grow, replicate, and seemingly communicate with each other.
Combined with other recent discoveries of ways in which inorganic compounds might be able to form DNA-like structures that can contain information, the plausibility of plasma life gets . . . well, perhaps not plausible, but at least not impossible!
For some further reading, check these articles out!
https://www.newscientist.com/article/dn4174-plasma-blobs-hint-at-new-form-of-life/
https://www.newscientist.com/article/dn12466-could-alien-life-exist-in-the-form-of-dna-shaped-dust/
https://physicsworld.com/a/helices-swirl-in-space-dust-simulations/