Science - strawberry float YEAH

PostRe: Science - strawberry float YEAH by **That** » Wed Aug 12, 2015 11:42 pm

The answer is that I'm curious about its form! Will it be similar to life on Earth, or markedly different? There are so many questions that could be answered by finding even one alien bacterium.

Chances are, the first alien life we find will not be directly observable, but rather will be evidenced on a far away planet through spectroscopy. To turn a phrase, we will smell them long before we see them.

Such a find will be controversial and certainly contested for a time, but as we build more and more advanced planet and life hunting telescopic arrays, things should become a lot clearer, and the results far less uncertain.

PostRe: Science - strawberry float YEAH by **Moggy** » Thu Aug 13, 2015 7:41 am

Alvin Flummux wrote:Chances are, the first alien life we find will not be directly observable, but rather will be evidenced on a far away planet through spectroscopy. To turn a phrase, we will smell them long before we see them.

Surely aliens would have deodorant?

Karl wrote:The answer is that I'm curious about its form! Will it be similar to life on Earth, or markedly different? There are so many questions that could be answered by finding even one alien bacterium.

If television has taught me anything it's that 90% of aliens will look excatly like humans but will talk with slightly-off accents, wear slightly different clothes and have vaginas on their foreheads.

PostRe: Science - strawberry float YEAH by **That** » Thu Aug 13, 2015 12:12 pm

Alvin Flummux wrote:Chances are, the first alien life we find will not be directly observable, but rather will be evidenced on a far away planet through spectroscopy. To turn a phrase, we will smell them long before we see them.

Such a find will be controversial and certainly contested for a time, but as we build more and more advanced planet and life hunting telescopic arrays, things should become a lot clearer, and the results far less uncertain.

Aye, it's interesting. I think you're probably right, but there is still the tantalising possibility of finding life - or evidence there was once life - eked away somewhere else in the solar system.

Moggy wrote:
Alvin Flummux wrote:Chances are, the first alien life we find will not be directly observable, but rather will be evidenced on a far away planet through spectroscopy. To turn a phrase, we will smell them long before we see them.

Surely aliens would have deodorant?

Sadly, they only have Right Guard. I know, I know...

Lucien wrote:
Karl wrote:They've confirmed that Philae found organic molecules on the comet.

Organic molecules aren't the same as life - they're the hydrocarbon building blocks that make life possible. I don't think there are bacteria on the comet, but it is remarkable that we seem to find these compounds simply everywhere we look.

It is only a matter of time before we confirm beyond all doubt that we are not alone in the universe. I hope I live to see it!

Out of curiosity, why do you hope you live to see it? Is it for historical reasons, or something else? And does the type of life found matter?

The question are we alone in the universe is one of the oldest there is so seeing it answered would be pretty massive.

PostRe: Science - strawberry float YEAH by **False** » Thu Aug 13, 2015 1:20 pm

It also potentially gives credence to the seed theory regarding life on earth.

It really wouldn't be that surprising to learn the building blocks of life being delivered on a comet. I'm sure I read an article where they sent some DNA into space and quite a large percentage of it managed to survive.

PostRe: Science - strawberry float YEAH by **Poser** » Thu Aug 13, 2015 1:42 pm

Fuzzy Dunlop wrote:It really wouldn't be that surprising to learn the building blocks of life being delivered on a comet. I'm sure I read an article where they sent some DNA into space and quite a large percentage of it managed to survive.

I'm picturing some dinosaurs riding a meteor, rodeo-style. I hope that's how it happened.

Yep, that's how it all went down.

This is insanely long, crazy optimistic and 99% of it will probably never happen, but damn this is an interesting article about SpaceX and plans to colonise Mars.

http://waitbutwhy.com/2015/08/how-and-w ... -mars.html

And don’t blame me, I warned you it was long.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-34192447

Fascinating.

Well, it wouldn't be the first hominid ancestor to turn up in South Africa.

PostRe: Science - strawberry float YEAH by **That** » Thu Sep 10, 2015 7:55 pm

I dunno, I think the kind of parents to go to Mars would be able to instil their kids with the same sense of wonder & adventure they feel, no?

Reading those posts (about SpaceX and Tesla Cars),the cynic in me thought it felt like a massive advertising puff. I thoroughly enjoyed them, and I've absolutely devoured some of the other posts on WBW, but I feel like I've polished Elon Musk's balloon knot by proxy a little bit. I wish his projects every success though, they seem incredible.

I'm a little confused as to why he's jumping straight to Mars instead of aiming for the Moon. I understand the whole backing up the hard drive thing (and the obvious draw of being the first to Mars), but it seems the small incremental method by which his space programme is progressing means it would be best to try out the colonisation and terraforming tech on a body much closer to Earth that has actually been reached before.

And that's before the discovery of a possible new human ancestral relative. :toot:

PostRe: Science - strawberry float YEAH by **Moggy** » Fri Sep 11, 2015 9:57 am

Dowbocop wrote:Reading those posts (about SpaceX and Tesla Cars),the cynic in me thought it felt like a massive advertising puff. I thoroughly enjoyed them, and I've absolutely devoured some of the other posts on WBW, but I feel like I've polished Elon Musk's balloon knot by proxy a little bit. I wish his projects every success though, they seem incredible.

I'm a little confused as to why he's jumping straight to Mars instead of aiming for the Moon. I understand the whole backing up the hard drive thing (and the obvious draw of being the first to Mars), but it seems the small incremental method by which his space programme is progressing means it would be best to try out the colonisation and terraforming tech on a body much closer to Earth that has actually been reached before.

I'm not sure that it is advertising on the part of WBW (it almost certainly is from Musk!). The writer is just very optimistic and excited.

I think the timescales are way off and most of it will not happen. But it's interesting, exciting and if Musk only achieved 10% of his goals it will be an amazing advancement.

Dan. wrote:

And that's before the discovery of a possible new human ancestral relative.

Dan - link?
Personally I think this is all the work of God, not scientists

The science was put their by our lord and saviour Kragnolaaar to test our faith.

Science - strawberry float YEAH

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