Nasa holding press conference December 2nd on Astrobiological discovery

[Gordon Freynman]

http://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2010...robiology.html

This could be very interesting. My guess would be they've found tantalizing new evidence for life on some celestial body in the solar system. I doubt they've found actual extraterrestrial life though.

[Angrychris]

Yeah that was 60 years ago.

[Gordon Freynman]

Yeah that was 60 years ago.

No, that was obviously a weather balloon filled with swamp gas that was reflecting light off Venus.

[Phier]

Something about NASA going for the hype route just bugs me.

Just say it Pointdexter, if its that cool, you don't need to generate a buzz.

[Jack04]

I'm not holding out any hope that it'll be particularly interesting. These things normally aren't.

[♔Goodguy1066♔]

Astrobiological discovery? That sounds like extra-terrestrial life to me! I'll be following this closely...

[Agent Miles]

http://www.universetoday.com/80817/calm-down-nasa-hasnt-found-any-aliens/
Or not. The astrobiology department at NASA has a broad mission to better understand life in the universe.
http://astrobiology.nasa.gov/about-astrobiology/
Most likely, the discovery is that some microbes on Earth have their biochemistry based on arsenic.
http://web.mit.edu/press/1994/arsenic-1102.html
At least, that’s what they are betting on in Vegas.

[Vítor Gaspar]

If it has to do with having microbes based on arsenic then it opens a huge number of doors. I've always wondered why scientists thought organisms had to be based on water and oxygen - there is nothing that promises us that.

[mp0295]

If it has to do with having microbes based on arsenic then it opens a huge number of doors. I've always wondered why scientists thought organisms had to be based on water and oxygen - there is nothing that promises us that.

I've wondered too, but there is a reason which i heard explained before. I'll try to find it. I think it has to do with chemistry, and other elements wouldn't really fit the bill correctly. How others could work, just not as well, thus decreasing the chance that they exist

[DisgruntledGoat]

Current speculation is this is linked to the discovery of a oxygen/carbon dioxide atmosphere on Rhea. A moon of Saturn. But that is probably wishful thinking.

[CamilleBonparte]

If this was anything big then we'd know what it was already.

[♔Goodguy1066♔]

What time is this press conference?

[Treize]

Interesting.

[DisgruntledGoat]

2PM US Eastern time I believe

[Big Boss]

http://gizmodo.com/5704158/nasa-finds-new-life

Interesting?

[♔Goodguy1066♔]

http://gizmodo.com/5704158/nasa-finds-new-life

Interesting?

! ! !

[Plant]

If it has to do with having microbes based on arsenic then it opens a huge number of doors. I've always wondered why scientists thought organisms had to be based on water and oxygen - there is nothing that promises us that.

http://gizmodo.com/5704158/nasa-finds-new-life

Interesting?

Holy Crapoo!

[Gordon Freynman]

http://gizmodo.com/5704158/nasa-finds-new-life

Interesting?

Definitely. I foresee a large increase in funding for research into other possible forms of life.

[B5C]

Definitely. I foresee a large increase in funding for research into other possible forms of life.

Unless we Americans want to start another war or a Republican leads the white house.

[Phier]

There is a evolutionary theory who's name I forget that claims that life evolved more than once on earth. I haven't spent much time looking at it but they claim that parts of our cells are from some of those original life forms joining and use the differences found to claim their origins are different. (note I'm not talking the symbiotic theory of mitochondria and chloroplasts)

Perhaps, if this leaked story is true, this is what we are looking at here. An independent life form unrelated to our family tree.

If this is true, it changes everything. I'd go so far as to say life outside of the earth is a certainty.