Life Is Probably Out There, Scientists Think

by Satanus 52 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

  • Satanus
    Satanus

    A new satelite, nasa's spitzer, has been scanning the universe and found organic chemicals as far away as 420 light yrs away. The number of organics identified stands at 130. Some of them are glycine and even a form of sugar. Furthermore, they were found in accretion disks, disk shaped dust clouds, where planets are forming. http://www.csmonitor.com/2004/0617/p17s01-stss.html

    SS

  • Satanus
    Satanus

    So far, it has provided early detailed data of discs around two of more than 300 young stars.

    The early data suggest all those stars have protoplanetary discs, says Spitzer scientist Ed Churchwell from the University of Wisconsin in Madison. "Spitzer has shown us that star and planet formation is a very active process in our galaxy."

    There is no consensus yet. But even skeptics find it interesting that an interplanetary dust particle - snagged in the atmosphere by a NASA aircraft - contains organic molecules that predate Earth.

    S

  • talesin
    talesin

    "Fascinating, Captain."

    This is interesting stuff. It's funny, when I was about 14, I saw that documentary called Chariots of the Gods, and ever since (even as a JW), I have felt there is no way we are the only 'intelligent life forms' around. I mean, just because WE can't prove there are other civilizations on other planets in other galaxies, doesn't mean they don't exist.

    To me, it is the biggest conceit of humanity; to think that in all the limitless (as far as we know) reaches of space, we are the only life forms. Yes, scientists and academics can pontificate all they want, explaining why this and that isn't possible, but how do we really 'know'? We don't - we only know the science that we have, to date, figured out.

    A hundred or so years ago, science had not 'discovered' germs, and the medical profession was not aware of the importance of a sterile environment. Does that mean germs did not exist? No, just that we were ignorant of said existence.

    Who knows, maybe we were 'planted' here. The possibilities, just like the universe, are endless. And fascinating.

  • Sirius Dogma
    Sirius Dogma

    SS,

    Good stuff. The formuas I have seen predict that life is likely to be out there, somewhere. Personally though I think they will never contact us as long as we continue to wage wars and kill our own species. Talk about a conflicted race, geez, we are pathetic as an organism.

  • frankiespeakin
    frankiespeakin

    I would like to suggest that the stars are alive,, (spock)"but not as we know it Jim!"

  • Satanus
    Satanus

    Talesin

    maybe we were 'planted' here

    Who knows, it could be. Some mushroom spores can survive outer space conditions. Is it possible to build a macrovirus, w enough information in it to organise life out of organic compounds, or infect existing biological life to explore random mutations? Then you could mass produce it and spew it continuously into outer space. Freefloating galactic seeds of life. Effects bit like in that star treck movie, the wrath of khan (?).

    Sir dog

    Maybe they are scared that, if we get out of out of our bottle, we'll conquer them.

    Frankie

    A thought that has often crossed my mind. Scientists don't understand that much of the sun's internals. Perhaps in a couple of hundred yrs they will know enough, so that they will be able to compare it's patterns, rythems and processes to those of the human brain. Too bad we won't live to see that.

    SS

  • patio34
    patio34

    Lol, this reminds me of what Jared Diamond wrote in The Third Chimpanzee:

    (from memory not a direct quote)

    Scientists have a constant signal beaming into outer space in the hopes that other life forms will know we're here and contact us. Now, if they're more advanced than we are and they would be if they can travel here, what would they do if they're anything like us? Well, humans have always conquered and taken the resources of weaker peoples. So, it's reasonable to presume that's what an advanced race would do to us. TURN OFF THE SIGNALS!!!

    Pat

  • Corvin
    Corvin
    A new satelite, nasa's spitzer, has been scanning the universe and found organic chemicals as far away as 420 light yrs away. The number of organics identified stands at 130. Some of them are glycine and even a form of sugar. Furthermore, they were found in accretion disks, disk shaped dust clouds, where planets are forming

    OK, interesting, HOWEVER, how in the hell can they determine what is an organic chemical, let alone identify what kind of organic chemical is floating out there some 420 light years away? Is the satelite on the scene (420 light years away) to take samples or something?

  • heathen
    heathen

    Man o man those atheists will stop at nothing with these fantastic explanations . Earth being seeded by an asteroid , give me a friggen break here . Geeze we know these chemicals exist because they are here on earth but somehow it's gotta be evidence of life on other planets ? Not in my book . Interesting read tho . I didn't know they already had one of those comet seeking satelites out there.

  • talesin
    talesin

    SS

    Exactly. Not only that, we don't know what 'others' may know. Hell, maybe Earth is just one big science experiment a la Star Trek. Truth be told, we don't know.

    That's one of the reasons I just say FOOKIT! Do the best I can now, we don't know where we came from, and we (us, you and I) never will. Ah, the possibilities are endless, limited only by our imaginations. Although it's interesting to speculate, the scientists actually make me chuckle, it's like, okay we know everything. Okay, then, whatever!

    I mean, if you take the principle of Gaia to heart, the earth is an organism. And so is the universe. We are just a small cog in a great, large life-form that we cannot even begin to comprehend if we stay in this narrow-minded way of thinking.

    t

Share this

Google+
Pinterest
Reddit