NASA to Hold News Conference on Astrobiology Discovery

[Dantrag]

Science Journal Has Embargoed Details Until 11 a.m. PST On Dec. 2


MOFFETT FIELD, Calif. -- NASA will hold a news conference at 11 a.m. PST on Thursday, Dec. 2, to discuss an astrobiology finding that will impact the search for evidence of extraterrestrial life. Astrobiology is the study of the origin, evolution, distribution and future of life in the universe.


http://www.nasa.gov/centers/ames/new...0/M10-110.html

Could end up being interesting.

[Wintermute]

Awesome. Hope it's something thick people like me who can't science can understand.

[Outlaw]

Glad I decided to look at the general thread. I will be watching this. Maybe they found evidence of life on Mars that existed in the past? It would be one of the biggest scientific discoveries of all time.

[Dantrag]

Glad I decided to look at the general thread. I will be watching this. Maybe they found evidence of life on Mars that existed in the past? It would be one of the biggest scientific discoveries of all time.

I'm thinking it might be one of the "super earths" that they found that have an atmosphere.

[BerenTebogo]

All candidates for "earth-like" have an atmosphere by definition. This one just has a dense water atmosphere (re: LHC thread). NASA cockblocks after anticipation again!

[Callisto]

There better be some blue boobs or NASA can

[Obev]

Well, it's a god-awful small affair.

[Fhloston]

Damn, won't be able to watch this live. I'll read about it later when I wake up, and hopefully be blown away by the news.

[Atreides]

I hope wikileaks releases some secret alien info eventually

[Gustave]

There better be some blue boobs or NASA can

^

[Khajit]

The results from Alf's vivisection are finally revealed!

[Ashmada]

Mah money's on them finding absolute proof of life on Titan.

[BerenTebogo]

This thread requires reading comprehension classes

I'm surprised it wasnt posted already, but the discovery made by Nasa thing was a super earth with dense water atmosphere.
http://www.eso.org/public/archives/r...47/eso1047.pdf



Im amazed Hubble is powerful enough to get a glimpse of the spectrum (even if the planet is relatively close), and reconfirming once again that water is common is great, but meh, I was really hoping they had detected oxygen somewhere,

Oh well...at the rate thing are moving, I wouldnt be surprised if we find such planet in the next few years.

[Dimmauk]

This thread requires reading comprehension classes

If there is water, there is oxygen?

[BerenTebogo]

If there is water, there is oxygen?

dense water

I don't know the exact details, but that much does matter. Wasn't as much at you anyways as it was the 'alien' and 'life on titan' stuff. This is an exoplanet veeeeery far away that may very well be a habitable planet for some forms of life, but we'll probably not know within our lifetimes (re: that planet anyways).

[Effluo]

I'm doubtful NASA will mention anything about alien life or signs of alien life. I have a feeling we are going to be serverly let down after all the hype.

[Overburn]

It's apparently already been leaked what they will say, according to gizmodo. Bascially it's alien life, just not the interesting kind to most people.

At their conference today, NASA scientist Felisa Wolfe Simon will announce that they have found a bacteria whose DNA is completely alien to what we know today. Instead of using phosphorus, the bacteria uses arsenic. All life on Earth is made of six components: carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen, phosphorus and sulfur. Every being, from the smallest amoeba to the largest whale, share the same life stream. Our DNA blocks are all the same.

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

[BerenTebogo]

It's apparently already been leaked what they will say, according to gizmodo. Bascially it's alien life, just not the interesting kind to most people.

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

My favorite part was where they had sources for their "confirmation" and a link to a page about the conference which had this quote:

Now, yes, obviously, throw in a grizzled marine and you've got the making of an awesome movie about discovering aliens. But that's not (the only reason) why Kottke thinks the announcement will be about life on another world. Here's what he says:

So, if I had to guess at what NASA is going to reveal on Thursday, I'd say that they've discovered arsenic on Titan and maybe even detected chemical evidence of bacteria utilizing it for photosynthesis (by following the elements). Or something like that. (thx, sippey)

By some blogger who is just guessing.

If it really is true, I'll eat my words, but lolinternetmisinformation.

[Acturus]

Titan Project go!

http://www.orbitalvector.com/Interst...mage_Titan.jpg

[Eliseos]

This thread requires reading comprehension classes

I'm surprised it wasnt posted already, but the discovery made by Nasa thing was a super earth with dense water atmosphere.
http://www.eso.org/public/archives/r...47/eso1047.pdf



Im amazed Hubble is powerful enough to get a glimpse of the spectrum (even if the planet is relatively close), and reconfirming once again that water is common is great, but meh, I was really hoping they had detected oxygen somewhere,

Oh well...at the rate thing are moving, I wouldnt be surprised if we find such planet in the next few years.

Just in case this gets lost again.