For anyone interested:
NASA will be holding a news conference at 2pm ET/12noon central regarding some "big news" in astrobiology.
Rumor has is that they may have discovered life on one of the moons of Saturn.
Streaming can be done: http://www.nasa.gov/ntv (http://www.nasa.gov/ntv)
Participants are:
- Mary Voytek, director, Astrobiology Program, NASA Headquarters, Washington
- Felisa Wolfe-Simon, NASA astrobiology research fellow, U.S. Geological Survey, Menlo Park, Calif.
- Pamela Conrad, astrobiologist, NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.
- Steven Benner, distinguished fellow, Foundation for Applied Molecular Evolution, Gainesville, Fla.
- James Elser, professor, Arizona State University, Tempe
somewhat related:
http://www.latimes.com/news/science/la-sciw-arsenic-microbe3-20101103,0,1993684.story (http://www.latimes.com/news/science/la-sciw-arsenic-microbe3-20101103,0,1993684.story)
Quote from: derby on December 02, 2010, 11:06:51 AM
somewhat related:
http://www.latimes.com/news/science/la-sciw-arsenic-microbe3-20101103,0,1993684.story (http://www.latimes.com/news/science/la-sciw-arsenic-microbe3-20101103,0,1993684.story)
[thumbsup]
According to the press conference that's where they are headed.
A microbe doing something different than any/all life on earth, substituting arsenic for phosphorous - which may not sound like a big deal, but they are discovering that life is flourishing within an arsenic (extremely toxic) environment. It's like trying to grow plants in complete darkness - but it's happening and flourishing.
so is that was the conference was about?
I wasn't able to watch it.
Pretty cool, but I was hoping for contact with an alien race or something [laugh]
Yeah it was - and so was I.....damn internet hype!!
[cheeky]
Yeah. What good are they. Can't eat them. [puke]
Quote from: Monster Dave on December 02, 2010, 11:12:16 AM
[thumbsup]
A microbe doing something different than any/all life on earth, substituting arsenic for phosphorous - which may not sound like a big deal, but they are discovering that life is flourishing within an arsenic (extremely toxic) environment. It's like trying to grow plants in complete darkness - but it's happening and flourishing.
Actually, a lot of press releases have unfortunately muddied the issue.
ALL life on Earth uses DNA as the molecule for genetic transfer: phosphorous backbone, G, A, T, C nucleotides.
The newly discovered bacteria can use phosphorous OR it can use arsenic. In short, it is (at this time) unique.
Dammit. I thought they were finally gonna role out the Roswell aliens.
The buildup to this conference was inexcusable.
For something like this, I want to see a reply to Voyager or the Borg coming.
I don't want to hear about some potato-shaped microbe that can fart a different color because it swaps As for P.
YAWN
This is what happens when ultra-nerds control the news.
Quote from: ducatiz on December 03, 2010, 05:12:06 AM
The buildup to this conference was inexcusable.
For something like this, I want to see a reply to Voyager or the Borg coming. --> [laugh]
I don't want to hear about some potato-shaped microbe that can fart a different color because it swaps As for P.
YAWN
This is what happens when ultra-nerds control the news.
Agreed!