The NASA Press Conference Thread

[Dark_Lite]

This was originally posted in OBOB.

Apparently NASA has made some amazing new discovery in astrobiology and it will relate to the search for extraterrestrial life. It will be announced tomorrow at 2 PM EST. Full details at NASA - NASA Sets News Conference on Astrobiology Discovery; Science Journal Has Embargoed Details Until 2 p.m. EST On Dec. 2.

Any guesses as to what they will announce? My personal guess is that it will either be a change in understanding about the conditions required for life to form, or evidence of life-forming conditions on another celestial body.

Or, perhaps it could swing the complete opposite way and be a blow to the search for extraterrestrial life.

 

[Delphiki]

Or they will introduce an ambassador from Gliese 581g on live television.


What? One can dream, can;t he?

 

[AV1611VET]

Any guesses as to what they will announce?

That they found Gumby on Venus?

 

[sfs]

Any guesses as to what they will announce? My personal guess is that it will either be a change in understanding about the conditions required for life to form, or evidence of life-forming conditions on another celestial body.

I doubt it's a brand-new observation, since none of the participants seem to be observational astronomers. Beats me, though.

Or, perhaps it could swing the complete opposite way and be a blow to the search for extraterrestrial life.

Nah. NASA wouldn't hold a press conference about that -- it's too negative, and hurts funding chances.

 

[Ezio Auditore di Firenze]

This better be Spock.

 

[sandwiches]

It seems like it might be about the discovery of 'Arsenic-powered' organisms. It's still interesting but not as much.

NASA’s Hyped-Up Alien Life Press Conference Likely Just About Arsenic Biology | Geekosystem

 

[Mystman]

It seems like it might be about the discovery of 'Arsenic-powered' organisms. It's still interesting but not as much.

NASA’s Hyped-Up Alien Life Press Conference Likely Just About Arsenic Biology | Geekosystem

Really, I wasn't expecting anything spectacular. My guess would've been that they found some traces of some organic compound in some moon's/planet's atmosphere or something.

In comparison, this news is pretty OH MY DARWIN!!! Especially for people interested in biology. A completely different form of life, especially if it has no evolutionary relationship with our life (or if it already split somewhere during the RNA world or something) is gigantic news.

(if it's just a bacterium that adapted to arsenic after first being a "normal" bacterium the news is a bit less spectacular, but still relevant to the search for extra terrestrials)

 

[sfs]

It seems like it might be about the discovery of 'Arsenic-powered' organisms. It's still interesting but not as much.

NASA’s Hyped-Up Alien Life Press Conference Likely Just About Arsenic Biology | Geekosystem

That would be a very big deal, biochemically speaking.

 

[matthewgar]

Nahhhh they are releasing the information that the images from the first Transformers movie is really what happened to the mars rover, was actual footage :>

 

[Delphiki]

That would be a very big deal, biochemically speaking.

It would, yes. I can see where this might effect the field of astrobiology, but I don't get why it specifically pertains to astrobiology as opposed to biology in general. Why is NASA specifically holding a press conference on this?

 

[AV1611VET]

Why is NASA specifically holding a press conference on this?

It's called throwing a dog a bone.

 

[Mystman]

It would, yes. I can see where this might effect the field of astrobiology, but I don't get why it specifically pertains to astrobiology as opposed to biology in general. Why is NASA specifically holding a press conference on this?

Well, if the bacterium is a modified normal bacterium, the amount of potential planets that can potentially harbor life is increased dramatically.

If the bacterium is actually the result of a (largely) independent abiogenesis (can you use that word in this way?), it would mean that earth just "by chance" had two independent formations of life. Which would mean that the chance of life coming into being is really large. Which would mean that the universe is teeming with life.

(I keep getting my hopes up for the latter, but it's most likely the former. Oh well.)

 

[sandwiches]

That would be a very big deal, biochemically speaking.

It would be awesome but as a 'nonbiologist,' I would find extraterrestrial life much more interesting.

Well, if the bacterium is a modified normal bacterium, the amount of potential planets that can potentially harbor life is increased dramatically.

If the bacterium is actually the result of a (largely) independent abiogenesis (can you use that word in this way?), it would mean that earth just "by chance" had two independent formations of life. Which would mean that the chance of life coming into being is really large. Which would mean that the universe is teeming with life.

(I keep getting my hopes up for the latter, but it's most likely the former. Oh well.)

To have found entirely different lifeforms here on Earth that formed completely independently and simultaneously next to our kind of life, would be extremely amazing in not only, as you said, indicating that abiogenesis is much more likely than we previously thought but indicating that life can form and flourish even in the presence of indigenous hostile lifeforms.

 

[sandwiches]

It's called throwing a dog a bone.

Who's NASA throwing the bone to?

 

[matthewgar]

It would be awesome but as a 'nonbiologist,' I would find extraterrestrial life much more interesting.



To have found entirely different lifeforms here on Earth that formed completely independently and simultaneously next to our kind of life, would be extremely amazing in not only, as you said, indicating that abiogenesis is much more likely than we previously thought but indicating that life can form and flourish even in the presence of indigenous hostile lifeforms.

well except that in the area this life would be forming it makes sense, the arsenic limits competition, then again maybe it's they found organic chemicals on another planet :> it's hard to say right now.

Out of curiosity what probes and such are there around the planets? Anything that might have found signs of life? I know they found chemicals misisng around one of Saturns moons earlier.

And for us over here on the west coast, any idea what time zone this is? 2pm EST? Or what?

 

[Delphiki]

Who's NASA throwing the bone to?

Duh. It doesn't have to make sense. It only has to sound edgy and all conspiracy theory-like.

 

[matthewgar]

The only conspiracy that would really fit here is that they have been keeping aliens secret and now that they are losing their funding they are going to tote them out here to get more money :> Heh though if it's aresenic...I really don't think this is going to get a really big budget for outerspace.

Though what would astrobiology have to do with aresenic eating bacteria? Maybe arsenic based...

 

[AV1611VET]

Who's NASA throwing the bone to?

The TV audience?

 

[Delphiki]

The TV audience?

Well, what more efficient way to get Satan's word out, right?

 

[Dark_Lite]

According to Gizmodo, it is the arsenic stuff. The bacteria has arsenic in its DNA instead of phosphorus. I guess we'll know more at the press conference.