Is NASA about to announce the discovery of extraterrestrial

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Lol, I was just about to post on this - heard Felisa on the radio. This is definitely profound, makes me wonder if we may be within a decade of identifying microbes on other planets.

Dunno about that but it certainly widens our criteria with regards to what can possibly host life and maybe opens the door to exploring even without all the other criteria (as other parts may sub out as well).

I imagine its going to be like the exoplanet search. We will start finding more forms of life here on earth.

I wonder if the bacteria are actually alien. Imagine them coming from an asteroid or something else. Well, it is assumed that earth's life may have come from an asteroid itself. But what if this new stuff is from a more recent asteroid?

The other possibility, that both fosforic DNA and arsenic one evolved on Earth, is even cooler. That means that the generation of life is so likely that it can happen twice in a single planet.

Well, even if they came from asteroids it means the same. We now have knowledge of two different sources of life. That's a game changer indeed.

Look at a periodic table of the elements. Arsenic is just below phosphorous in the table. There are chemical similarities.

ruveyn

All elements that we used to call basic bricks of life have elements just bellow to them. Imagine if we used the same logic then we could theorize Silicon-based life forms. Or things that breath Sulfur.. It is still pretty cool.

i like that this new lifeform has As ........

I sincerely doubt bacteria have interpersonal difficulties.

In reading one of the articles it was explained that the reason why arsenic is poisonous is exactly that - our enzymes can only take it so far and then it stops working. I don't think silicon or sulfur would have quite that reactivity but I suppose that's not to say that environmental stresses couldn't create it, it would just be very difficult to keep alive here.

Under the right physical conditions silicon will do just fine. Do not be too amazed if some life form based on silicone is spewed up out of a volcano. Silicon sits just below carbon in the periodic table.

ruveyn

did i state that?

Can't you scroll up and see?

Now that, Brother Jones, while truly funny, I think has to fit your "mean cynicism" category.

a) what do you mean by "Brother Jones"

b) this is a comic written by a fellow nerd. it's full of physics references, code jokes, and fully legit in the community.

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