Comments on: Serious Science: is there alien life in the universe? Part 1 http://www.blahblahtech.com/2008/05/serious-science-is-there-alien-life-in-the-universe-part-1.html Tech' views that are 667% more interesting than the tech' news itself... Sun, 07 Sep 2008 14:00:42 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6 By: David Bradley http://www.blahblahtech.com/2008/05/serious-science-is-there-alien-life-in-the-universe-part-1.html#comment-2712 David Bradley Tue, 06 May 2008 19:45:00 +0000 http://www.blahblahtech.com/?p=571#comment-2712 Paula - definitely not. If they'd actually found life on Mars, we'd never have heard the end of it. The latest item on <a href="http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/080501-am-mars-life-iron.html" rel="nofollow">space.com</a> talks about a future manned mission possibly finding evidence and that human observation will be essential to any definitive verification of vital signs...but we've not had them yet. Anything we observe from here could easily be a red herring. There was a time, after all, when they thought the "canal" really were canals, and all the fuss over that mountain that looks a bit like a face still persists... db Paula - definitely not. If they’d actually found life on Mars, we’d never have heard the end of it. The latest item on space.com talks about a future manned mission possibly finding evidence and that human observation will be essential to any definitive verification of vital signs…but we’ve not had them yet. Anything we observe from here could easily be a red herring. There was a time, after all, when they thought the “canal” really were canals, and all the fuss over that mountain that looks a bit like a face still persists…

db

]]> By: Paula Hawk http://www.blahblahtech.com/2008/05/serious-science-is-there-alien-life-in-the-universe-part-1.html#comment-2711 Paula Hawk Tue, 06 May 2008 19:41:48 +0000 http://www.blahblahtech.com/?p=571#comment-2711 David - I could have sworn I heard that evidence of small plant life was found on Mars. I apologize if that is not the case - I'm not too certain about little green men myself, those silver ones could be out there tho! ;) Wayne... Hmmm I'm thinking I need to dig further into your blog - I do know that you do the occasional science piece, I just thought of your 'thing' as having to do more with SEO, Google, Microsoft, blogging, etc. But, I am off to read those which you pointed out right now! :) David - I could have sworn I heard that evidence of small plant life was found on Mars. I apologize if that is not the case - I’m not too certain about little green men myself, those silver ones could be out there tho! ;)

Wayne… Hmmm I’m thinking I need to dig further into your blog - I do know that you do the occasional science piece, I just thought of your ‘thing’ as having to do more with SEO, Google, Microsoft, blogging, etc. But, I am off to read those which you pointed out right now! :)

]]> By: Wayne Smallman http://www.blahblahtech.com/2008/05/serious-science-is-there-alien-life-in-the-universe-part-1.html#comment-2710 Wayne Smallman Tue, 06 May 2008 19:26:31 +0000 http://www.blahblahtech.com/?p=571#comment-2710 Hi guys! This is an article I've been playing around with in my mind for ages. So I'm just glad to get it all out. I have to thank David for proving the scientific dotting of biological i's and t's! Paula, this article is precisely the kind of thing I <em>do</em> write. Maybe you've just not seen any of my earlier stuff? I've written some very esoteric stuff before now, such as <a href="http://www.blahblahtech.com/2007/01/a-universal-illusion.html" title="the universal illusion" rel="nofollow">the universal illusion</a>, <a href="http://www.blahblahtech.com/2005/07/we-have-all-the-time-in-the-world.html" title="my thoughts on time travel" rel="nofollow">my thoughts on time travel</a> and <a href="http://www.blahblahtech.com/2007/06/is-altruism-the-illusion-faith-seeks.html" title="altruism" rel="nofollow">altruism</a>... Hi guys! This is an article I’ve been playing around with in my mind for ages. So I’m just glad to get it all out.

I have to thank David for proving the scientific dotting of biological i’s and t’s!

Paula, this article is precisely the kind of thing I do write. Maybe you’ve just not seen any of my earlier stuff?

I’ve written some very esoteric stuff before now, such as the universal illusion, my thoughts on time travel and altruism…

]]> By: David Bradley http://www.blahblahtech.com/2008/05/serious-science-is-there-alien-life-in-the-universe-part-1.html#comment-2709 David Bradley Tue, 06 May 2008 19:23:20 +0000 http://www.blahblahtech.com/?p=571#comment-2709 Sorry Paula but we are yet to find any definitive evidence of life anywhere else in the universe. It is certainly possible we might and I was not setting the stage for any kind of anthropocentric argument or anything like that. I'd love us to find the proverbial little green men, I just don't think it's going to happen. db Sorry Paula but we are yet to find any definitive evidence of life anywhere else in the universe. It is certainly possible we might and I was not setting the stage for any kind of anthropocentric argument or anything like that. I’d love us to find the proverbial little green men, I just don’t think it’s going to happen.

db

]]> By: Paula Hawk http://www.blahblahtech.com/2008/05/serious-science-is-there-alien-life-in-the-universe-part-1.html#comment-2705 Paula Hawk Tue, 06 May 2008 15:25:34 +0000 http://www.blahblahtech.com/?p=571#comment-2705 Brilliant post, even if way different from your norm! :) I have to disagree with David's points above, because we have already found that there was at one point basic life forms on Mars. That right there proves that Sagan's primordial soup is not unique to our planet. Perhaps the conditions on Mars were not "perfect" enough to allow life to evolve to anything intelligent, but it did prove (at least to me) that it is very possible to have intelligent life forms even within our own galaxy. I also liked that you did not just limit to what is out there beyond Earth, but you also chose to look at things much closer to home. Life at the bottom of the oceans fascinate me, there is still a great deal we have to explore here at home on our planet. Brilliant post, even if way different from your norm! :)

I have to disagree with David’s points above, because we have already found that there was at one point basic life forms on Mars. That right there proves that Sagan’s primordial soup is not unique to our planet. Perhaps the conditions on Mars were not “perfect” enough to allow life to evolve to anything intelligent, but it did prove (at least to me) that it is very possible to have intelligent life forms even within our own galaxy.

I also liked that you did not just limit to what is out there beyond Earth, but you also chose to look at things much closer to home. Life at the bottom of the oceans fascinate me, there is still a great deal we have to explore here at home on our planet.

]]> By: David Bradley http://www.blahblahtech.com/2008/05/serious-science-is-there-alien-life-in-the-universe-part-1.html#comment-2704 David Bradley Tue, 06 May 2008 13:36:40 +0000 http://www.blahblahtech.com/?p=571#comment-2704 If it happened here, then why not elsewhere? Out of all the billions of planets that have existed, still exist and will exist in the future, then surely chances are that life has, did, will emerge elsewhere. But, this is to assume, that the set of circumstances that gave rise to life on earth, you know Sagan's primordial soup, was not somehow unique. It really is just possible however that there are no other cool blue planets (i.e. ones with the just right conditions) for life elsewhere, never have been, and never will be again. And, even if there are then the chances of us ever reaching or contacting them directly are even smaller. It's all the more reason to focus on the wonders of our own little blue place in the universe, marvel at its wonders and protect its biodiversity, ecosystems and wild places. db PS You may have guessed I prefer biology of astrobiology. Nice article, by the way ;-) If it happened here, then why not elsewhere? Out of all the billions of planets that have existed, still exist and will exist in the future, then surely chances are that life has, did, will emerge elsewhere. But, this is to assume, that the set of circumstances that gave rise to life on earth, you know Sagan’s primordial soup, was not somehow unique.

It really is just possible however that there are no other cool blue planets (i.e. ones with the just right conditions) for life elsewhere, never have been, and never will be again. And, even if there are then the chances of us ever reaching or contacting them directly are even smaller.

It’s all the more reason to focus on the wonders of our own little blue place in the universe, marvel at its wonders and protect its biodiversity, ecosystems and wild places.

db

PS You may have guessed I prefer biology of astrobiology. Nice article, by the way ;-)

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