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#4536812 - 09/13/20 10:08 AM Possible discovery of microbial life on Venus  
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RossUK Online cowboy
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This link has now been removed, but there are screenshots on Reddit etc.

https://earthsky.org/space/life-on-venus-astrobiology-phosphine-biosignatures-solar-system
Or
https://earthsky.org/space/life-on-venus-astrobiology-phosphine-biosignature

Apparently it is being announced tomorrow by Royal Astronomical Society and a press conference at 1600 hours UK time.

Too soon to tell if a hoax or something but I guess we will know tomorrow, apparently it is being peer reviewed.

Anyway, posted for those that interested in this stuff.

Inline advert (2nd and 3rd post)

#4536820 - 09/13/20 12:11 PM Re: Possible discovery of microbial life on Venus [Re: RossUK]  
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Those links are now down as well, and most of the reddit threads have been closed

Quote
They found gas that is only know to be produced artificially or by organic matter in a anoxic environment

According to this link: https://www.reddit.com/r/worldnews/comments/iruylk/has_microbial_life_been_found_on_venus/

Eh, it reminds me a bit of the "NASA finds new life" hype ~15 years ago, which was the finding of bacteria that not only existed, but also thrived in sulfur-rich environments. Incredibly fascinating stuff, but disappointing considering the media-hype.

Thanks for posting this though

Last edited by Vaderini; 09/13/20 12:11 PM.
#4536822 - 09/13/20 12:29 PM Re: Possible discovery of microbial life on Venus [Re: RossUK]  
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Phosphine gas can be produced naturally by microbes in oxygen starved environments, but is also found on very extreme gaseous planets, like Jupiter and Saturn. It can also be produced any number of ways under extreme conditions.

The announcement is they detected phosphine in Venus' atmosphere. Being that it is a rocky planet, scientists will have to figure out why.

The idea that phosphine can be a telltale biosignature gas, is based on a peer reviewed study with 10 years of research behind it. "Phosphine as a Biosignature Gas in Exoplanet Atmospheres":

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31755740/

The same individuals responsible for this paper, are also the ones behind this latest discovery... reading

By their own words, either #1 microbes produced the phosphine, or #2 their understanding of Venus is severely lacking.

Oh and don't forget option #3, Heisenberg produced phosphine gas when making meth.


I'll go with option #2.

https://youtu.be/dCXF8FUux74. (wow, this video from MIT was set to private a few minutes after I posted it.)


"College graduates should not have to live out their 20s in their childhood bedrooms, staring up at fading Obama posters and wondering when they can move out and get going with life" - Paul Ryan
#4536835 - 09/13/20 02:57 PM Re: Possible discovery of microbial life on Venus [Re: RossUK]  
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Look, until we have an alien microorganism in our hands and under a proper microscope, we can infer anything we wish from spectroscopy, but said data means nothing more than elements and compounds without proper context. The bar must be set exceptionally high for declaring "alien life has been found," for the implications of such a discovery are so profound, anything less is an injustice to science and mankind.

Last edited by Mr_Blastman; 09/13/20 02:58 PM.
#4536838 - 09/13/20 03:28 PM Re: Possible discovery of microbial life on Venus [Re: Mr_Blastman]  
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RossUK Online cowboy
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Originally Posted by Mr_Blastman
Look, until we have an alien microorganism in our hands and under a proper microscope, we can infer anything we wish from spectroscopy, but said data means nothing more than elements and compounds without proper context. The bar must be set exceptionally high for declaring "alien life has been found," for the implications of such a discovery are so profound, anything less is an injustice to science and mankind.


Totally agree. Interesting news though if true.

#4536848 - 09/13/20 04:11 PM Re: Possible discovery of microbial life on Venus [Re: Mr_Blastman]  
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Originally Posted by Mr_Blastman
Look, until we have an alien microorganism in our hands and under a proper microscope, we can infer anything we wish from spectroscopy, but said data means nothing more than elements and compounds without proper context. The bar must be set exceptionally high for declaring "alien life has been found," for the implications of such a discovery are so profound, anything less is an injustice to science and mankind.



There are 16,000 other molecular candidates that would suggest life. Phosphine is the first discovered of those 16,000. I suspect if you start detecting several 100 more, then the argument for life is better.

The James Webb telescope will be better equipped for those discoveries.


"College graduates should not have to live out their 20s in their childhood bedrooms, staring up at fading Obama posters and wondering when they can move out and get going with life" - Paul Ryan
#4536853 - 09/13/20 04:53 PM Re: Possible discovery of microbial life on Venus [Re: RossUK]  
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Here's the MIT video that was put to private shortly after I linked it;

https://twitter.com/PUNAMDG/status/1305125617340305408?s=20


"College graduates should not have to live out their 20s in their childhood bedrooms, staring up at fading Obama posters and wondering when they can move out and get going with life" - Paul Ryan
#4536856 - 09/13/20 04:57 PM Re: Possible discovery of microbial life on Venus [Re: TerribleTwo]  
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Originally Posted by TerribleTwo
Originally Posted by Mr_Blastman
Look, until we have an alien microorganism in our hands and under a proper microscope, we can infer anything we wish from spectroscopy, but said data means nothing more than elements and compounds without proper context. The bar must be set exceptionally high for declaring "alien life has been found," for the implications of such a discovery are so profound, anything less is an injustice to science and mankind.



There are 16,000 other molecular candidates that would suggest life. Phosphine is the first discovered of those 16,000. I suspect if you start detecting several 100 more, then the argument for life is better.

The James Webb telescope will be better equipped for those discoveries.


Molecular candidates aren't life.

They have observed amnio acids in distant nebulae, but that doesn't indicate life, now does it? Bold statements require bold proof. In order to claim life has been discovered, then we darned well better have the life in the palm of our hands for everyone to see.



Last edited by Mr_Blastman; 09/13/20 04:58 PM.
#4536874 - 09/13/20 06:25 PM Re: Possible discovery of microbial life on Venus [Re: RossUK]  
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Curiosity killed the cat. Curiosity will kill the human race. We don't know what these microbes or organism on other planets or on passing asteroids, meteors can do to us.

We can't even control and contain a Coronavirus. What makes scientists think we can control and contain a hostile microbe or organism that is not of this Earth.






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#4536880 - 09/13/20 07:25 PM Re: Possible discovery of microbial life on Venus [Re: RossUK]  
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If human beings weren't curious we would still be living in mud huts!

#4536896 - 09/13/20 10:32 PM Re: Possible discovery of microbial life on Venus [Re: Trooper117]  
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Originally Posted by Trooper117
If human beings weren't curious we would still be swinging from tree branches living in mud huts!


fify

Last edited by KraziKanuK; 09/13/20 10:32 PM.

There was only 16 squadrons of RAF fighters that used 100 octane during the BoB.
The Fw190A could not fly with the outer cannon removed.
There was no Fw190A-8s flying with the JGs in 1945.
#4536913 - 09/14/20 03:14 AM Re: Possible discovery of microbial life on Venus [Re: RossUK]  
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All of these frequently released stories/reports about the possibility of intelligent life on another planet or system are a dime a dozen. All of them are full of conjecture and speculation. These reports are released with the express purpose of attracting mouse clicks.


“Whoever fights monsters should see to it that in the process he does not become a monster. And if you gaze long enough into an abyss, the abyss will gaze back into you.”
#4536925 - 09/14/20 07:59 AM Re: Possible discovery of microbial life on Venus [Re: RossUK]  
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Naunton Beauchamp Worcestershi...
Little farting green men probably



#4536928 - 09/14/20 08:57 AM Re: Possible discovery of microbial life on Venus [Re: PanzerMeyer]  
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Originally Posted by PanzerMeyer
All of these frequently released stories/reports about the possibility of intelligent life on another planet or system are a dime a dozen. All of them are full of conjecture and speculation. These reports are released with the express purpose of attracting mouse clicks.



I dunno. This one is intriguing, and I'm a religious "the universe is void of life" kinda guy. Although that's my personal belief, and I don't have anything concrete to base it on.

There's either another method that produces phosphine on Venus, such as massive phosphine volcanos, or another unknown chemical reaction that can create phosphine. The last possibility barring all others, is actual microbes.

The answer will come with a Venusian probe that will need to gather the air and analyze it there.


"College graduates should not have to live out their 20s in their childhood bedrooms, staring up at fading Obama posters and wondering when they can move out and get going with life" - Paul Ryan
#4537011 - 09/14/20 05:30 PM Re: Possible discovery of microbial life on Venus [Re: KraziKanuK]  
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Originally Posted by KraziKanuK
Originally Posted by Trooper117
If human beings weren't curious we would still be swinging from tree branches living in mud huts!


fify

And some think that trees had been a bad move and that no one should have left the oceans.

#4537023 - 09/14/20 06:36 PM Re: Possible discovery of microbial life on Venus [Re: RossUK]  
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Phosphine is quite toxic, and 1000 times more abundant on Venus, Jupiter and Saturn, than Earth:

https://www.space.com/venus-clouds-possible-life-chemical-discovery.html

The chemical is a life killer. More hype, nothing tangible other than conjecture.

Send probes, collect data, analyze. That's all we can do. Making believe this means alien life exists is... silly.

#4537052 - 09/14/20 09:15 PM Re: Possible discovery of microbial life on Venus [Re: Mr_Blastman]  
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RossUK Online cowboy
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Originally Posted by Mr_Blastman
Phosphine is quite toxic, and 1000 times more abundant on Venus, Jupiter and Saturn, than Earth:

https://www.space.com/venus-clouds-possible-life-chemical-discovery.html

The chemical is a life killer. More hype, nothing tangible other than conjecture.

Send probes, collect data, analyze. That's all we can do. Making believe this means alien life exists is... silly.


I'm not saying it's life. But have you actually read the paper? Doesn't seem so.

They even say they doubt it's life. Several times. You are quoting news agencies it seems

What's interesting is how this is created on a rocky world.

#4537058 - 09/14/20 09:31 PM Re: Possible discovery of microbial life on Venus [Re: RossUK]  
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Originally Posted by RossUK
Originally Posted by Mr_Blastman
Phosphine is quite toxic, and 1000 times more abundant on Venus, Jupiter and Saturn, than Earth:

https://www.space.com/venus-clouds-possible-life-chemical-discovery.html

The chemical is a life killer. More hype, nothing tangible other than conjecture.

Send probes, collect data, analyze. That's all we can do. Making believe this means alien life exists is... silly.


I'm not saying it's life. But have you actually read the paper? Doesn't seem so.

They even say they doubt it's life. Several times. You are quoting news agencies it seems

What's interesting is how this is created on a rocky world.


I've read enough. I'm clarifying to those here who would think that it is life.

#4537059 - 09/14/20 09:36 PM Re: Possible discovery of microbial life on Venus [Re: RossUK]  
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I agree with you, send probes. The only way to really prove it in opinion.

Though I'm not sure I agree with you about the volume of Phosphine on Venus. Saturn and Jupiter, yes.

#4537067 - 09/14/20 10:53 PM Re: Possible discovery of microbial life on Venus [Re: RossUK]  
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Give it a few days and this topic will be all forgotten about and then the cycle will start all over again with some new revelation by either NASA or some other institution claiming that life may exist on such and such planet.


“Whoever fights monsters should see to it that in the process he does not become a monster. And if you gaze long enough into an abyss, the abyss will gaze back into you.”
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