NASA Press Conference Tonight

[Edmund]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/space/8174040/Life-as-we-dont-know-it-discovery-could-prove-existence-of-aliens.html

'Life as we don't know it' discovery could prove existence of aliens

NASA has sent the internet into a frenzy after it announced an "astrobiology finding" that could suggest alien life exists – even on earth.

The discovery could prove the theory of "shadow" creatures which exist in tandem with our own and in hostile environments previously thought uninhabitable.

The "life as we don't know it" could even survive on hostile planets and develop into intelligent creatures such as humans if and when conditions improve.

In a press conference scheduled for tomorrow evening, researchers will unveil the discovery of a microbe that can live in an environment previously thought too poisonous for any life-form to survive.

The bacteria has been found at the bottom of Mono Lake in California's Yosemite National Park which is rich in arsenic – usually poisonous to life.

Somehow the creature uses the arsenic as a way of surviving and this ability raises the prospect that similar life could exist on other planets, which do not have our benevolent atmosphere.

Dr Lewis Dartnell, an astrobiologist at the Centre for Planetary Sciences in London, said: "If these organisms use arsenic in their metabolism, it demonstrates that there are other forms of life to those we knew of.

"They're aliens, but aliens that share the same home as us."

The space agency will announce the full extent of the findings at a press conference titled “astrobiology finding which will impact the search for evidence of extraterrestrial life”.

They believe the creature proves the existence of a second form of life that exists in tandem and before and after intelligent life blooms on planets across the universe.

It follows a growing belief that alien life far from being rare is actually abundant in the universe just in a form that is not recognisable as life.

At the heart of his theory is that life on earth may have come and gone many times during the planet's existence.

These creatures are the remnants of the previous inhabitants.

Scientists have also estimated that life of some kind exists on hundred billion trillion Earth-like planets in space.

However it is usually just bacteria and intelligent life such as us is fleeting and only exists for a fraction of the time.

A study last month said that the universe is teeming with planets capable of supporting alien life.

After studying stars similar to the Sun, astronomers found that almost one in four could have small, rocky planets just like the earth.

Many of these worlds may occupy the "Goldilocks" zone – the region where conditions are neither too hot, nor too cold, for liquid water and possibly life.

Planets outside our own solar system are too far away and too small to see directly with telescopes.

Instead, astronomers study distant stars for tell-tale 'wobbles' – caused when stars are pulled by a planet's gravity.

In the last decade, nearly 500 planets have been discovered outside the solar system this way.

In September astronomers announced the discovery of the most Earth-like planet ever found – a rocky world three times the size of our own world, orbiting a star 20 light years away.

The planet appears to have an atmosphere, a gravity like our own and could have flowing water on its surface.

The discovery came three years after astronomers found a similar, slightly less habitable planet around the same small red star called Gliese 581 in the constellation of Libra.

The planet, named Gliese g, is 118,000,000,000,000 miles away – so far away that light from its start takes 20 years to reach the earth.

The latest news induced feverish debate as to whether scientists were about to announce that they had discovered life on other worlds.

"Did they find ET?", asked one headline in the U S., while another wrote, "Has Nasa found little green men?"

Speculation mounted around the world about the mystery information and buoyed people who already believe in aliens.

One said on U.S. news website MSNBC, "It's still hard for me to understand why people can't accept that aliens exist ... ET is real".

"Fact is, life is everywhere," another wrote. 'I don't need some BS announcement to know it because I have common sense.'

A newspaper in South Korea proclaimed "Nasa to hold news conference on alien life".

The event will be streamed live on the internet tomorrow evening.

There are also conspiracy theorists who believe the government is involved in a cover-up of some kind.

"It is embarrassing how our country makes it all a secret and hides and controls what we know," one American ranted, insisting aliens do exist and the U.S. knows it.

"The government lies to us all the time."

Others were more light-hearted in their predictions.

"Looks like good old Elvis finally ran out of hiding places!," joked a person on a science blog.

For NASA TV streaming video and downlink information, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/ntv at 6pm.

[VinceNoir]

God damn aliens, soon they'll be taking all our jobs. DEEERKA DEERRRB!!!!

[Bellend Sebastian]

It's a good opportunity to wheel out an ancient joke for the umpteenth time:

How do you know ET is a Forest fan?

Because he looks like one!

[MikeyT]

It's a good opportunity to wheel out an ancient joke for the umpteenth time:

How do you know ET is a Forest fan?

Because he looks like one!

Haha!

[Trav Le Bleu]

Erm, they're not aliens, their just a newly discovered life-form.

Slow news week at NASA?

[lavrentis]

Heard from an insider that after the dissapearence of McGugan on Monday they have seen him on Mars.

[Edmund]

Erm, they're not aliens, their just a newly discovered life-form.

Slow news week at NASA?

Of course they are. Contrary to belief an alien doesn't have to resemble a little green man with an oversized head

Any life form that is ALIEN to our planet is just that

It proves that we're most definitely not alone in the universe, which all scientists already knew through logic but now there's proof to back it up.

If finding a newly discovered life form is classed to you as a slow news week, you must lead an extraordinary life.

[Trav Le Bleu]

Of course they are. Contrary to belief an alien doesn't have to resemble a little green man with an oversized head

Any life form that is ALIEN to our planet is just that

It proves that we're most definitely not alone in the universe which all scientists already knew through logic but now there's proof to back it up.

If finding a newly discovered life form is classed to you as a slow news week, you must lead an extraordinary life.

It's not Alien to our planet - it's naturally occuring. The fact that it's only naturally occuring in one small hostile part of our planet is neither here nor there. What about the Giant Tube Worm that also exists on this planet in an environment where any other creature would die?

It's not new and news should be new.

And great, we're not alone in the universe - on a distant planet somewhere there might be... microbes.

[Edmund]

It's not Alien to our planet - it's naturally occuring. The fact that it's only naturally occuring in one small hostile part of our planet is neither here nor there. What about the Giant Tube Worm that also exists on this planet in an environment where any other creature would die?

It's not new and news should be new.

And great, we're not alone in the universe - on a distant planet somewhere there might be... microbes.

Well it may not be literally alien to our planet but it previously was thought to be. So like any discovery just like the giant tube worm and the massive lice that live at the bottom of the ocean, where it was previously thought was lifeless, it's a new revelation to scientists and changes the whole outlook on what and where ET could survive.

I don't understand how it's not news to you? Did you already discover it before NASA?

If you want to dismiss microbes as some sort of boring discovery then you're very ignorant. Microbes are the whole building block of life hence why this is a massive discovery. Especially one that thrives in an environment thought impossible.

Just because it doesn't satisfy you're hollywood image of an alien doesn't make it irrelevant and you're comments come across as rather ignorant if I'm honest.

[Bellend Sebastian]

Some of my best friends are microbes.

I'm very excited

[Finnegan]

I'm on the fence.

I think it's an interesting scientific breakthrough and a good find, I am interested and I read it.

But I also think that branding it as "PROOF OF ALIENS!!!!!" to try and sucker in interest from the broader public is a bit retarded. Appreciate it for what it is, those who are going to be interested are going to be interested and those that aren't you can't force.

It's sort of dumbing down of science, isn't it, really?

[Thracian]

It's just confirmation of the logical really. Of course there are alien life-forms out there. To even imagine that, from the entire expanse of space, only planet earth has life forms, is just too unlikely to bother contemplating.

[Daggers]

I waiting for the Youtube/Alien conspiracy...

[Trav Le Bleu]

I'm on the fence.

I think it's an interesting scientific breakthrough and a good find, I am interested and I read it.

But I also think that branding it as "PROOF OF ALIENS!!!!!" to try and sucker in interest from the broader public is a bit retarded. Appreciate it for what it is, those who are going to be interested are going to be interested and those that aren't you can't force.

It's sort of dumbing down of science, isn't it, really?

Thank you Finners.

Sometimes I see Scientists as the new High Priests of Secularism. They present tiny glimpses of wonders, extropolate what "might" be true (frequently, what they want to believe to be true), and present it as IN YOUR FACE DEFINITE UNDENIABLE FACT! BURN THE HERETICS!

In no way does this discovery PROVE that there's life on other planets - it proves that life can survive in more extreme environments than we previously believed, that is what it proves.

I poo-poo the existance of microbes in distant star systems because it has no bearing on my life. Andy King's goal against Forest has more bearing on my life, but do I see NASA scientists getting excited about it? Like hell I do!

[The Doctor]

Not aliens, just your run of the mill microbes that have become adapted to living in those conditions.

If they weren't actually indigenous to this planet then they'd be aliens. Until NASA can prove those bacteria aren't from this planet, stop calling them aliens and stfu.

[Jordan]

Sometimes I see Scientists as the new High Priests of Secularism. They present tiny glimpses of wonders, extropolate what "might" be true (frequently, what they want to believe to be true), and present it as IN YOUR FACE DEFINITE UNDENIABLE FACT! BURN THE HERETICS!

That's entirely not what these scientists are doing here--it's what the press is doing.

In no way does this discovery PROVE that there's life on other planets - it proves that life can survive in more extreme environments than we previously believed, that is what it proves.

This is more along the lines of what they're saying, but they're not just saying life can be created and survive in more extreme environments--they mean different environments, ones in which astrophysicists may have never have bothered searching if not for this total mind**** of a discovery.

(Then again, I've read articles and such but haven't tuned in to the press conference, so I'll just assume the scientists aren't just screaming, "WE FOUND ALIENS!!!" and giving each other high-fives right now.)

[chrisfox]

just your run of the mill microbes that have become adapted to living in those conditions.

Not quite right if I'm reading the info correctly.

Not run of the mill because they don't share the same fundamental 6 building blocks of life that all the other species on the planet share. Carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen, phosphorus and sulfur.

This new one uses Arsenic instead of phosphorus.... in it's DNA. Some small microbes can breath in an arsenic rich environment, but these new ones are actually using it as a buiilding block for their DNA.

Don't get me wrong, I dont think it proves extra terrestrial life, but it broadens the horizons of what scientists can be looking for when trying to find it.

It's a massive discovery

[The Doctor]

This new one uses Arsenic instead of phosphorus.... in it's DNA. Some small microbes can breath in an arsenic rich environment, but these new ones are actually using it as a buiilding block for their DNA.

i don't see anything in there mentioning it using arsenic instead of phosphorus for it's DNA.

edit: all there is in there is this:

Somehow the creature uses the arsenic as a way of surviving and this ability raises the prospect that similar life could exist on other planets, which do not have our benevolent atmosphere.

the big point being somehow i.e. we don't know what it does with it yet.

It's still possible that these were the same species as some "normal" microbe (not able to survive in that lake) who evolved into a new species capable of surviving in the lake. Be interesting to find out what they live off since no known plants or animals could survive down there, cannabalism is possible but if so how does the species survive?

[DJ Barry Hammond]

It proves that we're most definitely not alone in the universe, which all scientists already knew through logic but now there's proof to back it up.

Surely Scientists learnt this from the Michael Jackson song?

[BoneDog]

I waiting for the Youtube/Alien conspiracy...

I don't want to disappoint you so I'm on it! Give me 3 minutes and the truth about NASA will be here

[BoneDog]

This is a great video even if you believe NASA are all sugar and sweet. It shows how the US smuggled all the top Nazi rocket scientists into South and North America to continue their work (they were already on the same team). You will see how Bush's Grandfather and other US/British elite were funding Hitler and the Nazis.

It also has some great video from NASA missions (sts80/sts75 etc.) of UFO's. There's also some very good stuff about the Moon missions and the models they made to film (on earth) some of the footage we got to see that was supposed to be on the Moon.

There's plenty of footage of astronauts a little way up in space talking of unidentified objects.

I guarantee that many of you will see and learn about things you never knew about if you watch this. Yeah there's the odd bits of claptrap but overall if you take the time to watch you will find it interesting.

Forward the video straight to 3.50 as before that it's all advert stuff. Personally I'd forward straight to 9.20 for the history of NASA/Nazi, that's when it really starts getting interesting.

Secret Space

The two real meanings of NASA:

Never A Straight Answer

Not Allowed to Say Anything

Don't get me wrong, NASA obviously has many good folk working for them, but they cannot speak in public about the truth. But the top folk there are nazis. Fo real.

EDIT : Yeah David Icke is in this video, and alot of folk think he's a twat, but he's only in it for about 3 minutes and does talk facts in the clip so don't let that put you off.

[chrisfox]

i don't see anything in there mentioning it using arsenic instead of phosphorus for it's DNA.

Yep, i stand corrected, and so does the Discovermogazine.com article I read it in. my apologies!