@moonbus saidEspecially here in our own solar system, probably cellular or multi-cellular life, but still, as you say, it would be exciting, and close enough to study.
It would be a fantastic discovery, if verified. I hope I live to see the day that exo-life is verified.
@moonbus
Well, the Webb scope has found life signals on an exo planet:
https://www.sciencenews.org/article/nasa-jwst-space-telescope-exoplanet#:~:text=Using%20the%20James%20Webb%20Space,atmosphere%20of%20exoplanet%20K2%2D18b.
Of course this is tentative so we wait for further data.
Is there any natural process that could produce Dimethyl Sulfide?
@sonhouse saidYes, algae. Exciting discovery.
@moonbus
Well, the Webb scope has found life signals on an exo planet:
https://www.sciencenews.org/article/nasa-jwst-space-telescope-exoplanet#:~:text=Using%20the%20James%20Webb%20Space,atmosphere%20of%20exoplanet%20K2%2D18b.
Of course this is tentative so we wait for further data.
Is there any natural process that could produce Dimethyl Sulfide?
quote
Dimethyl sulfide is a methyl sulfide in which the sulfur atom is substituted by two methyl groups. It is produced naturally by some marine algae. It has a role as a bacterial xenobiotic metabolite, a marine metabolite, an EC 3.5.1.4 (amidase) inhibitor, an algal metabolite and an Escherichia coli metabolite.
Dimethyl sulfide is a metabolite found in or produced by Escherichia coli (strain K12, MG1655).
end quote
https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/Dimethyl-sulfide
@moonbus
The caveat is the reading is tentative, I would assume that meant weak signal, and to get better S/N ratio would require multiple observations which would probably get in the way of other scientists making observations elsewhere.
Long time ago I was offered a job at Goldstone but turned it down because I was stupid. A gf with me ATT, Goldstone is in the desert and I am hopping around with my camera going nuts, finding these micro eco systems in a square cm🙂
So she goes, tight lipped, WE GODDA GET OUT OF HERE.
???? NOW she tells me "I have agoraphobia, have to get back indoors'
Sigh. I would have LOVED that job.
@sonhouse saidIntriguing find on Mars:
@moonbus
Well, the Webb scope has found life signals on an exo planet:
https://www.sciencenews.org/article/nasa-jwst-space-telescope-exoplanet#:~:text=Using%20the%20James%20Webb%20Space,atmosphere%20of%20exoplanet%20K2%2D18b.
Of course this is tentative so we wait for further data.
Is there any natural process that could produce Dimethyl Sulfide?
https://edition.cnn.com/2024/07/26/science/nasa-perseverance-rover-cheyava-falls-rock/index.html
This is science at its very best.
@sonhouse saidI can't hold my breath that long. 🙁 I wish them success, retrieving a sample. It is an amazing technical feat, to get a rock back to Earth from Mars. Otherwise, we have to wait for an asteroid or meteorite strike !
@moonbus
And they are itching to get a sample back from that rock too, talking about a 2040 time line though.
@moonbus
Yep, a long time to wait, I see reports of problems with the samples already packed up ready to be sent back, maybe budget problems, not sure but looks like that project is on hold.
Here is one analysis of a cheaper faster way:
https://spacenews.com/practical-approach-mars-sample-return-mission/#:~:text=NASA's%20Mars%20Sample%20Return%20(MSR,excessive%20mission%20and%20programmatic%20risk.
@sonhouse saidThat's one thing to like about America: its ability and willingness to fund big research projects.
@moonbus
Yep, a long time to wait, I see reports of problems with the samples already packed up ready to be sent back, maybe budget problems, not sure but looks like that project is on hold.
Another thing to like about science is the internationality of it: for example, the human genome project. I don't see the world's religions cooperating on this scale.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_Genome_Project
@moonbus
Because religious sectors are basically at each other's throats, where besides the obvious blood lust of Christian V Islam, there is real dissention within both Christian communities and Islam communities.
For instance, I am a long time ham and listen to shortwave radio.
When I was a kid the shortwaves were FLYING with signals, but now not so much. The shortwave broadcasts coming out of the US now are embarrassing to me to say the least. A bunch of ultra right wing survivalists broadcasting like plans for bomb shelters and selling emergency rations for them.
Then there are the US religious broadcasts, one I heard personally, some broadcaster, I think Baptist, was saying this rival Baptist bunch did not deserve to live, pretty disgusting stuff and these fundamentalists broadcasting 24/7 their 'message' to the world.
BTW, I heard the Chandra mission might be nearly cut off, you know, the X ray telescope, getting a 40% cut in budgets, shutting off the main high res camera and such.
I hope that doesn't go through.
@sonhouse
Equally fascinating and much closer to home: oxygen is being produced on the sea bed by natural batteries. This has far-reaching implications for origin of life theory. It was previously thought that photosynthesis was the only naturally occurring process which would generate large amounts of free oxygen. People had been looking at the data for nearly ten years and thought there was equipment malfunction.
https://edition.cnn.com/2024/07/22/science/dark-oxygen-discovery-deep-sea-mining/index.html
@moonbus
I saw that report, what I wonder is if they quantified the amount of O2 coming off those nodules. And are those nodules everywhere on the bottoms of all oceans or are they more of a local phenomena. Also, how long can an individual nodule produce oxygen, our batteries only produce energy as long as the chemistry allows so it would seem to me each nodule would only produce electricity for so long then the chemistry changes and no longer allows the production of energy.