Is there life on Maaaaaaars! (er, Venus)

[Morrus]

Interesting!

So, astronomers *may* have found evidence of life on Venus

Astronomers have found phosphine in the atmosphere of Venus, which on Earth is an indication of life. Skepticism is called for, though.

www.syfy.com

Phosphine in the upper atmosphere of Venus. The scientists so far can't come up with a way of having that much phosphine without microbial life or industry (and they're ruling out the latter!)

Still, it might be that we just don't know chemistry as well as we think. it's a potential marker for life, but a long way from proof.

 

[Moon_Goddess]

Well there are places in the upper atmosphere of Venus that are rather earth like in temperature and pressure, I could see microbes floating in clouds, I'm just not sure how live like that could begin. (then again no one knows how live began so shrug)

 

[Snarf Zagyg]

I saw the headline and I thought it was about this:

Life on Mars creator confirms third and final series is in the works

Matthew Graham says new series of show will be set in 70s, 80s and an alternate present

www.theguardian.com

That's the biggest news.

...but then again, the ending to Series 2 (Ashes to Ashes) was perfect.

 

[Umbran]

I'm just not sure how live like that could begin.

It doesn't have to start in the clouds, or even on Venus. There's plenty of evidence that we have traded rocks with other planets: a meteor hits Mars, that ejects some material off the planet, which eventually finds its way here, or vice-versa. A similar transfer could bring simple life to Venus.

 

[Nilbog]

Life or no life either way it's exciting, finding life for the obvious reasons, but if it's not it will lead to new discoveries in chemistry I'm sure

 

[Moon_Goddess]

It doesn't have to start in the clouds, or even on Venus. There's plenty of evidence that we have traded rocks with other planets: a meteor hits Mars, that ejects some material off the planet, which eventually finds its way here, or vice-versa. A similar transfer could bring simple life to Venus.

I'm conflicted about if I want for it to happen this way or not. Like if abiogenesis happened on Venus independent of Earth, that's amazing, it means it's easy, the universe will be just flooded with at least single cellular life everywhere, And depressing, that all that life and we see no signs of intelligent life, means there's some filter somewhere between single cell and where we are now.

If it's earth life there, well then it's no more or less depressing than the state we are now,we still see no signs of intelligent life, and the fermi paradox remains unanswered.

 

[Snarf Zagyg]

I'm conflicted about if I want for it to happen this way or not. Like if abiogenesis happened on Venus independent of Earth, that's amazing, it means it's easy, the universe will be just flooded with at least single cellular life everywhere, And depressing, that all that life and we see no signs of intelligent life, means there's some filter somewhere between single cell and where we are now.

If it's earth life there, well then it's no more or less depressing than the state we are now,we still see no signs of intelligent life, and the fermi paradox remains unanswered.

Eh, there are all sorts of explanations.

The simplest is that life goes through a very short period of time (like ours) when it is spewing out information into the void (although our signals don't get that far), and actively seeking out life without really worrying too much. Say, a little more than a century.

It is entirely possible that more advanced life doesn't want to be found. Or there are other factors we can't think of yet. Or we are detecting it, and it's simply so different that we aren't perceiving it. Who knows?

 

[Undrave]

Time to send some probes!

 

[Ryujin]

I'm conflicted about if I want for it to happen this way or not. Like if abiogenesis happened on Venus independent of Earth, that's amazing, it means it's easy, the universe will be just flooded with at least single cellular life everywhere, And depressing, that all that life and we see no signs of intelligent life, means there's some filter somewhere between single cell and where we are now.

If it's earth life there, well then it's no more or less depressing than the state we are now,we still see no signs of intelligent life, and the fermi paradox remains unanswered.

We tend to equate intelligence with success, because we are intelligent, tool using animals. The most successful creatures on this planet, ie. the species most unchanged over millennia, are unintelligent by our standards.

 

[Morrus]

We tend to equate intelligence with success, because we are intelligent, tool using animals. The most successful creatures on this planet, ie. the species most unchanged over millennia, are unintelligent by our standards.

While true, it's also not really the point -- intelligent life is more interesting than successful life. We can't talk to microbes.