THESE FORUMS NOW CLOSED (read only)
Fun Stuff => CHATTER => Topic started by: scarred on 03 Dec 2010, 01:33
-
Shit's starting to go down in science. (http://www.nasa.gov/topics/universe/features/astrobiology_toxic_chemical.html)
It is pretty amazing.
-
yesssssssssssssssssssssssssssss
I want to still be alive when they find life on another planet. I don't give a fuck what it is, microbes, lichen, whatevs. Just something to show we're not the only ones out here.
-
God damn, I love science. Especially really incredible things like this. I always love reading about things like this because science is the kind of branch of study where, when a discovery is made that alters fundamental principles, the biggest intellectuals in the field are right alongside everybody else, going all "man, can you believe this?"
-
Yeah, my friends and I were arguing this morning about whether this bacteria shit must be extraterrestrial (it mustn't). However, I am glad people are finally going "wait, you mean all life ever isn't necessarily carbon based?!?! :psyduck:"
-
So goddamned cool
-
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v32/TheHusseinSkank/bacteria.jpg)
d'awwwww
I wonder how this thing is going to be classified once they've officially scientifically described it and such.
-
"wait, you mean all life ever isn't necessarily carbon based?!?!"
Unfortunately these aren't the silicon-based lifeforms you'll sometimes see in science fiction. Still, very amazing.
-
We have found a lot of those in California, though.
-
Unfortunately these aren't the silicon-based lifeforms you'll sometimes see in science fiction. Still, very amazing.
Silicon-based life only really works at temperatures and pressures radically different from the surface of the earth. It's conceivable such life could live deep down in the earths crust, but if it's weird enough we might have trouble even recognising it as life.
-
This is awesome!
-
if it's weird enough we might have trouble even recognising it as life.
I once new a girl who wrote a story called "Little Green Men" about an alien spaceship landing but all that came out was some weird slime that scientists stuck in canisters and forgot about. It was a clever little story.
-
new a girl
Oh, Joe.
-
Maybe the arsenicoforms are controlling his mind.
-
Maybe they're coming for you next.
-
Lately I've noticed a dramatic increase in the number of typos in emails and other things I type. I think I spend less time double-checking my typing these days, which is oddly satisfying to me. It's like, not having enough time to check my spelling validates me as a person.
-
I guess when you have less and less time left on this Earth, it becomes important to work quickly.
-
It's like, not having enough time to check my spelling validates me as a person.
Validates you as an arsenic-munching bacteria drone, you mean.
-
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v32/TheHusseinSkank/bacteria.jpg)
d'awwwww
Jeez guys, we're getting all riled up about a few slices of olive loaf?
(http://static.flickr.com/72/197009666_fccf9295ef.jpg)
-
hehe i saw this and showed it to my mom and she was like huh? what's so cool about that. she completley missed the point. i think it is great that we now have proof that life doesn't have to be made of very specific mix of atoms and molecules
-
Well, no, it's just that the very specific mix is a little bit more inclusive. All known life still requires carbon, oxygen, hydrogen, nitrogen, and sulfur. It's just that we now have proof phosphorous can be replaced with arsenic. It's really cool, but not destroying the fundamental basis of organic chemistry here.
-
i know, it's just that this proves that there are other ways life could evolve, for all we know there could be another planet where all life evolved with arsenic instead of phosphorous, and that would be pretty coo but deadly for us
-
call me when there's a life form that subs out phosphorous for old lace
-
I'm predicting the first appearance of phosphorous-free life fetishists very soon, if they aren't here already
"oh baby watching you photosynthesize that poison gets me so hot. My microscope is getting all foggy"
-
hooray for rule 34! :psyduck:
-
Arsenic is poisonous to humans, so... Does this mean I can't eat it?
-
I thought it was a play on Arsenic and Old Lace?
-
Dear old Terence Rattigan... - I did lighting for that as the house play one year at school (i.e. a very long time ago, using real rheostats).
-
i know, it's just that this proves that there are other ways life could evolve, for all we know there could be another planet where all life evolved with arsenic instead of phosphorous, and that would be pretty coo but deadly for us
Doesn't necessarily mean that either, since these organisms likely evolved from previous phosphorus organisms, which evolved in the standard Earth-like environment of...Earth. At best, this proves that life could continue in a phosphorus-free, arsenic-rich environment since, uh...that's exactly what happened.
-
Arsenic based sludge discovered, will marry before Joe Hocking.
Only in states that allow single-sex marriage... :wink: Bacteria only have one sex, or no sex, depending on how you look at it.
-
Arsenic is the new phosphorous and sexlessness is the new sexy.
-
I thought it was a play on Arsenic and Old Lace?
It is but it can be both.
I was going to make a Runaways joke but I couldn't work out if JC had already made it so I guess I'm bailing.
i don't read runaways
-
i know, it's just that this proves that there are other ways life could evolve, for all we know there could be another planet where all life evolved with arsenic instead of phosphorous
Believe this is the plot of the movie Evolution.
Remember that movie? with David Duchovney and that black guy from MadTV (I think).
-
and like 40 episodes of the x-files
-
I think I heard somewhere that this organism they found still does use phosphorous, just that it subbed MOST of it out for arsenic. I could very well be wrong about that though!
I think this is an important discovery, but to me it's kind of like "Well... yeah, of course life can work differently than expected." It's just proof for something that's common sense in my mind.
-
According to the article, it thrived even after the scientist-dudes removed all phosphorous from it's environment, so yeah.
-
To me the most important and awesome consequence of this discovery is that it means that it has changed how we will search for extraterrestrial life in future. It used to be that when it was thought that it took oxygen, carbon, nitrogen, hydrogen, sulfur and phosphorous to make life, and that that was the only way to make life, that was what was being searched for on other planets. Now arsenic is in the mix, and because it seems the reason phosphorous was so easily replaced by arsenic is because of their similar atomic weights, it becomes plausible that there are many other elements that'd do the job as well. I really don't think it's hyperbole to call this a game changer, it's basically throwing the doors wide open with regards to what constitutes life and how this affects the odds that there really is something else out there.
-
It's really cool, but not destroying the fundamental basis of organic chemistry here.
I know what you mean here but just a little semantic quibble: organic chemistry is not actually the chemistry of living things. That would be biochemistry. Organic chemistry is basically defined as "the chemistry of carbon compounds" (like the chemistry behind oil or alcohol or drugs.) So pretty much by definition organic chemistry wouldn't be changed by discovering new life forms.
-
What about orgasmic chemistry.
I can expand the definition of that if anyone wants to roll around to my Fortress of Love.
-
(http://www.thewookie.co.uk/advice/gunge2.jpg)
Come on in yeaaaaaah.
-
Come on in yeaaaaaah.
That might be the scariest image I've seen this week. I bet the algae have already become sentient, and they'll be applying to join the UN next Thursday.
-
Come on in yeaaaaaah.
I guess a giant zombie or something orgasm'd on it?
-
This was NOT arsenic-based life.
This was a form of bacteria in an arsenic-resistant family(? some kind of group) which was discovered to be able to replace much of the phosphorus in its biology with arsenic. There were still phosphorus impurites in this experimental group.
Feel free to attempt the rare and dangerous Pedantic Pestersonome x2 Combo.
-
What about orgasmic chemistry.
I can expand the definition of that if anyone wants to roll around to my Fortress of Love.
sig'd
-
i heared this on radio.
-
a ha ha oops (http://gawker.com/5708797/scientists-say-nasas-new-life-on-earth-study-fatally-flawed-flim+flam)
-
Um, yeah, why the hell do think I didn't flip my shit?
-
They just don't believe (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JDZBgHBHQT8).
-
Goddamnit