The excellent New Scientist Magazine reports that organic chemistry takes places on asteroids that are flying around in space.
(Above--The asteroid known as 951 Gaspra. Here are some facts about asteroids.)
From New Scientist---
"For the first time, rocks from an asteroid have been shown to power the synthesis of life's essential chemicals. The asteroid in question fell to Earth on 28 September 1969, landing on the outskirts of the village of Murchison in Victoria, Australia. Tests showed it was laced with amino acids and some of the chemicals found in our genetic material. The discovery suggested that space was not the chemically sterile place it was once thought to be, and that organic chemistry was widespread. It hinted that the molecules life needed to get started could have been produced in space, before dropping to Earth."
I find this discovery encouraging. Positive--even "creative"--- things can happen in an environment as hostile as outer space.
I don't know about you, but I often feel I must be on the moon or in another galaxy because surely the dumb-assed and mean-spirited behavior I witness and read about each day cannot be of this Earth.
I'm glad that even in what might seem to be a void, hopeful things can happen.
So when you feel you are in a void of decency because of some barbaric public policy idea, or in an intellectual void because everything you are hearing makes so little sense, just think of all those asteroids flying around brewing up various chemicals and amino acids.
It is almost always possible to make some kind of progress.
Actually, I saw a guy, or whatever, at the post office this morning that COULD have been ET's younger brother.
Wink, wink, nod, nod, I "catch your drift" about "The Donald.".
I'm glad you caught the "Fermi" reference. I told him that theory was flawed. But does make for good reading and Sci-fi novels.
What makes you think you haven't come face to face with an E.T.? Would you realize it? Or just see what they want you to see?
What makes you think they haven't already shown up and abducted Donald Trump?
Carguy... the Universe is so vast and so old that somewhere out there is an exact copy of our Earth, and everything in between. Understand what I am saying?
Ya see your post is loosely based on the Fermi Paradox. Which is flawed at best.
Okay. I'll make'em. :-)
I should point out that there is no justification for Arnold...he's scum. (But, I can't make judgements... :O)
maybe...it's a very tough situation...
When a boss has sex with a subordinate, it's not about attractiveness.
I know you and CG know this.
Well, you know I consider YOU the authority on aliens. We'll talk some more on Monday. God willing.
yeah, it's pretty weird (Ahnold)...I'll bet she looked a whole lot different BEFORE she nailed him for that million dollars.
Joey heatherton would be good (some of them do...the ones from the Goldilocks planets)
As usual. You have a, actually several good points. I must admit, had I come fact-to-face with ET, I'd have freaked out. I was "hoping" aliens would look like Joey Heatherton.
OTOH, I do hope that somebody, somewhere will come and pickup "the Donald". Now that he is NOT running for president, he is of no vlaue to me.
Seriously, I saw a show where they "think" there might ba an "earth type" planet two or three galaxies away. Just past that binary star on the right. Across from that pink nebula. You know, in order to have life "as we know it", a planet has to fit into that "Goldilocks" slot in its solar system. Not too close, and not too far away from its star.
Anyway, gotta go, I'm just really upset over this Schwarzenegger thing. I can't believe he schtupped the maid while married to a Kennedy. And a nice looking Kennedy at that. Had he slept with, Madonna or Cheryl Crow, I could understand that.
The answer to your question is no...for a number of reasons.
1. Do we have conversations with bugs?
2. Maybe we're an intergalactic zoo?
3. Maybe we're an intergalactic laboratory?
4. The study from the Brookings institute in
the 1940's testified that an abrubt exposure
to ET's would make us go kookoo, if you haven't noticed we don't even need ET's to do that. It's likely that a humanoid ET species would know only too well that as a civilization we are much too unstable to weather such an onslaught. Rather, they might play peek-a-boo for about hundred years to acclimate us to the notion that we are spec-ial (my new word for today) babies and then when we were ready land on the white house lawn...again!
FL, I say let's wait until Monday to discuss the future of the Human race. I heard that on Saturday, 6PM ET/5PM CT, this all may become a moot point.
I am not an expert in this, but I got a B+ in high school biology and read an article on bio-chemistry once in the doctor's office.
An amino acid on an asteroid does not life make. Unless, of course, you drop it in a DNA "soup".
If indeed, somewhere, in the universe, there is intelligent life. Don't you think they would have showed up and abducted Donald Trump just to see what makes this guy tick?
I had an intersting discussion with my brother-in-law over the weekend. He is very religious and does not believe in evolution. He maintains that God "put us here". That we did not evolve from apes. He brought up Gary Busey. I had to admit, that punches a big hole in Darwin's theory.
In years to come we will discover that life is more common than previously thought. Mathematically the Universe should be teeming with life. Humanity is not that special, and there are greater cosmic realities that make our internal bickering seem petty at best.
I have no optimism for the human race. We have proven over and over that we will eventually destroy ourselves.
Hi Neil,
Here's a thought from the New Age/Old Age spiritual philosophy taken out of a huge context, of course.
If we believe what we see we have fallen for the reality of the ego. If we accept the ego paradigm we have doomed ourselves to misery. If on the other hand, we question the precept of 'other', aka duality and reject it, we are on the road to happiness, enlightenment and truth.
Of course, none of that makes any sense because it is taken out of context and related from a limited memory.
The main idea is that all we see and experience is an illusion. I give some credence to that notion because from a strict scientific perspective it is well substantiated. Quantum physics has demonstrated that most of what we experience is empty space within a seamless field of connected dots.
Neil, I salute your optimism. I don't know how you do it.
I just read the state of Texas' latest denial of repayment funds to a wrongly convicted and imprisoned black Texan.
What planet is the state government from?