... and surprisingly complex life, too. A tentacle was observed. :cthulu:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100315/ap_on_sc/us_sci_antarctica_sea_life
Awakening the shuggoths aside, this is very exciting proof that life can exist in very harsh conditions.
Awesome! On to Europa.
QuoteThe video is likely to inspire experts to rethink what they know about life in harsh environments. And it has scientists musing that if shrimp-like creatures can frolic below 600 feet of Antarctic ice in subfreezing dark water, what about other hostile places? What about Europa, a frozen moon of Jupiter?
Yes, let's use this as another excuse to obsess over extraterrestrial life :rolleyes:
I'm no scientist, but I would have to think that whatever life forms exist under the Antarctic ice are a spinoff from life forms that originated in much warmer conditions. As such, unless Europa had a particularly warm period fairly recently, it would be an apples to oranges comparison.
Quote from: derspiess on March 16, 2010, 10:15:16 AM
QuoteThe video is likely to inspire experts to rethink what they know about life in harsh environments. And it has scientists musing that if shrimp-like creatures can frolic below 600 feet of Antarctic ice in subfreezing dark water, what about other hostile places? What about Europa, a frozen moon of Jupiter?
Yes, let's use this as another excuse to obsess over extraterrestrial life :rolleyes:
I'm no scientist, but I would have to think that whatever life forms exist under the Antarctic ice are a spinoff from life forms that originated in much warmer conditions. As such, unless Europa had a particularly warm period fairly recently, it would be an apples to oranges comparison.
That, and no matter how cold and dark it is under the arctic ice the water there still has access to food stuffs originating in warming climates thanks to ocean currents. Europa has no such thing. Even if there is life there i find it hard to believe it would be complex. Life there has no access to the sun and chemosynthesis is no where as effecient as photosynthesis so i doubt a whole food chain can be sustained without sunlight.
Quote from: HVC on March 16, 2010, 10:25:07 AM
Quote from: derspiess on March 16, 2010, 10:15:16 AM
QuoteThe video is likely to inspire experts to rethink what they know about life in harsh environments. And it has scientists musing that if shrimp-like creatures can frolic below 600 feet of Antarctic ice in subfreezing dark water, what about other hostile places? What about Europa, a frozen moon of Jupiter?
Yes, let's use this as another excuse to obsess over extraterrestrial life :rolleyes:
I'm no scientist, but I would have to think that whatever life forms exist under the Antarctic ice are a spinoff from life forms that originated in much warmer conditions. As such, unless Europa had a particularly warm period fairly recently, it would be an apples to oranges comparison.
That, and no matter how cold and dark it is under the arctic ice the water there still has access to food stuffs originating in warming climates thanks to ocean currents. Europa has no such thing. Even if there is life there i find it hard to believe it would be complex. Life there has no access to the sun and chemosynthesis is no where as effecient as photosynthesis so i doubt a whole food chain can be sustained without sunlight.
Lifeforms in the Marianas trench do just fine. Besides, is it really implausible that life could gain sustanace from atmospheric gases?
My guess is that life evolving to survive in harshening conditions is more likely than life originating in harsh conditions. Of course the question is obscure because we don't really know what constitutes harsh conditions, in a universal sense that is :hmm:
:unsure: That Planet earth BBC series from a few years ago, as well as herzog's recent Antarctic romp both show lots of under Antarctic sealife. how is this news?
Quote from: BuddhaRhubarb on March 16, 2010, 12:12:43 PM
:unsure: That Planet earth BBC series from a few years ago, as well as herzog's recent Antarctic romp both show lots of under Antarctic sealife. how is this news?
It's not clear in the article, but is this the lake under the icesheet they were talking about a few years ago, and not a location with access to the sea at all?
edit: Ah, further down they do say it has access to the sea ("twelve miles from open sea".) :Embarrass:
Was this a city of the Elder Things?
ahh I should read more carefully before posting :blush: but still I'm not surpised, there's life pretty much everywhere we've been able to look in the oceans.
Yay tentacles.
All we need is a Japanese schoolgirl in a heated diving suit, and we are in business.
It is interesting, but only to the extent that it is another chance to show that extraterrestrial life is NOT likely that has not turned out to be the case.
While life in extremely harsh conditions on Earth does not mean that we should expect to find life in extremely harsh conditions elsewhere, NOT finding life in harsh conditions on the Earth would suggest that life is even less likely in similar conditions elsewhere.
So this is interesting data, at least to those who are interested in the question.
Quote from: derspiess on March 16, 2010, 10:15:16 AM
QuoteThe video is likely to inspire experts to rethink what they know about life in harsh environments. And it has scientists musing that if shrimp-like creatures can frolic below 600 feet of Antarctic ice in subfreezing dark water, what about other hostile places? What about Europa, a frozen moon of Jupiter?
Yes, let's use this as another excuse to obsess over extraterrestrial life :rolleyes:
I'm no scientist, but I would have to think that whatever life forms exist under the Antarctic ice are a spinoff from life forms that originated in much warmer conditions. As such, unless Europa had a particularly warm period fairly recently, it would be an apples to oranges comparison.
Plus, God didn't tell us in the bible that he made life on Europa.
Quote from: Berkut on March 16, 2010, 03:08:06 PM
It is interesting, but only to the extent that it is another chance to show that extraterrestrial life is NOT likely that has not turned out to be the case.
While life in extremely harsh conditions on Earth does not mean that we should expect to find life in extremely harsh conditions elsewhere, NOT finding life in harsh conditions on the Earth would suggest that life is even less likely in similar conditions elsewhere.
So this is interesting data, at least to those who are interested in the question.
My take as well. The really big question that remains unanswered is not whether life can *exist* under really crappy conditions - clearly it can - but whether life can *start* under really crappy conditions.
Quote from: jimmy olsen on March 16, 2010, 10:10:53 AM
Awesome! On to Europa.
We've already determined there is no complex or intelligent life in Europe.
Quote from: Jaron on March 18, 2010, 06:13:34 PM
Quote from: jimmy olsen on March 16, 2010, 10:10:53 AM
Awesome! On to Europa.
We've already determined there is no complex or intelligent life in Europe.
From what I can recall about what you have posted about yourself, you originate from the same gene pool. Would you care to rephrase your comment?
Quote from: Agelastus on March 18, 2010, 06:54:10 PM
Quote from: Jaron on March 18, 2010, 06:13:34 PM
Quote from: jimmy olsen on March 16, 2010, 10:10:53 AM
Awesome! On to Europa.
We've already determined there is no complex or intelligent life in Europe.
From what I can recall about what you have posted about yourself, you originate from the same gene pool. Would you care to rephrase your comment?
I evolved. ^_^
Quote from: Berkut on March 16, 2010, 03:08:06 PM
So this is interesting data, at least to those who are interested in the question.
I love this sentence. I will use it more often. :D
Quote from: Fate on March 16, 2010, 03:43:42 PM
Quote from: derspiess on March 16, 2010, 10:15:16 AM
QuoteThe video is likely to inspire experts to rethink what they know about life in harsh environments. And it has scientists musing that if shrimp-like creatures can frolic below 600 feet of Antarctic ice in subfreezing dark water, what about other hostile places? What about Europa, a frozen moon of Jupiter?
Yes, let's use this as another excuse to obsess over extraterrestrial life :rolleyes:
I'm no scientist, but I would have to think that whatever life forms exist under the Antarctic ice are a spinoff from life forms that originated in much warmer conditions. As such, unless Europa had a particularly warm period fairly recently, it would be an apples to oranges comparison.
Plus, God didn't tell us in the bible that he made life on Europa.
Also never mentions that he didn't create life there. I bet we aren't mentioned in the Europan bible. :contract:
:p
Quote from: Jaron on March 19, 2010, 12:35:22 AM
Quote from: Agelastus on March 18, 2010, 06:54:10 PM
Quote from: Jaron on March 18, 2010, 06:13:34 PM
Quote from: jimmy olsen on March 16, 2010, 10:10:53 AM
Awesome! On to Europa.
We've already determined there is no complex or intelligent life in Europe.
From what I can recall about what you have posted about yourself, you originate from the same gene pool. Would you care to rephrase your comment?
I evolved. ^_^
In a new all-time-record for rapidity, I assume... :)
In other news: Ice has been discovered under Antarctic life!
I can't believe this thread made it this far without a The Thing reference. :huh: