Sorry, But Anonymous Has No Evidence That NASA Has Found Alien Life (popsci.com)

From a Popular Science article: In a new video, the hacker group known as Anonymous claims that NASA has discovered alien life. But before you freak out, let's talk. Sadly, the group of activists and hacktivists doesn't seem to have found any new evidence to support their extraordinary claim. The video is mainly based on NASA quotes taken out of context, and what appear to be videos and information from conspiracy theory websites. The crux of the argument is based on something Thomas Zurbuchen, NASA's associate administrator for the Science Mission Directorate, said during a hearing in April. These sorts of hearings are organized to educate the House Science Committee on the latest research in a particular field of study. During this one, Zurbuchen said: "Taking into account all of the different activities and missions that are specifically searching for evidence of alien life, we are on the verge of making one of the most profound, unprecedented, discoveries in history." That's the quote Anonymous is pegging their video on. But if you watch his opening statement, he actually explains his reasoning just before he gets to that part. He mentions the Mars 2020 rover, which will look for signs of past life on the red planet. The Europa Clipper mission is slated to search for conditions suitable to life on Jupiter's ocean-filled moon. In a statement, Zurbuchen said, "While we're excited about the latest findings from NASA's Kepler space observatory, there's no pending announcement regarding extraterrestrial life. For years NASA has expressed interest in searching for signs of life beyond Earth. We have a number of science missions that are moving forward with the goal of seeking signs of past and present life on Mars and ocean worlds in the outer solar system. While we do not yet have answers, we will continue to work to address the fundamental question, 'are we alone?'"

Comments

Aliens would be great for NASA

[Oswald McWeany]

NASA isn't hiding any aliens from us. Discovering alien life would be the best thing that could happen for NASA. Nothing would boost their budget more, or get the public supporting them more.

The last thing NASA would possibly want to do is hide the existence of ETs from us.

Re: Aliens would be great for NASA

[guruevi]

You would also disprove about 90% of Earths religions and given 0% of our elected officials are non-religious I think an amendment to the constitution regarding the further funding of space exploration would be the only bill with 100% bipartisan support before the announcement was even complete.

Re: Aliens would be great for NASA

[xxxJonBoyxxx]

>> disprove about 90% of Earths religions

Religions are already adapting so that such news would not conflict with their worldview. For example, here's the modified Catholic story:
https://cruxnow.com/global-church/2017/02/23/catholicism-handle-discovery-extraterrestrial-life/

>> 0% of our elected officials are non-religious

Hmmm...better do some Googling before you claim an absolute like that.

Re: Aliens would be great for NASA

[gnick]

You would also disprove about 90% of Earths religions...

Established religions won't tolerate being disproved. The best you could hope for is encouraging them to re-interpret their holy writings to fit the new reality.

...0% of our elected officials are non-religious...

I think that a lot of them are less religious than they let on. That's not to say that their religious facade won't impact their actions.

No, parent is right about religion.

[Anonymous Coward]

If life were found on another planet, the Judeo-Christian-Islamic World - 90% of the World's population (I think the GP meant that) - would totally freak out. Their mythology is based upon we humans being created here on Planet Earth in God's Image.

Now, there's nothing I know of in any religious texts that says that their god created other planets and and other people, but it is assumed that we are It in the Universe.

I mean really, those people are freaking out over our globalized World and the increasing secularization of it. Do you honestly think that those people would be OK with finding life on another planet?

I don't. I see shit hitting the fan like in Carl Sagan's "Contact".

We need to update the space alien

[k6mfw]

I mean we need a new space alien look instead of the same retread from 20th century big eyes, small mouth, big head with slender body. We need diversity instead of same little green men. Also why are all space aliens naked? It seems anyone that travels interstellar distances at superluminal speeds would want a flight suit with cool patches.