Basically, what you are proposing is that life may exist that doesn't follow the rules of basic chemistry. While that may very well be the case, it is more the realm of philosophy than it is the realm of anything we recognize as science
No. What I am proposing, is that life on Mars has no business following the "rules of basic chemistry" on Earth.
These "rules of basic chemistry" you refer to - Let's say there's an actual list. Ok. Great. They were written here on earth, based on experiments and their results, from all compounds, elements, gases, molecules, and atoms found on EARTH. Therefore, the rules are limited to Earth.
How can you follow "rules of basic chemistry" on another planet where there are quite possibly millions of other compounds, elements, gases, molecules, and atoms that we have never encountered before?
That's like saying "people 80 years ago said an automobile requires fuel. Period. No ifs, ands, or buts." Low and Behold - we have electric cars now - that dont require fuel. (electricity is not fuel).
you need to re-read what I wrote.... all you did was re-state the point I already made.
But yes. Standards. Ask anyone and they will tell you that life on earth has its requirements.
For humans- water and air are required.
For plants- water and carbon dioxide are required.
There are standards for every walk of life on earth. If you think you can thrive in any environment without water or air, then go for it. I'll be sure to read your eulogy.
In the meantime, space/life exploration should not be limited to only planets that have anything close to similar environments as earth.
Do you have any hard evidence to prove otherwise? Have you encountered life not of this earth to tell me that it does NOT exist?
If a tree falls in the forest, and no one is there to hear it, does it still make a noise?
By your statement, you are a perfect example of the kind of thinking *most* humans have... "If I cannot see it, hear it, touch it, smell it, or taste it... then there's no possible way in hell it could ever exist"...
Water is a key ingredient for life as we know it, and other scientists have speculated that life on Mars, if there is any, could lurk just beneath the surface where ice melts in pockets
What about life as we do NOT know it?
Most humans are either too ignorant (not stupid) or too arrogant, and think that the only way an organism can 'live' anywhere must be by our own standards as seen on Earth.
We cannot possibly begin to understand or speculate 'that' which we cannot comprehend. Humans only know what we know, and what we have already encountered, and have absolutely no grasp whatsoever on the unknown.
Columbus said the world was round, while everyone else laughed because it was an unknown that nobody had ever been able to comprehend... until he proved it.
Sound barrier could never be broken - it was impossible. But with a few leaps in technology, trial and error, it was achieved.
Faster than light speeds will eventually become possible, and practical... we just lack the knowledge at this point in time.
And Life DOES exist elsewhere - NOT AS WE KNOW IT. We just have never seen it, and so we only look for planets with water, or signs of.... looking for life as we know it here on earth.
That being said, just because a planet does or does not have, or has ever had water on it bares no relevance on whether or not life exists or has ever existed there.
yesterday afternoon they said that they expect this rig would work at distances of over 300 miles."
NASA's shuttles orbit at an altitude between 200K-250K miles. So Team iFibre Redwire only has another 199,700 - 247,000 miles to smash before we are all spammed from space.
I'll send them $100,000,000 in American currency that I've been printing in my basement. If I don't hear back from them, then I guess my printer is ok.
Automatic Updates... Why in hell would you want software to automatically update/uninstall/install on your pc? The act of allowing anybody or anything besides yourself to determine what changes are made to your computer is just ridiculous....
But then again, everyone who is complaining wants it 'to be more like Windows Update'. MICROSOFT Windows Update? Oh... So you're running a Microsoft OS? That is just plain stupid.... If you're crazy enough to run a Microsoft OS, and then turn around complaining about Thunderbird and Firefox - then you should stick with Explorer and Outlook.
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These "rules of basic chemistry" you refer to - Let's say there's an actual list. Ok. Great. They were written here on earth, based on experiments and their results, from all compounds, elements, gases, molecules, and atoms found on EARTH. Therefore, the rules are limited to Earth.
How can you follow "rules of basic chemistry" on another planet where there are quite possibly millions of other compounds, elements, gases, molecules, and atoms that we have never encountered before?
That's like saying "people 80 years ago said an automobile requires fuel. Period. No ifs, ands, or buts." Low and Behold - we have electric cars now - that dont require fuel. (electricity is not fuel).
Imaging that...... we broke the rule.
by Anonymous Coward
Need I say more? ok, I will...
I only offered a point of view. It seems you are the one who is whining. You sound like a whipped husband.
you need to re-read what I wrote.... all you did was re-state the point I already made. But yes. Standards. Ask anyone and they will tell you that life on earth has its requirements.
For humans- water and air are required.
For plants- water and carbon dioxide are required.
There are standards for every walk of life on earth. If you think you can thrive in any environment without water or air, then go for it. I'll be sure to read your eulogy.
In the meantime, space/life exploration should not be limited to only planets that have anything close to similar environments as earth.
Do you have any hard evidence to prove otherwise? Have you encountered life not of this earth to tell me that it does NOT exist?
...and that is a sad way to think.
If a tree falls in the forest, and no one is there to hear it, does it still make a noise?
By your statement, you are a perfect example of the kind of thinking *most* humans have... "If I cannot see it, hear it, touch it, smell it, or taste it... then there's no possible way in hell it could ever exist"...
However, if I must... there are 2 ways to look at it:
1) Don't assume.
or
2) If you are going to assume, then assume ALL possibilities - known and unknown.
Most humans are either too ignorant (not stupid) or too arrogant, and think that the only way an organism can 'live' anywhere must be by our own standards as seen on Earth.
We cannot possibly begin to understand or speculate 'that' which we cannot comprehend. Humans only know what we know, and what we have already encountered, and have absolutely no grasp whatsoever on the unknown.
Columbus said the world was round, while everyone else laughed because it was an unknown that nobody had ever been able to comprehend... until he proved it.
Sound barrier could never be broken - it was impossible. But with a few leaps in technology, trial and error, it was achieved.
Faster than light speeds will eventually become possible, and practical... we just lack the knowledge at this point in time.
And Life DOES exist elsewhere - NOT AS WE KNOW IT. We just have never seen it, and so we only look for planets with water, or signs of.... looking for life as we know it here on earth.
That being said, just because a planet does or does not have, or has ever had water on it bares no relevance on whether or not life exists or has ever existed there.
Ironically enough, 47 users in my office (out of ~230) have received the "Blue Screen of Death" today... and it's not even lunch time yet. No lie.
I've got some dangling material on my belly. Any suggestions?
yesterday afternoon they said that they expect this rig would work at distances of over 300 miles." NASA's shuttles orbit at an altitude between 200K-250K miles. So Team iFibre Redwire only has another 199,700 - 247,000 miles to smash before we are all spammed from space.
"1/1,333th the width of a human hair" Will the newly hired employees be able to find the plant?
I'll send them $100,000,000 in American currency that I've been printing in my basement. If I don't hear back from them, then I guess my printer is ok.
Earlier this week, I read Nabisco is having the same problem with entire batches of Oreos.
NASA has just signed a multi-billion dollar investment with Microsoft.
Bill: "Please, Please, Please put my O/S in your Shuttles!!!"
NASA: "Uh... Mr. Gates, apparently you are not aware that Shuttle disasters are second nature to us."
Bill: "Yes, BUT... with my O/S on board, all of your explosions would happen BEFORE you ever left the ground... saving you TIME, MONEY, and FUEL!"
NASA: "Hmm... you may be on to something there."
Automatic Updates... Why in hell would you want software to automatically update/uninstall/install on your pc? The act of allowing anybody or anything besides yourself to determine what changes are made to your computer is just ridiculous....
But then again, everyone who is complaining wants it 'to be more like Windows Update'. MICROSOFT Windows Update? Oh... So you're running a Microsoft OS? That is just plain stupid.... If you're crazy enough to run a Microsoft OS, and then turn around complaining about Thunderbird and Firefox - then you should stick with Explorer and Outlook.