So, we've discovered Alien life then

SuperBowserWorld

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123368931#Comment_123368931

Colonoscopy with no anesthetic ?

beachhead

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123369043#Comment_123369043

Ye,I well remember that part-wasn't all unpleasant.Sometimes,though I feel like yar man in Independence Day.

Beachhead you say,poop emoji. More like a beach armoury

NIMAN

That's is an amazing telescope.

It can see molecules that are trillions of miles away.

Akrasia

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123369179#Comment_123369179

It cant see the molecules, it can measure the spectrum of light that passes from the star through the planets atmosphere.

Certain compounds absorb light in a specific part of the spectrum so if there are bands of the spectrum that are fainter than the background then this indicates the existence of that compound

Mass Spectroscopy has been used to identify the composition of the atmosphere in our neighborhood planets for decades

extra-ordinary_

Of course there's "Alien" life in space. Moby already said it…where else did we come from

NIMAN

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123369232#Comment_123369232

I was kinda joking, but thanks for the science lesson anyway.

kneemos

No way we're the only life form. The universe is a big thing.

beachhead

Lots of asteroids still flying around with little human forms on them looking for a home.But will human life on earth survive long enough to meet us

flanna01

If we look at how many different complex life forms there are on Earth alone, we would be ignorant to suggest there is no other life out there..

Take a look at a flea, all them moving parts adapted to the life it is going to lead, yet doesn't even know (or care) that we co-exist beside them.

In every hole and orifice on Earth, life has found a way to adapt to it's environment. From the deepest oceans to the driest of sun scorched desserts, life has found a way to adapt to its surroundings.

Will we ever talk to an alien life form?? That's a difficult one. We still can't communicate with zebra's, snakes, peacocks or butterflies, and we have been living with them for an eternity.

igCorcaigh

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123371578#Comment_123371578

There are so many theoretical bottlenecks against the forms of life that we can see on Earth, and it is a sample size of n = 1 after all, so it would be best to be very cautious about speculating on those forms of life.

But, phytoplankton on a planet that is only 120ish light years away from us? I'm buying it. Life is everywhere!

Loafing Oaf

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123368931#Comment_123368931

it's always the same

AMKC

I think the only way that humans and other races will ever become intergalactic space fairing races is by cooperation with each other.

Amazing what they can detect. I really do believe that it has life on it. Whether that is micro life or life like us is another thing. I was thinking about how will we ever travel through the vastness of space and I think it will have to do with co-operation. So we find a new intelligent species and have zero idea of what they look like but we learn to communicate with them and them with us and we each build a gate on each end so that we can then fold space and visit each other and then we do the same again with the next intelligent life and so on. I think the life on this planet if they are anything like us might be bigger and maybe stronger but maybe have disadvantages too like maybe slower to move or who knows they could by like Tholians from Star Trek for all I know so an intelligent insect species. But I do believe that other species also face the same problems of travelling through space as we do and to make it possible will require working together as the Universe is all interconnected and it is how we will become interconnected with other species.

So as a human race we still have a lot to do before before that happens and we all need to learn to stop hating and get on with everyone no matter their religion or gender or colour of their skin. We are all just one race on this planet. We need to respect this pkabet we ard on and look after it better than we have done.

TheValeyard

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123369179#Comment_123369179

If I had that telescope right now, I still would not be able to locate my willingness to do any work today.

ZeroThreat

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123368339#Comment_123368339

I voted for Kodos!

arctictree

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123371578#Comment_123371578

The other side of that argument is that life on earth only happened once. We are all related, from humans down to simple bacteria, we all share a common ancestor. Scientists have spent years trying to find life on earth that is unrelated to other life and have failed so far. So there seems to have been some bottleneck that we overcame once. How likely that is to happen is unknown.

FishOnABike

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123370114#Comment_123370114

Space is big. You just won't believe how vastly, hugely, mind-bogglingly big it is. I mean, you may think it's a long way down the road to the chemist's, but that's just peanuts to space. - Douglas Adams

silliussoddius

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123384808#Comment_123384808

And the kind of life that can start looking for other life only evolved in a small window in the entire history of life on earth, what are the chances of finding other advanced forms of life who are in that limited window at the same time?

JupiterKid

This is a really significant discovery. It may well end up being in the history books a century from now.

I am cautiously optimistic that this will be confirmed - and perhaps other supporting chemical evidence detected by the ever-improving spectroscopic techniques used.

TheValeyard

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123385587#Comment_123385587

Be grand. Just dont panic and bring a towel.

FaganJr

It's not necessarily life as we know it

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/what-is-dimethyl-sulfide-the-chemical-found-on-exoplanet-k2-18-b/