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Possibility of microbial life on Venus

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    #2
    AllForIt
    Registered Users Posts: 8,269 ✭✭✭AllForIt


    Surprised this hasn't made news headlines.

    If there is life in our own solar system in addition to ours on another planet then what does that say about the probability of life in the rest of the universe - highly likely I'd say.


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    #3
    iLikeWaffles
    Registered Users Posts: 4,325 ✭✭✭iLikeWaffles


    AllForIt wrote: »
    Surprised this hasn't made news headlines.

    If there is life in our own solar system in addition to ours on another planet then what does that say about the probability of life in the rest of the universe - highly likely I'd say.

    It may do tomorrow just before the weather probably. If it is a peer reviewed announcement then it is a big deal!

    Well it is already highly likely I would say. Even without there being a discovery in our Solar System, it would most definitely increase the odds of there being intelligent life elsewhere though.


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    #4
    iLikeWaffles
    Registered Users Posts: 4,325 ✭✭✭iLikeWaffles


    The Science Shed on Facebook:

    https://www.facebook.com/scienceshed/posts/167178628320520

    Press conference tomorrow afternoon.


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    #5
    iguana
    Moderators, Entertainment Moderators Posts: 12,909 Mod ✭✭✭✭iguana


    AllForIt wrote: »
    Surprised this hasn't made news headlines.

    If there is life in our own solar system in addition to ours on another planet then what does that say about the probability of life in the rest of the universe - highly likely I'd say.

    It's embargoed until this afternoon. Articles on this appeared on Friday, referring to an announcement on the 14th, and were taken down quickly.

    I think the implication of life on our nextdoor neighbour increases the likelihood of more life in our solar system alone. I'd have thought it more likely for there to be life on moons like Europa, Enceladus or Callisto ahead of Venus. So if life has managed to come about in Venus, I think it increases the likelihood of it being possible on those moons.


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    #6
    US2
    Registered Users Posts: 2,651 ✭✭✭US2


    They found the chemical Phosphine in the atmosphere of Venus.


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    #7
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 0 ✭ [Deleted User]


    US2 wrote: »
    They found the chemical Phosphine in the atmosphere of Venus.




    Yeah at levels far exceeding what would be expected naturally, at the "Habitable" zone of the atmosphere


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    #8
    iLikeWaffles
    Registered Users Posts: 4,325 ✭✭✭iLikeWaffles


    US2 wrote: »
    They found the chemical Phosphine in the atmosphere of Venus.

    Yes exactly lots of people hyping it up to beat the band! The levels they found would indicate microbial life, massive amounts of unnatural production i.e. a factory spewing it out could be the only other explanation.

    If it is not microbial life then our understanding of how things work are about to come into question! Which is also a major deal - collectively we are not as smart as smart as we think we are.


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    #9
    US2
    Registered Users Posts: 2,651 ✭✭✭US2


    iLikeWaffles wrote: »
    Yes exactly lots of people hyping it up to beat the band! The levels they found would indicate microbial life, massive amounts of unnatural production i.e. a factory spewing it out could be the only other explanation.

    If it is not microbial life then our understanding of how things work are about to come into question! Which is also a major deal - collectively we are not as smart as smart as we think we are.

    It's very exciting either way. Really looking forward to this announcement.


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    #10
    iLikeWaffles
    Registered Users Posts: 4,325 ✭✭✭iLikeWaffles


    That cached page from post #1 working for anyone else? seems to have either expired or was pulled by google.


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    #11
    AMKC
    Registered Users Posts: 15,557 ✭✭✭✭AMKC
    Ms


    iLikeWaffles wrote: »
    The Royal Astronomical Society are said to be making an announcement tomorrow. Rumours have been flying around about this, possibly being the discovery of life in our solar system. Namely on Venus.

    There was a page pulled from the Earth Sky website, here is a cached version....

    https://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache%3AdUWrpm80WHsJ%3Ahttps%3A%2F%2Fearthsky.org%2F%3Fp%3D343883%20&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=ie&fbclid=IwAR0ZAin4PwgL4_ui7e2upi_mTdFWT0VrLDU4f4MQ3ESCpug5Z8_4DttmKW4

    The announcement will be featured on the Sky at Night tomorrow on BBC4.

    https://www.facebook.com/RoyalAstroSoc/posts/10158743402369521

    Going live on Facebook at 4pm tomorrow.
    There is nothing on BBC 4 tomorrow about The Sky at Night. I just looked.

    Live long and Prosper

    Peace and long life.



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    #12
    iLikeWaffles
    Registered Users Posts: 4,325 ✭✭✭iLikeWaffles


    AMKC wrote: »
    There is nothing on BBC 4 tomorrow about The Sky at Night. I just looked.

    https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006mk7h

    Special report at 10.30pm

    see third box on the right

    Showing on Virgin as 10.30


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    #13
    Gooey Looey
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,297 ✭✭✭Gooey Looey


    This is huge news


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    #14
    TheIrishGrover
    Registered Users Posts: 5,968 ✭✭✭TheIrishGrover


    Deleted User wrote: »
    Yeah at levels far exceeding what would be expected naturally, at the "Habitable" zone of the atmosphere

    That's the problem though: Terminology. I presume you mean non-biologically in that you mean that this was generated by living organisms.

    "Not Natural" would lead many to believe this meant artificially.

    Will be interesting to see alright. I put 50 euro on Paddy Power years ago about extraterrestrial life (conclusive proof of microbial life on Mars or Venus or Europa or wherever would pretty much mean life is abundant elsewhere is a distinctly average star can have live emerging on two planets.


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    #15
    Gooey Looey
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,297 ✭✭✭Gooey Looey


    TheIrishGrover wrote: »
    That's the problem though: Terminology. I presume you mean non-biologically in that you mean that this was generated by living organisms.

    "Not Natural" would lead many to believe this meant artificially.

    Will be interesting to see alright. I put 50 euro on Paddy Power years ago about extraterrestrial life (conclusive proof of microbial life on Mars or Venus or Europa or wherever would pretty much mean life is abundant elsewhere is a distinctly average star can have live emerging on two planets.

    Come on, tell us the rest of it..... What odds did you get?


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    #16
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 0 ✭ [Deleted User]


    I'm trying not to get excited.

    The BAS have hyped up stories in the past.


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    #17
    Fred Cryton
    Registered Users Posts: 944 ✭✭✭Fred Cryton


    If we find microbial life on Venus there is a high probability it is a cousin of ours. Bacteria can survive on Meteors between Earth and Mars & Venus.

    It would still be sensational news if we confirm life can survive on other worlds.


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    #18
    TheIrishGrover
    Registered Users Posts: 5,968 ✭✭✭TheIrishGrover


    Can't even remember. Can't even log into account (It was about 10 years ago :) )


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    #19
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 0 ✭ [Deleted User]


    Here we go


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    #20
    iLikeWaffles
    Registered Users Posts: 4,325 ✭✭✭iLikeWaffles


    Phosphine gas confirmed!

    https://www.nature.com/articles/s41550-020-1174-4


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    #21
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 0 ✭ [Deleted User]


    https://www.facebook.com/RoyalAstroSoc/videos/2812338679041927

    presentation


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    #22
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 0 ✭ [Deleted User]


    I'm in love with Professor Jane now


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    #23
    iLikeWaffles
    Registered Users Posts: 4,325 ✭✭✭iLikeWaffles


    That is interesting... if the microbes are at 10% efficiency and sparse in terms of the rest of the make-up of Venus then there is a lot of them.


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    #24
    Aceandstuff
    Registered Users Posts: 734 ✭✭✭Aceandstuff


    "Not abiologically" - So, we're going to find out if that means little ayy-LMAOs?


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    #25
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 0 ✭ [Deleted User]


    Phosphine level too high for photo-chemical.

    Too high for thermo-dynamics...
    By several orders of magnitude!!


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    #26
    Aceandstuff
    Registered Users Posts: 734 ✭✭✭Aceandstuff


    "We are not claiming we have found life on Venus"


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    #27
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 0 ✭ [Deleted User]


    Aceandstuff wrote: »
    "We are not claiming we have found life on Venus"




    ...but...


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    #28
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 0 ✭ [Deleted User]


    So a massively exotic new chemistry or microbes.


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    #29
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 0 ✭ [Deleted User]


    spore-cover.jpg


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    #30
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 0 ✭ [Deleted User]


    That last question kinda threw them. They don't know what biological process produces phosphine on earth.


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    #31
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 0 ✭ [Deleted User]


    One of the questions about Panspermia but it's even better to NOT be Panspermia. It's really important to be uniquely a Venus based life, to show that life can spontaneously develop in other solar systems.


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