Can we please keep this thread OUT of the Spin Zone???

God put that organic matter there 8,000 years ago. Or there is organic matter whizzing around in space, for instance planet earth. Big deal is? Plus voters are stupid.
 
I'm not sure what there is to talk about. Nothing concludes much of anything.
 
Usually threads that start out with that title belong in Spin to begin with.

In 3...

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Organic molecules - that just means molecules with carbon - were found on a comet.

They haven't specified which molecules. I don't think there is anything surprising about it, since a comet consists mostly of water ice and dust, where the dust is made of minerals that include plenty of carbon.
 
If this is a conversation about the possibility that life exists elsewhere in the universe, reasonable, but so what? Even if we knew exactly where they were we couldn't reach them. Proxima Centauri (closest star) is 4.2 light years away. Most of the universe would take millennia to reach in a very fast ship.
 
There has to something out there some bacteria or those things that live on chemosynthesis next to deep ocean vents. Or little green perverts with probes.
 
Captain said:
Sooooo, we gonna talk about this?
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Not surprised a bit, my multiverse model predicts that life will take root any where and in any form it can to consume that matter that is available. The basic requirements for life to be able to take root and start generating matter into Life are simple and ubiquitous throughout the universe. Simple life in the form of bacteria, viruses, and even algae I would expect to be common place thought space. It would not surprise me to find algae growing in methane spitting out hydrogen on some planet. The requirements to develop intelligent life however are much greater, it requires considerably more energy to run a brain, so you need a lot more resource so support it. I think we will find far fewer models of chemistry and physiology in advanced biological organisms than we will find in simpler life forms. Sentience has some requirements that will have natural most efficient ways of fulfilling, and with some variation in structure due to local environmental conditions during development, will all resemble each other in function.
 
It's a liberal conspiracy. I don't believe for one damn second they landed anything on a comet.
 
NoHeat said:
Organic molecules - that just means molecules with carbon - were found on a comet.

They haven't specified which molecules. I don't think there is anything surprising about it, since a comet consists mostly of water ice and dust, where the dust is made of minerals that include plenty of carbon.
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More precisely, chemists apply the label "organic" to any compound containing carbon-hydrogen covalent bonds.

That covers an infinite number of possible compounds. Organic does NOT mean biologic at all. Organic compounds are spread throughout space; here is a nice review article "Organic matter in space - An overview":
http://journals.cambridge.org/download.php?file=%2FIAU%2FIAU4_S251%2FS1743921308021078a.pdf&code=bda301a862f91fdc8eb4aa14d4bda045#xml=http://journals.cambridge.org/data/userPdf/
 
NoHeat said:
Organic molecules - that just means molecules with carbon - were found on a comet.

They haven't specified which molecules. I don't think there is anything surprising about it, since a comet consists mostly of water ice and dust, where the dust is made of minerals that include plenty of carbon.
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Agreed.

Looking down the road though I can only wonder what other secrets the comet will relinquish to us. As a kid we dreamed of this stuff every day. We talked about it in school and what secrets we would learn in space travel that would benefit all mankind.

We should have kept the space program for such great human adventures. :yes:

* I would rather see my tax dollars spent on space exploration than wars and Obama phones. :D



* This referenced sentence is meant as a non partisan joke. Any similarities with current political party leanings and actual events is purely coincidental. There is no intended to harm, inflame, shame, or entice political thought. It was a joke. :D
 
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Organic matter isn't a 100% positive indicator for life. These could be the simple molecules that, when combined in the correct manner, spawn life. Which would support the Panspermia Theory.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panspermia

I whole heartily believe we are not alone in the Universe. I also believe there are ones at our level or further floating around in some distant star system.

Besides it would be an awful waste of space. :)
 
SixPapaCharlie said:
I heard it had a face.
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Friendly bacteria?

OC-goodguys.jpg


Rich
 
ARFlyer said:
Organic matter isn't a 100% positive indicator for life. These could be the simple molecules that, when combined in the correct manner, spawn life. Which would support the Panspermia Theory.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panspermia

I whole heartily believe we are not alone in the Universe. I also believe there are ones at our level or further floating around in some distant star system.

Besides it would be an awful waste of space. :)
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If it's on a comet I would expect it to be the result of a cosmic collision.
 
By organic do they mean they found materials that are pesticide and hormone free?
 
A major discovery to be certain, since complex organic chemistry hasn't really been found elsewhere in the solar system to date. Whether or not it is the type of organic chemistry that could contribute to the territorial biosphere is difficult to determine, though somewhat doubtful.
 
Sac Arrow said:
By organic do they mean they found materials that are pesticide and hormone free?
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In this case, yes, that as well:rofl: If they found that stuff, that means they found evidence of other technologically advanced species.
 
steingar said:
A major discovery to be certain, since complex organic chemistry hasn't really been found elsewhere in the solar system to date. Whether or not it is the type of organic chemistry that could contribute to the territorial biosphere is difficult to determine, though somewhat doubtful.
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Correct, what this shows is that the development of these materials, a precursor to living organisms, is not a unique product of Earth. The fact that it was found on a comet, about as hostile an environment that there is, the likelihood of them also existing where conditions are more conducive to further development are pretty high.
 
I was hoping the comet would have just turned out to be "blue Ice" Jettisoned from an alien aircraft.
 
Henning said:
Correct, what this shows is that the development of these materials, a precursor to living organisms, is not a unique product of Earth. The fact that it was found on a comet, about as hostile an environment that there is, the likelihood of them also existing where conditions are more conducive to further development are pretty high.
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Depends on the molecules. Unfortunately, the term organic molecules can mean anything from methane to methionine. It is fairly easy to envision some degree of extraterrestrial organic chemistry, everything in the solar system should have some carbon and some energy to do chemistry with it.
 
steingar said:
Depends on the molecules. Unfortunately, the term organic molecules can mean anything from methane to methionine. It is fairly easy to envision some degree of extraterrestrial organic chemistry, everything in the solar system should have some carbon and some energy to do chemistry with it.
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Yeah, I was under the impression that it needed to be a progressed molecule, not a simple one, to count as methane is highly pervasive throughout the universe.
 
I'll bet the organic molecules are ethanol.

If so, there will be a great business opportunity for someone. Cometary booze mining.

The comet might just be a big frozen daquiri.
 
NoHeat said:
I'll bet the organic molecules are ethanol.

If so, there will be a great business opportunity for someone. Cometary booze mining.

The comet might just be a big frozen daquiri.
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First will be metals in the asteroid belt, lots of Irridium and such out there we need.
 
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