Venus is alive

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Discussion

Cold

Original Poster:

15,573 posts

97 months

Monday 14th September 2020
quotequote all
There's an internet kerfuffle going on about an announcement which may or may not be made tomorrow (14th Sept).

Apparently, Nature magazine is going to release a report from Cardiff University detailing the discovery of phosphine being found in the atmosphere of Venus.

If the rumour of the announcement is true and if the report is true it may mean it is evidence of life previously existing.
Lots of ifs, buts and maybes there. biggrin

Russ35

2,561 posts

246 months

Monday 14th September 2020
quotequote all
I suppose that this is what the Royal Society press conference today at 4pm is about and then Sky At Night have a special about it tonight.


Beati Dogu

9,193 posts

146 months

Monday 14th September 2020
quotequote all
Hopefully Sky At Night don't dumb it down too much.

stuartmmcfc

8,701 posts

199 months

Monday 14th September 2020
quotequote all
And slowly and surely
They drew their plans against us

kippertie

427 posts

51 months

Monday 14th September 2020
quotequote all
stuartmmcfc said:
And slowly and surely
They drew their plans against us
Yeh but, their women are hot

Einion Yrth

19,575 posts

251 months

Monday 14th September 2020
quotequote all
kippertie said:
stuartmmcfc said:
And slowly and surely
They drew their plans against us
Yeh but, their women are hot
Hot enough to melt lead; I'll pass.

Leithen

12,117 posts

274 months

Monday 14th September 2020
quotequote all
Have Wings announced a comeback tour?

getmecoat

kippertie

427 posts

51 months

Monday 14th September 2020
quotequote all
Einion Yrth said:
kippertie said:
stuartmmcfc said:
And slowly and surely
They drew their plans against us
Yeh but, their women are hot
Hot enough to melt lead; I'll pass.
Get past the pain and they make you Sizzle !

BugLebowski

1,034 posts

123 months

Monday 14th September 2020
quotequote all
Uh oh, It's either of two options then;

-Life has existed/does exist in some form on Venus

-Our understanding of the creation of phosphine is flawed

Hopefully it's the second

If you fancy having an existential crisis over lunch read this, possibly my favourite page on the internet. It explains why finding life on another planet in our solar system would be very, very bad news.




Beati Dogu

9,193 posts

146 months

Monday 14th September 2020
quotequote all
Link to the Royal Astronomical Society news explainer video:

https://youtu.be/y1u-jlf_Olo

Dr Jekyll

23,820 posts

268 months

Monday 14th September 2020
quotequote all
BugLebowski said:
Uh oh, It's either of two options then;

-Life has existed/does exist in some form on Venus

-Our understanding of the creation of phosphine is flawed

Hopefully it's the second

If you fancy having an existential crisis over lunch read this, possibly my favourite page on the internet. It explains why finding life on another planet in our solar system would be very, very bad news.
For one thing life elsewhere in the solar system wouldn't necessarily have arisen independently so wouldn't automatically imply many solar systems have life.

For another it could just mean that the reason space isn't full of spacecraft is to do with how difficult it is to move from simple life to constructing spacecraft capable of getting to other systems rather than the problem of life arising in the first place.

Gameface

16,565 posts

84 months

Monday 14th September 2020
quotequote all
BugLebowski said:
If you fancy having an existential crisis over lunch read this, possibly my favourite page on the internet. It explains why finding life on another planet in our solar system would be very, very bad news.
Enjoyed that.

skeeterm5

3,709 posts

195 months

Monday 14th September 2020
quotequote all
There is another possibility which I think joins some of it together. I wonder it there are lots of civilisations, some highly intelligent, but, Einsteins laws are proven absolute, which makes contact an impossibility due to the vastness of space.

Dr Jekyll

23,820 posts

268 months

Monday 14th September 2020
quotequote all
skeeterm5 said:
There is another possibility which I think joins some of it together. I wonder it there are lots of civilisations, some highly intelligent, but, Einsteins laws are proven absolute, which makes contact an impossibility due to the vastness of space.
They don't make it impossible, just difficult. Two way conversations are presumably out of the question (unless they are very patient and long lived) but space probes are perfectly feasible.

Though admittedly probably beyond the abilities of flatulent Venusian microbes.

Edited by Dr Jekyll on Monday 14th September 19:17

Einion Yrth

19,575 posts

251 months

Monday 14th September 2020
quotequote all
BugLebowski said:
If you fancy having an existential crisis over lunch read this, possibly my favourite page on the internet. It explains why finding life on another planet in our solar system would be very, very bad news.
Makes sod all difference to me, I've got another 25 years if I'm very lucky.

Ash_

5,933 posts

197 months

Tuesday 15th September 2020
quotequote all
Gameface said:
BugLebowski said:
If you fancy having an existential crisis over lunch read this, possibly my favourite page on the internet. It explains why finding life on another planet in our solar system would be very, very bad news.
Enjoyed that.
If you enjoyed that you should also give their piece on AI a read, that one's very good too.

The Rotrex Kid

31,677 posts

167 months

Tuesday 15th September 2020
quotequote all
Einion Yrth said:
BugLebowski said:
If you fancy having an existential crisis over lunch read this, possibly my favourite page on the internet. It explains why finding life on another planet in our solar system would be very, very bad news.
Makes sod all difference to me, I've got another 25 years if I'm very lucky.
That's the bonkers thing about Humanity isn't it? We're constantly looking to the stars, looking far far into the future, what will happen, what will come in thousands, hundreds of thousands, millions, billions of years.

And most people are lucky if they get 80 earth years.

That article was great. Really enjoyed getting the scale of the universe shoved in my face first thing hehe

Halmyre

11,559 posts

146 months

Tuesday 15th September 2020
quotequote all
kippertie said:
stuartmmcfc said:
And slowly and surely
They drew their plans against us
Yeh but, their women are hot
I for one welcome our hot female Venusian overlords.

Johnnytheboy

24,498 posts

193 months

Tuesday 15th September 2020
quotequote all
BugLebowski said:
Uh oh, It's either of two options then;

-Life has existed/does exist in some form on Venus

-Our understanding of the creation of phosphine is flawed

Hopefully it's the second

If you fancy having an existential crisis over lunch read this, possibly my favourite page on the internet. It explains why finding life on another planet in our solar system would be very, very bad news.
yes

Occam's Razor.

1. There is life in the acid clouds of Venus

2. We have misunderstood how phosphine can be created

3. We have misidentified phosphine in the atmosphere of Venus

I guess preferring 1 might accrue a scientist a lot more funding.

nealeh1875

1,149 posts

99 months

Tuesday 15th September 2020
quotequote all
Gameface said:
BugLebowski said:
If you fancy having an existential crisis over lunch read this, possibly my favourite page on the internet. It explains why finding life on another planet in our solar system would be very, very bad news.
Enjoyed that.
Same just read it. brilliant