Philae reawakened and it really was a reawakening as dear Philae first sent a message to show awareness and then went back to sleep. Now she has reawakened and has sent some extraordinary scientific information about Comet 67P.
The most remarkable information has been the evidence of life on Comet 67P as shown by a dark surface on the comet. The color is not alone significant but it's being constantly replenished and this is why scientists believe a living process is at the root of it. (Sky News: Alien Life On Philae Comet, Scientists Say)
There is some great science in the article as Professor Chandra Wickramasinghe jumps like the good prof has an atomic-powered pogo stick. Organic molecules have been discovered around the comet but the term doesn't mean much more than 'not a dumb piece of granite.' Hydrocarbons are required for our form of life and those, by definition, are comprised of Hydrogen, Carbon, and Oxygen. However, a hydrocarbon could be anything from a DNA chain to a lump of sugar.
Professor Chandra Wickramasinghe jumps from the obvious conclusion of microbial life based on the dark surface of the comet and gets to the organic molecules around the comet which are described as 'viral particles' in an evolutionary leap of billions of years in a single bound.
'Viral particle' sounded like bunkum so I looked and it refers to a virus which is not currently infecting a cell. This is when they're not really living and not really dead so there's all manner of groovy metaphysical philosophy on that matter but we'll be happy to blow right past it. (WIKI: Virus)
If the comet is, in fact, infested with virions (i.e. apparently the more appropriate term for viral particles) then this and presumably any other comet is one flying Michael Crichton novel with enough deadly diseases to wipe out a dozen planets.
The most remarkable information has been the evidence of life on Comet 67P as shown by a dark surface on the comet. The color is not alone significant but it's being constantly replenished and this is why scientists believe a living process is at the root of it. (Sky News: Alien Life On Philae Comet, Scientists Say)
There is some great science in the article as Professor Chandra Wickramasinghe jumps like the good prof has an atomic-powered pogo stick. Organic molecules have been discovered around the comet but the term doesn't mean much more than 'not a dumb piece of granite.' Hydrocarbons are required for our form of life and those, by definition, are comprised of Hydrogen, Carbon, and Oxygen. However, a hydrocarbon could be anything from a DNA chain to a lump of sugar.
Professor Chandra Wickramasinghe jumps from the obvious conclusion of microbial life based on the dark surface of the comet and gets to the organic molecules around the comet which are described as 'viral particles' in an evolutionary leap of billions of years in a single bound.
'Viral particle' sounded like bunkum so I looked and it refers to a virus which is not currently infecting a cell. This is when they're not really living and not really dead so there's all manner of groovy metaphysical philosophy on that matter but we'll be happy to blow right past it. (WIKI: Virus)
If the comet is, in fact, infested with virions (i.e. apparently the more appropriate term for viral particles) then this and presumably any other comet is one flying Michael Crichton novel with enough deadly diseases to wipe out a dozen planets.
4 comments:
Isnt she a strong believer that life on earth began on another planet
It seems so and maybe it did even if it not much interesting poetically if it happened that way. Her theories take much bigger leaps than the facts warrant. Seeing some organic molecules doesn't mean you'll find Doctor Dolittle in the next crater. The information is useful about finding such molecules but let's get cracking on a ride to Europa to see what's in the water. There could be some interesting talk of life on other planets when that happens.
looks like Her compadres were very quick to dista ce themselves
speaking og intelligent life forms. I drove by the Pentagon White House and even Congress. there wasnt any there so I drove on by and had tequila in a little mom and pop mexican cantina.
Well, tequila sure has created a lot of intelligent lifeforms, hasn't it.
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