NASA announcement?!

[Costello]

I read about this on Facebook and then someone linked it on GBAtemp in the shoutbox, but I didnt see a thread about it

SOURCE: http://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2010/nov/H...trobiology.html

NASA Sets News Conference on Astrobiology Discovery; Science Journal Has Embargoed Details Until 2 p.m. EST On Dec. 2

WASHINGTON -- NASA will hold a news conference at 2 p.m. EST on Thursday, Dec. 2, to discuss an astrobiology finding that will impact the search for evidence of extraterrestrial life. Astrobiology is the study of the origin, evolution, distribution and future of life in the universe.

The news conference will be held at the NASA Headquarters auditorium at 300 E St. SW, in Washington. It will be broadcast live on NASA Television and streamed on the agency's website at http://www.nasa.gov.

Participants are:
- Mary Voytek, director, Astrobiology Program, NASA Headquarters, Washington
- Felisa Wolfe-Simon, NASA astrobiology research fellow, U.S. Geological Survey, Menlo Park, Calif.
- Pamela Conrad, astrobiologist, NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.
- Steven Benner, distinguished fellow, Foundation for Applied Molecular Evolution, Gainesville, Fla.
- James Elser, professor, Arizona State University, Tempe

Media representatives may attend the conference or ask questions by phone or from participating NASA locations. To obtain dial-in information, journalists must send their name, affiliation and telephone number to Steve Cole at [email protected] or call 202-358-0918 by noon Dec. 2.

For NASA TV streaming video and downlink information, visit:

does the NASA usually hold such conferences? is it going to be important?
I hope so, but I'm not getting my hopes up

 

[Depravo]

I heard about this a couple of days ago. I expect it to be less exciting than it sounds.

 

[mameks]

Oo~, so you can watch it online.

But yeah, doubt it'll be that interesting...
They were going to be having a talk at school today about space plants :3

 

[Infinite Zero]

Is it only me who isn't interested in extra-terrestrial life?

I'm not that excited... but it is an announcement to look forward to.

 

[431unknown]

I was watching on one of the discovery or history channels this week and I remember hearing that they found an meteorite that is supposedly made up of a majority of matter that is organic in nature. I didn't get to catch it all as I was flipping through the channels. I wonder if this has something to do with it.

 

[Tonitonichopchop]

Am I the only one who thought of "Deception Point" when I read that?

 

[Veho]

Rumor has it the important finding is actually the discovery by Felise Wolfe Simon, one of the announced participants/speakers, of a life form that uses arsenic for energy. The organisms were found in Lake Mono. That will definitely impact the search for extraterrestrial life, but it's not little green men.

The results suggest that arsenic photosynthesis evolved at the same time, or even before, "normal" photosynthesis. Oremland says a similar mechanism might once have fuelled life on Mars or on Jupiter's moon Europa.

 

[mameks]

Rumor has it the important finding is actually the discovery by Felise Wofle Simon, one of the announced participants/speakers, of a life form that uses arsenic for energy. The organisms were found in Lake Mono. That will definitely impact the search for extraterrestrial life, but it's not little green men.

The results suggest that arsenic photosynthesis evolved at the same time, or even before, "normal" photosynthesis. Oremland says a similar mechanism might once have fuelled life on Mars or on Jupiter's moon Europa.

That is so cool.

 

[431unknown]

If this is what the press conference is about why waste the time on speculation? I'd think that they would have something better to reveal.

 

[Veho]

Maybe that's just a red herring

 

[Costello]

Rumor has it the important finding is actually the discovery by Felise Wolfe Simon, one of the announced participants/speakers, of a life form that uses arsenic for energy. The organisms were found in Lake Mono. That will definitely impact the search for extraterrestrial life, but it's not little green men.

The results suggest that arsenic photosynthesis evolved at the same time, or even before, "normal" photosynthesis. Oremland says a similar mechanism might once have fuelled life on Mars or on Jupiter's moon Europa.

that does sound cool indeed, but I'm not sure what that implies

I mean i understand the terms but I am unable (i lack scientific knowledge) to understand why this is cool.

 

[Veho]

I mean i understand the terms but I am unable (i lack scientific knowledge) to understand why this is cool.

It means there's a possibility for life where until now it was thought life could not exist, i.e. in an environment full of arsenic and devoid of the more "common" nutrients. Until now, it was assumed microorganisms would either starve or be poisoned in such an environment, and now there's a bunch of little things that, well, eat poison.

 

[431unknown]

I mean i understand the terms but I am unable (i lack scientific knowledge) to understand why this is cool.

It means there's a possibility for life where until now it was thought life could not exist, i.e. in an environment full of arsenic and devoid of the more "common" nutrients. Until now, it was assumed microorganisms would either starve or be poisoned in such an environment, and now there's a bunch of little things that, well, eat poison.

It is cool but it's not the first life form to be found thriving in an extreme inhospitable environment on Earth. Unless they have some rocks or other samples from Mars or some other planet or moon I don't think that this would be that big of an announcement.

 

[Stevetry]

yes nasa for the win TIME FOR REAL SCIENCE AND TRUTH

 

[DeathscytheX]

The importance of this discovery is that, because nobody believed that life was possible in such "harsh" conditions, nobody bothered looking for life. But now that we have a well researched and documented example here on earth we can go back and look to see if there ever was something there. Furthermore it was always thougth that live was only posibble via classical photosynthesis, while these micro-organisms use different complexes to harvest light energy, so this could also lead to new insights regarding the origin of life.

 

[Depravo]

Arsenic bacteria it is.

http://gizmodo.com/5704158/

 

[redact]

Rumor has it the important finding is actually the discovery by Felise Wolfe Simon, one of the announced participants/speakers, of a life form that uses arsenic for energy. The organisms were found in Lake Mono. That will definitely impact the search for extraterrestrial life, but it's not little green men.

The results suggest that arsenic photosynthesis evolved at the same time, or even before, "normal" photosynthesis. Oremland says a similar mechanism might once have fuelled life on Mars or on Jupiter's moon Europa.

that does sound cool indeed, but I'm not sure what that implies

I mean i understand the terms but I am unable (i lack scientific knowledge) to understand why this is cool.

think life that does not breath and feeds on poison.
those harsh, "inhospitable" planets suddenly seem a little more likely to be home to lifeforms

 

[Uncle FEFL]

Fuck school, I'm watching this.

Oh, how I wish I could do that!

 

[VashTS]

this sucks this news is OLD as hell.

this does not really mean that much. its obvious that life will adapt to its environment. thats what dna does over time. but DNA is the key.

 

[Delta517]

They have discovered Mass Effect.