Brief Article About the data packet sent back
This is exciting! No way to know if complex organic compounds were detected yet, but this is an incredible discovery.
The Philae Comet Lander Found Organic Molecules
Débuté par
Jeremiah12LGeek
, nov. 18 2014 10:40
Retour en haut
#3
Guest_greengoron89_*
Posté 18 novembre 2014 - 11:12
Guest_greengoron89_*
Guest_greengoron89_*
-
- Guests
One step closer to the discovery of the space strippers.
Didn't they already discover those on Matt Taylor's shirt?
*rimshot*
Seriously, that is an incredible discovery. Landing the craft on a comet in the first place was a great feat but this is even better. I hope they can glean more from the data, and I read that the craft could power back on if it manages to get enough sunlight to recharge, so there could be even more data incoming. We'll see.
- Eternal Phoenix, Kaiser Arian XVII, The Hierophant et 2 autres aiment ceci
#4
Posté 18 novembre 2014 - 11:16
Jeremiah12LGeek
-
- Members
- 23 936 messages
I hope they can glean more from the data, and I read that the craft could power back on if it manages to get enough sunlight to recharge, so there could be even more data incoming. We'll see.
I'm really hoping the orbit allows the batteries to recharge, as well. It would be even better if they get a chance to complete the hoped-for drill test for the compounds that make up proteins.
#5
Posté 18 novembre 2014 - 11:43
Fast Jimmy
-
- Members
- 17 939 messages
Can't wait until this sucker gets back in range for solar charge.
Carbon molecules are a neat find. It would be quite a crazy find to see if anything as complex as a carbon O ring exists, let alone something as complex as a protein. Still, very interesting nonetheless.
Carbon molecules are a neat find. It would be quite a crazy find to see if anything as complex as a carbon O ring exists, let alone something as complex as a protein. Still, very interesting nonetheless.
- Jeremiah12LGeek aime ceci
#6
Posté 18 novembre 2014 - 11:49
Fidite Nemini
-
- Members
- 5 739 messages
Can't wait until this sucker gets back in range for solar charge.
Carbon molecules are a neat find. It would be quite a crazy find to see if anything as complex as a carbon O ring exists, let alone something as complex as a protein. Still, very interesting nonetheless.
More likely as a base element for complex life would be silicon, which is stable enough to function as baseline for biochemistry and much more widespread throughout the known space than carbon.
#7
Posté 19 novembre 2014 - 12:03
LPPrince
-
- Members
- 54 991 messages
Charge up, little buddy. We need more information!
#8
Guest_TrillClinton_*
Posté 19 novembre 2014 - 12:26
Guest_TrillClinton_*
Guest_TrillClinton_*
-
- Guests
Inb4 Taylor should have literally sent woman on Comet to battle patriarchal space structures
- Jeremiah12LGeek aime ceci
#9
Guest_KnossosTNC_*
Posté 19 novembre 2014 - 12:52
Guest_KnossosTNC_*
Guest_KnossosTNC_*
-
- Guests
More likely as a base element for complex life would be silicon, which is stable enough to function as baseline for biochemistry and much more widespread throughout the known space than carbon.
Actually, carbon is the fourth most common element in the universe, after hydrogen, helium and oxygen, which makes sense considering the nuclear fusion of older stars.
Also, silicon-based organic chemistry is problematic because silicon "prefers" to bond with oxygen rather than itself, which is why silicon tend to be found in nature as silicates rather than pure allotropes and long-chain compounds like carbon. Silicon-hydrogen compounds do exist, but tend to be very unstable.
Anyway, this is exciting news. We've known that carbon and hydrogen is a lot more common in the outer solar system. This is terrific insight into their chemistry.
- Jeremiah12LGeek aime ceci
#10
Posté 19 novembre 2014 - 01:11
Inquisitor Recon
-
- Members
- 11 811 messages
The organic lifeforms on this comet do not impress me, try again space.
#12
Posté 19 novembre 2014 - 02:14
metatheurgist
-
- Members
- 2 429 messages
Where's my "Life! Life Everywhere!" meme?
#13
Posté 19 novembre 2014 - 02:16
Jock Cranley
-
- Members
- 1 648 messages
So it found some CO2 and everyone thinks it found proteins? Charming.
#14
Guest_KnossosTNC_*
Posté 19 novembre 2014 - 02:28
Guest_KnossosTNC_*
Guest_KnossosTNC_*
-
- Guests
So it found some CO2 and everyone thinks it found proteins? Charming.
Nope. By definition, "organic compounds" in chemistry means compounds of carbon and hydrogen. This is expected; both elements are very common in the outer solar system. It could be simple compounds such as methane, or it could be complex ones like amino acids. We don't know yet; we just know they're there. That's the exciting part.
- Jeremiah12LGeek aime ceci
#15
Posté 19 novembre 2014 - 02:34
Jeremiah12LGeek
-
- Members
- 23 936 messages
So it found some CO2 and everyone thinks it found proteins? Charming.
No, quite specifically the scientists said the data packet did not contain results from the drill test, and several posters (including myself) have indicated that the they were unable to confirm the completion of any drill tests for the ingredients of proteins.
It's also explained in the linked article that they found organic compounds not proteins.
#16
Posté 19 novembre 2014 - 03:41
Kaiser Arian XVII
-
- Members
- 17 286 messages
I thought scientists said that Rocks turned alive and evolved into humans (so dumb).
But it seems the old theory is revived that life came with a comet carrying simple lifeforms.
Or maybe this comet has destroyed a planet and this carbon molecules are the remnants of an alien that is hit hard by this comet!
- Eternal Phoenix aime ceci
#17
Guest_KnossosTNC_*
Posté 19 novembre 2014 - 04:00
Guest_KnossosTNC_*
Guest_KnossosTNC_*
-
- Guests
It's a bit more complicated than that. What you're describing is a theory called Panspermia, which is plausible but currently not the main accepted theory among the scientific community. What we're looking at here is more of a chemical jigsaw puzzle; we think full, cellular life originated on Earth - we're just trying to piece together the chemistry of how it arose, and we think at least one piece might be in these comets.I thought scientists said that Rocks turned alive and evolved into humans (so dumb).
But it seems the old theory is revived that life came with a comet carrying simple lifeforms.
#18
Posté 19 novembre 2014 - 05:03
Eternal Phoenix
-
- Members
- 8 471 messages
>scientists still believing we can empirically solve the problem of how life formed without a time travelling machine. Good luck guys.
To quote Professor Kenneth Nealson,
"Nobody understands the origin of life. If they say they do, they are probably trying to fool you."
And I don't think anyone will understand it as far as science is concerned. There are some answers that humanity will never receive and can only ever speculate on. Origin of matter, what existed before time, what exists beyond the universe etc etc...
- Kaiser Arian XVII aime ceci
#19
Guest_KnossosTNC_*
Posté 19 novembre 2014 - 05:25
Guest_KnossosTNC_*
Guest_KnossosTNC_*
-
- Guests
>scientists still believing we can empirically solve the problem of how life formed without a time travelling machine. Good luck guys.
To quote Professor Kenneth Nealson,
"Nobody understands the origin of life. If they say they do, they are probably trying to fool you."
And I don't think anyone will understand it as far as science is concerned. There are some answers that humanity will never receive and can only ever speculate on. Origin of matter, what existed before time, what exists beyond the universe etc etc...
By that logic, we might as well throw out forensics and archaeology; it's essentially the same logical process and methodology. Sure, the results of those sciences aren't perfect either, but neither can you call them "speculation."
Maybe we won't find the definitive answer that would satisfy everyone, but you know what? That's irrelevant. We're not going to give up looking, because science isn't about whether we believe we could find the answer, but about having a right old crack at it regardless. I've long said that science is all about answering one question and then immediately getting up and asking two more, because the moment we stop asking, we stop looking, and the moment we stop looking, who knows what we might find?
- Jeremiah12LGeek aime ceci
#20
Posté 19 novembre 2014 - 06:01
Sigma Tauri
-
- Members
- 2 675 messages
So it found some CO2 and everyone thinks it found proteins? Charming.
If they found CO2, they wouldn't have made the announcement. CO2 isn't an organic molecule, despite having carbon as an atomic component.
#21
Posté 19 novembre 2014 - 06:23
Sigma Tauri
-
- Members
- 2 675 messages
Can't wait until this sucker gets back in range for solar charge.
Carbon molecules are a neat find. It would be quite a crazy find to see if anything as complex as a carbon O ring exists, let alone something as complex as a protein. Still, very interesting nonetheless.
I don't think they'll find proteins in a comet. The peptide bonds that link amino acids are stable, but they can be easily break either by high-energy radiation or hydrolysis. You'll likely find amino acids in the comet, though. Didn't astronomers find D-glycine in space?
#22
Guest_KnossosTNC_*
Posté 19 novembre 2014 - 06:39
Guest_KnossosTNC_*
Guest_KnossosTNC_*
-
- Guests
I don't think they'll find proteins in a comet. The peptide bonds that link amino acids are stable, but they can be easily break either by high-energy radiation or hydrolysis. You'll likely find amino acids in the comet, though. Didn't astronomers find D-glycine in space?
Yeah, full chain proteins is a stretch, but amino acids and similar compounds are certainly possible.
They discovered glycine-like amino acetonitrile in, of all places, the galactic centre, and glycine in samples returned from comet Wild-2.
- Sigma Tauri aime ceci
#23
Posté 19 novembre 2014 - 03:26
Sigma Tauri
-
- Members
- 2 675 messages
They discovered glycine-like amino acetonitrile
Acetonitrile is like an amino acid?
Stupid me, glycine doesn't have a chiral carbon! So, no D-glyince.
#24
Posté 19 novembre 2014 - 03:32
Beerfish
-
- Members
- 23 870 messages
They found pieces of Shepard!!!!!!!!!!!
- Jeremiah12LGeek aime ceci
#25
Posté 19 novembre 2014 - 04:43
Eternal Phoenix
-
- Members
- 8 471 messages
By that logic, we might as well throw out forensics and archaeology; it's essentially the same logical process and methodology. Sure, the results of those sciences aren't perfect either, but neither can you call them "speculation."
Maybe we won't find the definitive answer that would satisfy everyone, but you know what? That's irrelevant. We're not going to give up looking, because science isn't about whether we believe we could find the answer, but about having a right old crack at it regardless. I've long said that science is all about answering one question and then immediately getting up and asking two more, because the moment we stop asking, we stop looking, and the moment we stop looking, who knows what we might find?
Some things are impossible regardless, believing otherwise is speculating especially when expecting answers for things beyond humanity's grasp or the laws of nature.
