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| Another Earth? | |
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| Topic Started: Apr 21 2009, 06:34 PM (1,430 Views) | |
| Viergacht | Apr 21 2009, 06:34 PM Post #1 |
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faceless fiend
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The planet Gliese 581 d, in the constellation Libra, is the first extrasolar planet in the habitable zone, and might even have a substantial ocean. I really hope we develop some method of photographing other planets in my lifetime . . . I want to see some aliens, dammit! Article here: http://www.comcast.net/articles/news-science/20090421/EU.Britain.New.Planet/ |
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| T.Neo | Jul 21 2009, 11:38 AM Post #16 |
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I suppose, any life evolving on an ocean world would be like life evolving on a gas giant, with no solid surface. Does life need a solid medium to arise and evolve into complex forms? |
| A hard mathematical figure provides a sort of enlightenment to one's understanding of an idea that is never matched by mere guesswork. | |
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| colddigger | Jul 21 2009, 12:37 PM Post #17 |
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Joke's over! Love, Parasky
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you mean like an ocean floor? |
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Oh Fine. Oh hi you! Why don't you go check out the finery that is SGP?? v Don't click v Spoiler: click to toggle | |
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| T.Neo | Jul 21 2009, 01:34 PM Post #18 |
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Yeah. |
| A hard mathematical figure provides a sort of enlightenment to one's understanding of an idea that is never matched by mere guesswork. | |
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| Ànraich | Jul 21 2009, 01:38 PM Post #19 |
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L'évolution Spéculative est moi
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Maybe, we don't know; there's no analog on Earth of something developing in an environment with no solid surface whatsoever. But I don't see why it would be necessary to have a solid surface if you could move in three dimensions anyways; it's more advantageous to live in three dimensions than two. |
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We should all aspire to die surrounded by our dearest friends. Just like Julius Caesar. "The Lord Universe said: 'The same fate I have given to all things from stones to stars, that one day they shall become naught but memories aloft upon the winds of time. From dust all was born, and to dust all shall return.' He then looked upon His greatest creation, life, and pitied them, for unlike stars and stones they would soon learn of this fate and despair in the futility of their own existence. And so the Lord Universe decided to give life two gifts to save them from this despair. The first of these gifts was the soul, that life might more readily accept their fate, and the second was fear, that they might in time learn to avoid it altogether." - Excerpt from a Chanagwan creation myth, Legends and Folklore of the Planet Ghar, collected and published by Yieju Bai'an, explorer from the Celestial Commonwealth of Qonming Tree That Owns Itself
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| T.Neo | Jul 21 2009, 02:05 PM Post #20 |
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I'm not talking about the disadvantages for complex life, but the effects on abiogenisis and evolution. A substrate provides some shelter and a place for nutrients, etc to collect. The more I think about it, the more I am interested by the idea of organisms residing on gas giants. Perhaps gas being collected within cells for buoyancy, and heated by solar radiation? |
| A hard mathematical figure provides a sort of enlightenment to one's understanding of an idea that is never matched by mere guesswork. | |
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| Ànraich | Jul 21 2009, 02:12 PM Post #21 |
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L'évolution Spéculative est moi
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In one of the Space Odyssey books (I think it was 2061) there is a chapter in which Dave Bowman, now a bodiless consciousness attached to the Monolith on Europa, describes his descent into Jupiter. He talks about organisms floating in the gentle breezes in the middle of the Great Red Spot and describes them like vast breathing clouds and kites. So you could have some kind of organic clouds, like sky plankton. Then you have kite-like creatures that float on the breezes and feed on the sky plankton, and then balloon-like organisms that eat the kites. It's a concept I myself like to work with a lot. Very interesting stuff. |
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We should all aspire to die surrounded by our dearest friends. Just like Julius Caesar. "The Lord Universe said: 'The same fate I have given to all things from stones to stars, that one day they shall become naught but memories aloft upon the winds of time. From dust all was born, and to dust all shall return.' He then looked upon His greatest creation, life, and pitied them, for unlike stars and stones they would soon learn of this fate and despair in the futility of their own existence. And so the Lord Universe decided to give life two gifts to save them from this despair. The first of these gifts was the soul, that life might more readily accept their fate, and the second was fear, that they might in time learn to avoid it altogether." - Excerpt from a Chanagwan creation myth, Legends and Folklore of the Planet Ghar, collected and published by Yieju Bai'an, explorer from the Celestial Commonwealth of Qonming Tree That Owns Itself
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| T.Neo | Jul 21 2009, 02:17 PM Post #22 |
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Well, yeah. The more interesting part, at least to me, is how such creatures would come to be, and what their biology would be like. Perhaps a similar form of life could evolve in the thick atmosphere of a planet like Gilese 581 d, from aquatic organisms. And they'd probably have an easier time staying afloat, too. Edited by T.Neo, Jul 21 2009, 02:18 PM.
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| A hard mathematical figure provides a sort of enlightenment to one's understanding of an idea that is never matched by mere guesswork. | |
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| Ànraich | Jul 21 2009, 02:38 PM Post #23 |
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L'évolution Spéculative est moi
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It's possible there's life on Jupiter. Many of its moons have large geysers pumping water rich in organic materials into Jupiter's atmosphere; which is rich in ammonia and hydrogen. I see no reason life couldn't develop in Jupiter's atmosphere. |
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We should all aspire to die surrounded by our dearest friends. Just like Julius Caesar. "The Lord Universe said: 'The same fate I have given to all things from stones to stars, that one day they shall become naught but memories aloft upon the winds of time. From dust all was born, and to dust all shall return.' He then looked upon His greatest creation, life, and pitied them, for unlike stars and stones they would soon learn of this fate and despair in the futility of their own existence. And so the Lord Universe decided to give life two gifts to save them from this despair. The first of these gifts was the soul, that life might more readily accept their fate, and the second was fear, that they might in time learn to avoid it altogether." - Excerpt from a Chanagwan creation myth, Legends and Folklore of the Planet Ghar, collected and published by Yieju Bai'an, explorer from the Celestial Commonwealth of Qonming Tree That Owns Itself
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| T.Neo | Jul 21 2009, 04:03 PM Post #24 |
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It's a possibility, but I'm skeptical of life using alternative chemistry. And what Jovian moons have geysers? I thought only Enceladus had geysers, and it orbits Saturn... I think such life would be more common on the Sudarsky type II gas giants, where water clouds are common and the temperatures can be earthlike. |
| A hard mathematical figure provides a sort of enlightenment to one's understanding of an idea that is never matched by mere guesswork. | |
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| Ànraich | Jul 21 2009, 05:03 PM Post #25 |
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L'évolution Spéculative est moi
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Lots of them do; there's hundreds of them (moons around Jupiter, that is; not moons with geysers). I'm not sure of any specific ones, but Enceladus has geysers as well.
Edited by Ànraich, Jul 21 2009, 05:04 PM.
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We should all aspire to die surrounded by our dearest friends. Just like Julius Caesar. "The Lord Universe said: 'The same fate I have given to all things from stones to stars, that one day they shall become naught but memories aloft upon the winds of time. From dust all was born, and to dust all shall return.' He then looked upon His greatest creation, life, and pitied them, for unlike stars and stones they would soon learn of this fate and despair in the futility of their own existence. And so the Lord Universe decided to give life two gifts to save them from this despair. The first of these gifts was the soul, that life might more readily accept their fate, and the second was fear, that they might in time learn to avoid it altogether." - Excerpt from a Chanagwan creation myth, Legends and Folklore of the Planet Ghar, collected and published by Yieju Bai'an, explorer from the Celestial Commonwealth of Qonming Tree That Owns Itself
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| T.Neo | Jul 21 2009, 06:40 PM Post #26 |
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What about, instead of single balloon-like gasbags, a foam like structure made of gas filled cells? I'd imagine such a system would be less prone to damage.
Edited by T.Neo, Jul 21 2009, 06:41 PM.
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| A hard mathematical figure provides a sort of enlightenment to one's understanding of an idea that is never matched by mere guesswork. | |
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| Ànraich | Jul 21 2009, 07:26 PM Post #27 |
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L'évolution Spéculative est moi
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Like living hydrocarbon foam? That would be pretty cool too. |
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We should all aspire to die surrounded by our dearest friends. Just like Julius Caesar. "The Lord Universe said: 'The same fate I have given to all things from stones to stars, that one day they shall become naught but memories aloft upon the winds of time. From dust all was born, and to dust all shall return.' He then looked upon His greatest creation, life, and pitied them, for unlike stars and stones they would soon learn of this fate and despair in the futility of their own existence. And so the Lord Universe decided to give life two gifts to save them from this despair. The first of these gifts was the soul, that life might more readily accept their fate, and the second was fear, that they might in time learn to avoid it altogether." - Excerpt from a Chanagwan creation myth, Legends and Folklore of the Planet Ghar, collected and published by Yieju Bai'an, explorer from the Celestial Commonwealth of Qonming Tree That Owns Itself
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| T.Neo | Jul 22 2009, 07:30 AM Post #28 |
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Dead animals and excrement would fall down into the abyss on a gas giant or ocean planet, instead of being recycled by the environment. Would there any way to get around this problem? |
| A hard mathematical figure provides a sort of enlightenment to one's understanding of an idea that is never matched by mere guesswork. | |
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