Support NeoGAF

[gutshot]

What life are we talking about? Something we can see and touch or mirco?

How much would it cost to find out? US has plently of billionaires, maybe they'd help?

Probably microbial, but no one knows for sure.

It would cost quite a bit. NASA is asking for $2 billion simply to send a satellite to conduct multiple fly-bys of Europa, investigating it more closely and scouting out potential future landing sites. Sending an actual probe capable of landing on the moon and then melting through the ice to search for life would cost a lot more than that. The cost would be roughly the same for Enceladus.

 

[itxaka]

Why do we still think that life can only be supported with what made us?

Isn't it possible that different forms of life appear with other chemicals and such?

 

[Naked Snake]

This is awesome news.

And this was great

 

[Deadstar]

This is something we don't want to mess with. If we find Cthulu and he tracks us back to earth we are done.

 

[Delta Assault]

This is something we don't want to mess with. If we find Cthulu and he tracks us back to earth we are done.

"In order to fight monsters, we created monsters of our own."

Jaegers will save us.

 

[cdyhybrid]

This is something we don't want to mess with. If we find Cthulu and he tracks us back to earth we are done.

"In order to fight monsters, we created monsters of our own."

Jaegers will save us.

 

[jufonuk]

europa report for real?

 

[Lovely Salsa]

Probably microbial, but no one knows for sure.

It would cost quite a bit. NASA is asking for $2 billion simply to send a satellite to conduct multiple fly-bys of Europa, investigating it more closely and scouting out potential future landing sites. Sending an actual probe capable of landing on the moon and then melting through the ice to search for life would cost a lot more than that. The cost would be roughly the same for Enceladus.

Yea, but if it is like 20 billion dollars it doesn't sound much for something that can change everything.

If we'd find fish like creatures in the ocean, that would mean that life is probably extremly common in the universe

 

[Ushiwaka]

Whoa! Interesting news. Really looking forward to see what kind of information scientists will discover about this Enceladus (interesting name btw ) in the future.

Amazing.

 

[params7]

Wow nice. Time to find ET sea creatures and bring them to our zoos.

 

[mantidor]

Yea, but if it is like 20 billion dollars it doesn't sound much for something that can change everything.

If we'd find fish like creatures in the ocean, that would mean that life is probably extremly common in the universe

Thinking that freaking Facebook bought whatsapp for $19 billion and yet Nasa can't get $2 billion from the first economy of the world for something that could change our lives forever saddens me greatly.

 

[happypup]

Why do we still think that life can only be supported with what made us?

Isn't it possible that different forms of life appear with other chemicals and such?

It certainly is possible, but we are very sure that certain conditions that may be present on Enceladus and Europa, can and has produced life.

There could be life of some form composed of other chemistry, but that is completely speculative at this point, whereas life with our chemistry is well documented.

 

[Jibbed]

I've just quickly ran the numbers and it would only (lol) take about 2 and a half years to get there based on the maximum current speed (16km/s).

6 year mission? Sign me up.

 

[AstroNut325]

Thinking that freaking Facebook bought whatsapp for $19 billion and yet Nasa can't get $2 billion from the first economy of the world for something that could change our lives forever saddens me greatly.

Yup I find that extremely depressing. $2 Billion is a lot of money huh?

 

[happypup]

Yup I find that extremely depressing. $2 Billion is a lot of money huh?

Yeah I just don't get it either. I mean sure it is a gamble, but think about how much we have learned by only studying a single instance of life, Think what we could learn, accomplish and even monetize if we had a sample size of two or even three.

 

[Josh7289]

Whoa, megaton

 

[DrForester]

Cassini will be celebrating 10 years in researching Saturn this July, and it's still kicking. The thing is actually closer to 20 years old as it took seven years to get to Saturn.

 

[Cameron122]

POOL PARTTTYYYYY

 

[N.Domixis]

It certainly is possible, but we are very sure that certain conditions that may be present on Enceladus and Europa, can and has produced life.

There could be life of some form composed of other chemistry, but that is completely speculative at this point, whereas life with our chemistry is well documented.

Interesting, Earth, Enceladus, Europa, and Mars( the m is an E rotated 90 degrees) all begin with Es... Earth had life, life on Enceladus, Mars, and Europa confirmed.

 

[happypup]

Interesting, Earth, Enceladus, Europa, and Mars( the m is an E rotated 90 degrees) all begin with Es... Earth had life, life on Enceladus, Mars, and Europa confirmed.

Fun fact if You rotate the 90 degree rotated E in Mars back to it's regular position it becomes Ears.

 

[AstroNut325]

Yeah I just don't get it either. I mean sure it is a gamble, but think about how much we have learned by only studying a single instance of life, Think what we could learn, accomplish and even monetize if we had a sample size of two or even three.

Most people don't think like this. Most people don't see value in science unless it provides some sort of immediate return on value and/or it's for entertainment purposes. Most people would rather see NASA completely dissolved so we can give more tax breaks.

 

[Lamel]

Why do we still think that life can only be supported with what made us?

Isn't it possible that different forms of life appear with other chemicals and such?

It's possible, but common chemical reactions that occur are supported by these ingredients. Water is a very good solvent. The chemistry and interactions of compounds does not really change no matter where you are in the universe (as far as we know).

 

[Trouble]

It's possible, but common chemical reactions that occur are supported by these ingredients. Water is a very good solvent. The chemistry and interactions of compounds does not really change no matter where you are in the universe (as far as we know).

Nor does the rough distribution of elements (also as far as we know).

I'd guess most other life is comprised of mostly the same chemical composition as the life we know. Where it would likely get really crazy is finding life that has a completely different mechanism than DNA for passing along genetic information.

EDIT: Well shit, looks like NASA already found it, right here on earth! http://gizmodo.com/5704158/nasa-finds-new-life/all

EDIT2: Or not, their claims have been heavily criticized. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GFAJ-1#Criticism

 

[Mully]

If something like an opt-in tax for NASA could pass through Congress, could that be an alternative way to give NASA more funding?

 

[HK-47]

I love the universe! Another reason to watch Cosmos people!

You should watch wonders of the solar system, where that planet gets an episode dedicated to it

 

[Majine]

Must be quite the view being on a moon of Saturn.

 

[Tzeentch]

-- Those are so obviously alien searchlights. Who the hell does NASA think they're foolin'?

 

[HK-47]

Must be quite the view being on a moon of Saturn.

The moon being talked about is actually creating a ring with all the matter it spews into space

 

[gregor7777]

My favorite picture of all time.

 

[Zaptruder]

So it turns out we're going to be the aliens doing the probing.

 

[Laughing Banana]

And then man will get there, kill it, and market it as the new taste sensation!

Or, if Mass Effect is any indication, has sex with it.

 

[happypup]

Or, if Mass Effect is any indication, has sex with it.

come on who wouldn't want to be the first to have sex with an alien.

 

[Hypron]

So it turns out we're going to be the aliens doing the probing.

This cracked me up.

 

[Mr. Pointy]

I'm hoping for some tasty fish.

 

[akira28]

Stay away and land no ships there, if you know what's good for ya. Earthling bitches.

 

[shira]

nothing on Titan, what a waste

 

[Bit-Bit]

Ahhhh, it's time to go. It's time to go go go.

Seriously though. What are we waiting for? Send ALL of the robots there.

 

[JordanN]

Will missionaries tag along to spread the word of Jesus?

 

[digoutyoursoul]

Has anyone watched Europa Report ?

 

[SiegfriedFM]

Most people don't think like this. Most people don't see value in science unless it provides some sort of immediate return on value and/or it's for entertainment purposes. Most people would rather see NASA completely dissolved so we can give more tax breaks.

I'd like to see these people completely dissolved.

 

[Neo C.]

Most people don't think like this. Most people don't see value in science unless it provides some sort of immediate return on value and/or it's for entertainment purposes. Most people would rather see NASA completely dissolved so we can give more tax breaks.

China is our only hope, the chinese are still increasing their space budget.

 

[darkwing]

so how long until we can send a probe there?

 

[Khaz]

So what's the reasonable chance of this = life?

The presence of a saltwater ocean a billion kilometres from Earth more than satisfies Nasa's long-held mantra of "follow the water" to find signs of alien life, but water is not the only factor that makes Enceladus such a promising habitat. The water is in contact with the moon's rocky core, so elements useful for life, such as phosphorus, sulfur and potassium, will leach into the ocean.

A trending theory seem to think that as long as you have a wet bedrock in the early stages of planets formation, you're bound to get unicellular life. Now, multicellular organisms appear to need mitochondria, which ironically seem to be a freak accident. We just moved the freak accident / fat chance from abiogenesis to complex organisms.

Life out there yes, but most probably boring single cells, no giant monsters for you.

A brief summary of it
Defining article
A trending theory

 

[Burger_Baron]

 

[Red Mage]

Am I missing something, or doesn't the fact that Saturn's outside of our star's habitable zone kind of put a downer on this?

 

[Gentle Rodriguez]

So how close are we to finding the Citadel? I want my own space ship soon, I need to explore planets with Yvonne Strahovski.

 

[happypup]

Am I missing something, or doesn't the fact that Saturn's outside of our star's habitable zone kind of put a downer on this?

The Goldilocks zone is about liquid water. Too close and the water boils away, too far and it freezes. Enceladus has liquid water, not because of the proximity to the sun, but it is there none the less.

Also the study of extremophiles has greatly increased what we consider livable.

 

[Haines]

Am I missing something, or doesn't the fact that Saturn's outside of our star's habitable zone kind of put a downer on this?

There's always downers and difficulty's to everything in space. I'm not excited by this news*

 

[GusBus]

Sounds like a job for...

Space Doge!!

Obvs, we can just fund NASA with dogecoins. Problem solved.

 

[Xenex]

This is incredibly exciting.