The truth about life on other planets - and what it means for humans

[k_buddy762]

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cp8jwj90ejno

There are some scientific discoveries that do much more than advance our knowledge: they create a shift in our psyche as they show us the scale of the Universe and our place in it.

One such moment was when space craft sent back images of the Earth for the first time. Another is the discovery of life on another world, a moment that has inched a little closer today with the news that signs of a gas, which on Earth is produced by simple marine organisms, has been found on a planet called K2-18b.

Now, the prospect of really finding alien life - meaning we are not alone in the Universe - is not far away, according to the scientist leading the team that made the detection.

[multigraincracker]

1. Infinity of Space and Time.

There are infinite planets with life on them. We are stuck with the idea of a begging and end to everything.

[Norrrm]

2. Someday we will go there and find they have built a wall.

[EverHopeful]

3. Exciting info. Thank you

Planning to live long enough to be around for further discovery. Although, for some reason, Enceladus is still my favorite candidate for finding life-supporting conditions and hoping the Enceladus Orbilander finds evidence closer to home🙂

[spike jones]

4. As someone said when asked if we will ever find life on another planet. "Maybe if we land on a Saturday night."

[NNadir]

5. The presence of dimethyl sulfide is always presented this way. I think it a dubious indication.

Recently a number of papers have been published claiming the molecule - which is simple and highly symmetric - can be detected in interstellar clouds, i.e. that it has an abiotic origin.

I happen to strongly suspect, with high confidence, based on the Murchison meteorite and similar findings, that panspermia is a plausible factor in the origin in life. "Plausible" however, is different than "demonstrated."