Anybody read about the "new life" NASA found

[Swimmy]

Opinions?

[zoegirl]

huh, can you provide a link? (take pity on me....trying to multitask here)

[MarcusOfLycia]

Saw an article on it... I don't know much about it so I don't know there's much I can see. Seems weird to me, based on what I read, that people assume so quickly that this is evidence for alien life. To me it doesn't say too much one way or the other about the topic, only that biologists misinterpreted the definition of life.

I'd be interested to see what more knowledgable people would have to say.

[Silvertusk]

Is this what you are talking about?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-11886943

SIlvertusk.

[MarcusOfLycia]

That's interesting... Maybe I'm missing something, but why does having a bacteria that replaces arsenic for phosphorus evidence that life evolved multiple times on earth?

Also, "At the moment we have no idea if life is just a freak, bizarre accident which is confined to Earth or whether it is a natural part of a fundamentally biofriendly universe in which life pops up wherever there are Earth-like conditions".

Glad that they're taking all reasonable positions into account here - random unlikely accident or random likely accident </sarcasm>

[zoegirl]

That's interesting... Maybe I'm missing something, but why does having a bacteria that replaces arsenic for phosphorus evidence that life evolved multiple times on earth?

Also, "At the moment we have no idea if life is just a freak, bizarre accident which is confined to Earth or whether it is a natural part of a fundamentally biofriendly universe in which life pops up wherever there are Earth-like conditions".

Glad that they're taking all reasonable positions into account here - random unlikely accident or random likely accident </sarcasm>

Because the idea is that IF we see the same pattern throughout all of life, the explanation is that it originated from one spontaneous design....inorporating those six fundamental elements into the organic molecules. To find an organism that has a different fundamental element would essentially reveal a different "recipe" for life.

And if there is a different recipe for the organic molecules for life, then in other previously thought inhospitable environments, we could perhaps expect life using these other recipes.

Thanks for the link Silvertusk....I heard about it on the way home on the radio. Sorry to hear about your IBS....you know you have my empathy....

[Gman]

Hey everybody... We just found life... On earth!!! Woo hoo....

This proves there is life on other planets. Our tax dollars at work again..

[MarcusOfLycia]

Because the idea is that IF we see the same pattern throughout all of life, the explanation is that it originated from one spontaneous design....inorporating those six fundamental elements into the organic molecules. To find an organism that has a different fundamental element would essentially reveal a different "recipe" for life.

And if there is a different recipe for the organic molecules for life, then in other previously thought inhospitable environments, we could perhaps expect life using these other recipes.

Gotcha. Makes a bit more sense. I thought I had read though that they figured the bacteria adapted to use arsenic and it didn't (most like) start off that way.

[zoegirl]

Well, that is the debate....would this have been a separate spontaneous similar to the ones postulated (or designed) with phosphate or is this an adaptation using arsenic.

[Gman]

Well for one thing... This supposed "new life" find puts to rest the belief that scientists aren't trying to find the origins of life. No.. Science would never address that.. It's not into "ultimate" questions. Cheeeze.

Thanks for the more fuel for the fire NASA. And Hawkins book too...

[Gman]

The next atheists that says that science does not or can't address "ultimate" questions to the origins of life I'm going to pound on them with this supposed find...

[derrick09]

Here is what the ID people are saying about it

http://www.evolutionnews.org/2010/12/ab ... .html#more

[DannyM]

The next atheists that says that science does not or can't address "ultimate" questions to the origins of life I'm going to pound on them with this supposed find...

Laugh out loud! And you just know it won't be long before you get the opportunity, G!

[Alpha~Omega]

What im wondering, is what sort of potential claims will atheist's make against us with this new find? How should us christians respond to this? Surely they will us this as a mechinism to further "prove" macro evolution. What do you guys think? I hope Rich writes an article on this!

[touchingcloth]

What im wondering, is what sort of potential claims will atheist's make against us with this new find? How should us christians respond to this? Surely they will us this as a mechinism to further "prove" macro evolution. What do you guys think? I hope Rich writes an article on this!

One prominent atheist's response - http://scienceblogs.com/pharyngula/2010 ... d_life.php