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· Good news, Everyone!
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Titan: Nasa scientists discover evidence 'that alien life exists on Saturn's moon' - Telegraph

Researchers at the space agency believe they have discovered vital clues that appeared to indicate that primitive aliens could be living on the planet.

Data from Nasa's Cassini probe has analysed the complex chemistry on the surface of Titan, which experts say is the only moon around the planet to have a dense atmosphere.

They have discovered that life forms have been breathing in the planet's atmosphere and also feeding on its surface's fuel.

Astronomers claim the moon is generally too cold to support even liquid water on its surface.

The research has been detailed in two separate studies.

The first paper, in the journal Icarus, shows that hydrogen gas flowing throughout the planet's atmosphere disappeared at the surface. This suggested that alien forms could in fact breathe.

The second paper, in the Journal of Geophysical Research, concluded that there was lack of the chemical on the surface.

Scientists were then led to believe it had been possibly consumed by life.

Researchers had expected sunlight interacting with chemicals in the atmosphere to produce acetylene gas. But the Cassini probe did not detect any such gas.

Chris McKay, an astrobiologist at Nasa Ames Research Centre, at Moffett Field, California who led the research, said: "We suggested hydrogen consumption because it's the obvious gas for life to consume on Titan, similar to the way we consume oxygen on Earth.

"If these signs do turn out to be a sign of life, it would be doubly exciting because it would represent a second form of life independent from water-based life on Earth."

Professor John Zarnecki, of the Open University, added: "We believe the chemistry is there for life to form. It just needs heat and warmth to kick-start the process.

"In four billion years' time, when the Sun swells into a red giant, it could be paradise on Titan."

They warned, however, that there could be other explanations for the findings.

But taken together, they two indicate two important conditions necessary for methane-based life to exist.
Interesting, but as far as I'm concerned, pure speculation, so not getting my hopes up too far. Still, an interesting find.
 

· Good news, Everyone!
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Discussion Starter · #2 ·
Also, it's worth noting that the Telegraph is a very sensationalist newspaper, so take it with a grain of salt, anyway.
 

· NICE BLACKMACHINE YO
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Also, it's worth noting that the Telegraph is a very sensationalist newspaper, so take it with a grain of salt, anyway.
Not really. Very snobby and conservative perhaps, but hardly sensationalist. You're think of the the Daily Mail. Or The Star. Or The Sun. Or the News of the World.
 

· Motherfucker.
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:yesway: Cool stuff.

Not really. Very snobby and conservative perhaps, but hardly sensationalist. You're think of the the Daily Mail. Or The Star. Or The Sun. Or the News of the World.
:agreed: The word sensationalist immediately conjures images of the Daily Mail in my mind.
 

· It's not lupus.
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:spock:

The lack of something proves the existence of another? That's like me saying that because I don't have suitcases full of gold, I must have stockpiles of platinum.
 

· ...
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:spock:

The lack of something proves the existence of another? That's like me saying that because I don't have suitcases full of gold, I must have stockpiles of platinum.
Only if platinum eats gold ;)

They're saying it looks like something on the surface is using up the hydrogen, since there's less of it there than higher up in the atmosphere.
 

· Reverend Secret Flower
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hell, shit soaks into the soil and tons of other things. there are probably systems on titan that they dont even realize are going on yet that could completely explain it, but we dont have a similar thing on earth because there are just different things at play at each location
 

· ...
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hell, shit soaks into the soil and tons of other things. there are probably systems on titan that they dont even realize are going on yet that could completely explain it, but we dont have a similar thing on earth because there are just different things at play at each location
Entirely possible, I suppose.

I went to look up decomposition to see what role bacteria (a living organism) plays in it, but was distracted by this source cited at the bottom:

^ Quigley, C. (1998). Modern Mummies: The Preservation of the Human Body in the Twentieth Century. McFarland. pp. 213-214. ISBN 0786404922.
Decomposition - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 
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