It's Life, Jim, But Not As We Known It.

[sandyRoe]

https://www.reuters.com/science/scientists-find-strongest-evidence-yet-life-an-alien-planet-2025-04-16/

I've always thought the universe was teaming with life.  I hope this is another step towards providing it.

[Old_Geezer]

True. But presently doesn't have sufficient certainty that scientists need. Plus there may prove to be inorganic ways to create those gasses. Still, a world of bacteria and maybe plankton would be of huge interest.

[ToraToraTora]

The universe is teaming with live for certain. It is equally certain that we will never see any alien life or communicate in any way. This one is pretty local and likely microbial if it is life but an encouraging sign.

[ToraToraTora]

OG makes a good point, it was once a mystery how there was so much methane (normally produced by organic interactions) on Titan but that is now known

[davebro3]

teeming not teaming

[ToraToraTora]

how do you know they are not arranged as teams?

[tomus42]

There's undoubtedly life out there. Proving it one way or the other doesn't really do anything for us though.

We are essentially alone, and this planet is the only place we'll ever inhabit, save perhaps for a couple of plastic igloos on the hellhole that is Mars.

[ToraToraTora]

naomi must be learning, normally she'd have jumped on us by now!

[naomi24]

Thanks for the introduction, TTT.  We're seeing that planet as it was an awful long time ago.  I wonder how much it has, in reality, changed.  Just a thought.

[david small]

It would be arrogant to assume that life is only here on earth.

[ToraToraTora]

Naomi: "We're seeing that planet as it was an awful long time ago.  I wonder how much it has, in reality, changed.  Just a thought." - well 124 years ago so I doubt microbes have evolved very far in that time.

[naomi24]

TTT, you surprise me - you being brain of Britain and all that.  I wouldn't have thought you needed to be told what a light year is. 

[ToraToraTora]

it's 124 light years away so we are seeing it as it was 124 years ago. What's your point?

[webbo3]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drake_equation

[tomus42]

The drake equation gives a lowest estimate for civilisations in our own galaxy as 1000.

Considering there are thought to be another two trillion galaxies in the universe I think it's logical to believe there is lots of civilised life out there.

The thing is that barring some major rewrite of the laws of physics as we know them there is zero chance of us ever interacting with any of it.

[tomus42]

.and by the way, why would we want to. We haven't even found a way to co-exist with other human beings yet.

I'm not sure we're ready for actual aliens yet, or vice versa.

[ToraToraTora]

11:50 still waiting for naomi to explain what she is on about...I think I know what you did there love, oh dear!

[THECORBYLOON]

As you think you know, there's no need to labour the point, is there?