Potential for life in Venus detected

[PierreV]

On the Earth, phosphine is a colorless and highly toxic gas that is produced by microorganisms that do not need oxygen to function. So I just wonder why the scientists decided to look for it in the planets.

First, let's start by a direct quote from the paper

"PH3 could originate from unknown photochemistry or geochemistry, or, by analogy with biological production of PH3 on Earth, from the presence of life." https://www.nature.com/articles/s41550-020-1174-4

That's a bit different from the exclusive focus on biological production that the press widely publicized.

As to why someone looked for it, see this https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2020AsBio..20..235S/abstract (full text: https://arxiv.org/ftp/arxiv/papers/1910/1910.05224.pdf)

1) we know of no non-biological process, on rocky planets such as Earth, that could produce phosphine continuously. Continuously because it is constantly degraded by UV (and O, OH, H).

2) it is _relatively_ easy to detect.

From the paper "Phosphine is a promising biosignature gas, as it has no known abiotic false positives on terrestrial planets from any source that could generate the high fluxes required for detection. "

And yes, "no known" could go both ways.

During the next 10 years or so, we should be able to get spectroscopy results from the atmosphere of at least some exo-planets. It makes sense to worry now about what we should look for when the instrumental capability is there.

 

[JacobCooper]

The follow-up study suggested that the element discovered wasn't phosphine but sulfur dioxide. What can you tell me about this assumption?

 

[Wes]

Hi

We want to see the same type of life that we're accustomed to... Carbone-based... What if it were different? An exemple:

Possibility of Silicon-based Life grows

Life that is based on a Polish manf. of car accessories?

 

[FrantzM]

Life that is based on a Polish manf. of car accessories?

Not sure I follow you

 

[KingRolo]

Well women are from Venus, So there probably looking for Dude's!

 

[Wes]

Not sure I follow you

Carbone is a Polish maker of shift knobs, steering wheels, etc.

I couldn't wait to put my riff on the mis-spelling into the special humor thread.

 

[FrantzM]

Carbone is a Polish maker of shift knobs, steering wheels, etc.

I couldn't wait to put my riff on the mis-spelling into the special humor thread.

I understand now, it passed through the autocorrector because of the French spelling...

 

[lord45]

I doubt that the existence of life on Venus is possible. This planet has a really harsh environment. Hot temperature and high pressure. However, there is a chance that to find some forms of life on the red planet.

 

[Wes]

a lot depends on how you think life should be defined

 

[KingRolo]

Why am I subscribed to this thread

 

[lord45]

a lot depends on how you think life should be defined

Microbial forms of life can be found in the surface of Mars or in the ice of the frozen lake. Probably the Perseverance mission or Rosalind Franklin Mars rover which is about to be launched soon in 2022 and will attempt to search for life on Mars. More information about this mission you may find on the website of uk space industry news

 

[Wes]

Microbial forms of life have not been found in the surface of Mars

 

[FrantzM]

a lot depends on how you think life should be defined

My sentiments. I believe we're in for some surprises about that, now that we seem poised to explore our cosmos.

 

[lord45]

Microbial forms of life have not been found in the surface of Mars

The exploration of Mars is not finished yet. We need more advanced technology for the exploration of the red planet. Probably in some time when we some new stuff is invented we can find something.

 

[lord45]

My sentiments. I believe we're in for some surprises about that, now that we seem poised to explore our cosmos.

We are sort of obsessed with the exploration of space. But we to understand that space is the future. So the exploration of space is might the thing we must be obsessed with. However, I support space exploration only when it suggests some reasonable projects, not like one project by NASA the main purpose of which is to colonize Venus with some floating platforms.

 

[voodooless]

No way this thread went on for 5 pages without anyone posing the debunking video of Thunderf00t?

And:

 

[lord45]

Microbial forms of life have not been found in the surface of Mars

After testing a bristling array of instruments on its robotic arm, NASA’s latest Mars rover gets down to business: probing rocks and dust for evidence of past life. https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/signs-of-life-on-mars-nasas-perseverance-rover-begins-the-hunt

 

[Count Arthur]

If they wait around long enough, they may find some Chinese astronauts.

 

[JSmith]

Not sure if these aspects has been posted here or discussed yet?

https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-021-00249-y

Two papers have dealt a fresh blow to the idea that Venus’s atmosphere might contain phosphine gas — a potential sign of life.

JSmith

 

[lord45]

If they wait around long enough, they may find some Chinese astronauts.

Chinese Mars mission Zhurong performed well too and has its own achievements. But still, they cannot be compared with the achievements of Perseverance rover mission