Umm...this is pretty trippy - Never Forgotten: a Foster's Home Community

Partymember · 08-12-2007, 09:46 PM

SCIENTISTS have discovered that inorganic material can take on the characteristics of living organisms in space, a development that could transform views of alien life.

An international panel from the Russian Academy of Sciences, the Max Planck institute in Germany and the University of Sydney found that galactic dust could form spontaneously into helixes and double helixes and that the inorganic creations had memory and the power to reproduce themselves.

A similar rethinking of prospective alien life is being undertaken by the National Research Council, an advisory body to the US government. It says Nasa should start a search for what it describes as ?weird life? - organisms that lack DNA or other molecules found in life on Earth.

The new research, to be published this week in the New Journal of Physics, found nonorganic dust, when held in the form of plasma in zero gravity, formed the helical structures found in DNA. The particles are held together by electromagnetic forces that the scientists say could contain a code comparable to the genetic information held in organic matter. It appeared that this code could be transferred to the next generation.

Professor Greg Morfill, of the Max Planck institute of extra-terrestrial physics, said: ?Going by our current narrow definitions of what life is, it qualifies.

?The question now is to see if it can evolve to become intelligent. It?s a little bit like science fiction at the moment. The potential level of complexity we are looking at is of an amoeba or a plant.

?I do not believe that the systems we are talking about are life as we know it. We need to define the criteria for what we think of as life much more clearly.?

It may be that science is starting to study territory already explored by science fiction. The television series The X-Files, for example, has featured life in the form of a silicon-based parasitic spore.

The Max Planck experiments were conducted in zero gravity conditions in Germany and on the International Space Station 200 miles above earth.

The findings have provoked speculation that the helix could be a common structure that underpins all life, organic and nonorganic.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/new...cle2241753.ece

i can't wrap my head around this at 1:44 AM...maybe later

Ub3rD4n · 08-12-2007, 11:24 PM

Hah! Inorgainic lifeforms! Pratchett was right after all!

floppynoodleson666 · 08-13-2007, 08:55 AM

that is awesome.

koosie · 08-17-2007, 03:47 PM

Well I for one applaud these non-organic forms of life. I say good luck to them and hope we can be friends.

Partymember · 08-17-2007, 10:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by koosie

Well I for one applaud these non-organic forms of life. I say good luck to them and hope we can be friends.

leave it to Koosie

montitech · 08-23-2007, 03:17 PM

hmmm, sounds like a young author of that artical, Using X-files as a reference for silica lifeforms is a new one to me. the belief of silica having ability to support life has been in question for a lot longer than that, and it has been seen in both Comic books as well as the original Star Track where it would be more memoriable to many older Science fiction fans.

thanks for the post Partymember

Monty

08-12-2007, 09:46 PM	#1
Partymember super-scientist GO TEAM VENTURE! Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Lake George Posts: 1,500	Umm...this is pretty trippy SCIENTISTS have discovered that inorganic material can take on the characteristics of living organisms in space, a development that could transform views of alien life. An international panel from the Russian Academy of Sciences, the Max Planck institute in Germany and the University of Sydney found that galactic dust could form spontaneously into helixes and double helixes and that the inorganic creations had memory and the power to reproduce themselves. A similar rethinking of prospective alien life is being undertaken by the National Research Council, an advisory body to the US government. It says Nasa should start a search for what it describes as ?weird life? - organisms that lack DNA or other molecules found in life on Earth. The new research, to be published this week in the New Journal of Physics, found nonorganic dust, when held in the form of plasma in zero gravity, formed the helical structures found in DNA. The particles are held together by electromagnetic forces that the scientists say could contain a code comparable to the genetic information held in organic matter. It appeared that this code could be transferred to the next generation. Professor Greg Morfill, of the Max Planck institute of extra-terrestrial physics, said: ?Going by our current narrow definitions of what life is, it qualifies. ?The question now is to see if it can evolve to become intelligent. It?s a little bit like science fiction at the moment. The potential level of complexity we are looking at is of an amoeba or a plant. ?I do not believe that the systems we are talking about are life as we know it. We need to define the criteria for what we think of as life much more clearly.? It may be that science is starting to study territory already explored by science fiction. The television series The X-Files, for example, has featured life in the form of a silicon-based parasitic spore. The Max Planck experiments were conducted in zero gravity conditions in Germany and on the International Space Station 200 miles above earth. The findings have provoked speculation that the helix could be a common structure that underpins all life, organic and nonorganic. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/new...cle2241753.ece i can't wrap my head around this at 1:44 AM...maybe later __________________ Think you used enough dynamite there, Butch?

08-12-2007, 11:24 PM	#2
Ub3rD4n Foster's Legend 40% pretention, 60% insecurity, 0% brains Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: The only place more isolated than Iceland. New Zealand Posts: 547	Hah! Inorgainic lifeforms! Pratchett was right after all! __________________ Unconscious like a fox!

08-17-2007, 03:47 PM	#4
koosie Moon-Calf It was just imagination Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Northern Britain Posts: 695	Well I for one applaud these non-organic forms of life. I say good luck to them and hope we can be friends. __________________ Aw....Snicket

08-13-2007, 08:55 AM	#3
floppynoodleson666 Newly Abandoned 666 Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Pennsylvania Posts: 35	that is awesome.

08-23-2007, 03:17 PM	#6
montitech Foster's Legend Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: ny Posts: 752	hmmm, sounds like a young author of that artical, Using X-files as a reference for silica lifeforms is a new one to me. the belief of silica having ability to support life has been in question for a lot longer than that, and it has been seen in both Comic books as well as the original Star Track where it would be more memoriable to many older Science fiction fans. thanks for the post Partymember Monty