Has evidence of alien life been found?

[Quantum Windbag]

Fossilized alien microbes have been discovered in a sample extracted from a meteorite, according to research carried out by a NASA/Marshall Space Flight Center astrobiologist. What's more, he has challenged any scientist to investigate his work.

Published in the online Journal of Cosmology, Richard Hoover's paper claims to have made the discovery after finding "large complex filaments" inside "freshly fractured internal surfaces" of carbonaceous chondrite meteorite samples (including samples from the famous French Orgueil meteorite).

Some of the "alien" fossils appear to resemble bacteria found on Earth (such as types of cyanobacteria, a microorganism that helped make early-Earth hospitable to life by producing oxygen), whereas others don't look so familiar.

"The exciting thing is that they are in many cases recognizable and can be associated very closely with the generic species here on earth,” Hoover told Fox News in an exclusive interview.

Has Evidence for Alien Life Been Found? : Discovery News

No.

Uh, yes. The History Channel has produced about eight segments so far called "Ancient Aliens" and they rerun the entire series once every 4-6 weeks. Watch for it. It will blow your mind.

It was on the History Channel, it must be true. They should rename that piece of dreck the Conspiracy channel.

 

[Wicked Jester]

Get back to me when they find a fuckin' head. Or a cock, balls or vagina.....Hell, a fuckin' alien booger will suffice.

Proof positive that aliens have already landed. They're living in Idiotville.

Yeah, I always kinda figured you were the alien type.

 

[Sheldon]

Sorry people, but I have to piss on this parade.

It's the Journal of Cosmology. This is not a peer-reviewed publication with standards like Nature or the NE Journal of Medicine. I've seen it described as the WND of astronomy.

This guy takes a look at the data and does a pretty good job laying out why this paper isn't good enough to justify serious attention.


Did scientists discover bacteria in meteorites? : Pharyngula

But could it be that by some clumsy accident of the author, a fabulously insightful, meticulously researched paper could have fallen into the hands of single-minded lunatics who rushed it into 'print'? Sure. And David Icke might someday publish the working plans for a perpetual motion machine in his lizardoid-infested newsletter. We've actually got to look at the claims and not dismiss them because of their location.

The extraterrestrial 'bacteria' all look like random mineral squiggles and bumps on a field full of random squiggles and bumps, and apparently, the authors thought some particular squiggle looked sort of like some photo of a bug. This isn't science, it's pareidolia. They might as well be analyzing Martian satellite photos for pictures that sorta kinda look like artifacts.

I'm looking forward to the publication next year of the discovery of an extraterrestrial rabbit in a meteor. While they're at it, they might as well throw in a bigfoot print on the surface and chupacabra coprolite from space. All will be about as convincing as this story.

While they're at it, maybe they should try publishing it in a journal with some reputation for rigorous peer review and expectation that the data will meet certain minimal standards of evidence and professionalism.

Otherwise, this work is garbage. I'm surprised anyone is granting it any credibility at all.

But it will get their website some hits.

 

[MaggieMae]

No.

Uh, yes. The History Channel has produced about eight segments so far called "Ancient Aliens" and they rerun the entire series once every 4-6 weeks. Watch for it. It will blow your mind.

It was on the History Channel, it must be true. They should rename that piece of dreck the Conspiracy channel.

Only a moron would think so. The "Ancient Aliens" series is indeed theory but based on scientific fact. Got a problem with that? Otherwise, most of the programs on The History Chanel are fact-driven, with the historical FACTS to back up the topic and quite often including video or old film reels. I guess for some people, however, if it isn't on Fox News or found on some sensational website on the Internet, it isn't true.

 

[MaggieMae]

Sorry people, but I have to piss on this parade.

It's the Journal of Cosmology. This is not a peer-reviewed publication with standards like Nature or the NE Journal of Medicine. I've seen it described as the WND of astronomy.

This guy takes a look at the data and does a pretty good job laying out why this paper isn't good enough to justify serious attention.


Did scientists discover bacteria in meteorites? : Pharyngula

But could it be that by some clumsy accident of the author, a fabulously insightful, meticulously researched paper could have fallen into the hands of single-minded lunatics who rushed it into 'print'? Sure. And David Icke might someday publish the working plans for a perpetual motion machine in his lizardoid-infested newsletter. We've actually got to look at the claims and not dismiss them because of their location.

The extraterrestrial 'bacteria' all look like random mineral squiggles and bumps on a field full of random squiggles and bumps, and apparently, the authors thought some particular squiggle looked sort of like some photo of a bug. This isn't science, it's pareidolia. They might as well be analyzing Martian satellite photos for pictures that sorta kinda look like artifacts.

I'm looking forward to the publication next year of the discovery of an extraterrestrial rabbit in a meteor. While they're at it, they might as well throw in a bigfoot print on the surface and chupacabra coprolite from space. All will be about as convincing as this story.

While they're at it, maybe they should try publishing it in a journal with some reputation for rigorous peer review and expectation that the data will meet certain minimal standards of evidence and professionalism.

Otherwise, this work is garbage. I'm surprised anyone is granting it any credibility at all.

But it will get their website some hits.

Obviously there are thousands of people who are syfi addicts who will try to create fact from some vague piece of information. But I still think it's highly unlikely that tiny earth is the ONLY planet in the universe that contains life. So for that reason, I'll remain fascinated with logical discoveries, even if they do remain just theories.

 

[Sheldon]

Obviously there are thousands of people who are syfi addicts who will try to create fact from some vague piece of information. But I still think it's highly unlikely that tiny earth is the ONLY planet in the universe that contains life. So for that reason, I'll remain fascinated with logical discoveries, even if they do remain just theories.

I'm with you there. Considering the size and age of the universe, it seems close to a statistical impossibility that Earth hosts the only form of life. However there's a difference between believing and knowing. This paper doesn't meet the scientific standards of evidence to legitimately make that belief a fact. It would have been cool if it did, though.

 

[Uncensored2008]

Don't know for sure. I doubt it. If they had a union, Obama would never have gutted the organization.

I suspect the big picture grand strategy is to have GM build the next electric shuttle.

Of course it won't get more than 20 feet off the ground before having to switch to the regular rocket motors.

 

[Quantum Windbag]

Uh, yes. The History Channel has produced about eight segments so far called "Ancient Aliens" and they rerun the entire series once every 4-6 weeks. Watch for it. It will blow your mind.

It was on the History Channel, it must be true. They should rename that piece of dreck the Conspiracy channel.

Only a moron would think so. The "Ancient Aliens" series is indeed theory but based on scientific fact. Got a problem with that? Otherwise, most of the programs on The History Chanel are fact-driven, with the historical FACTS to back up the topic and quite often including video or old film reels. I guess for some people, however, if it isn't on Fox News or found on some sensational website on the Internet, it isn't true.

Most of them?

Ax Men, Monster Quest, Ice Road Truckers, American Picker, and Pawn Stars are just a few of the History Channel shows I can think of. Which of those is based on historical facts?

Get a life.

 

[MaggieMae]

It was on the History Channel, it must be true. They should rename that piece of dreck the Conspiracy channel.

Only a moron would think so. The "Ancient Aliens" series is indeed theory but based on scientific fact. Got a problem with that? Otherwise, most of the programs on The History Chanel are fact-driven, with the historical FACTS to back up the topic and quite often including video or old film reels. I guess for some people, however, if it isn't on Fox News or found on some sensational website on the Internet, it isn't true.

Most of them?

Ax Men, Monster Quest, Ice Road Truckers, American Picker, and Pawn Stars are just a few of the History Channel shows I can think of. Which of those is based on historical facts?

Get a life.

Reality shows sell even on The History Channel. Your argument is still dumb. As for "getting a life," what the fuck does that have to do with a discussion about alien life or TV channels? You do with your life as you see fit, and so do I. Mine is quite fulfilling, by the way, while you appear to be in a perpetual state of anger.

 

[whitehall]

You can find hundreds of them all over the Arizona and Texas border. Oh, you meant the other kind of aliens.

 

[BolshevikHunter]

Only a fool would actually believe that there are not various forms of life somewhere out there. It's mathematically impossible that there is not if you really think about it. ~BH