If we rule out life elsewhere in our Solar System, why not seed it ourselves?

[fncceo]

far future generations.

Far, far, far, far, far, far, far future generations.

Exactly there isn't time. In 65 million years our Sun will become a 'red giant' and destroy much of the solar system.

We need to be investing all our efforts into building 'star ships', self sufficient in food and fuel so as we can go to "infinity and beyond".......well perhaps not quite that far. Indeed any old planet in any old solar system that passes the 'goldilocks test' will suffice

In 65 million years, human (if we can still call ourselves that) will no more resemble us than we resemble a sea sponge.

A star ship as we conceive it today would be as primitive flint tools.

Who knows what other Earth species might achieve sentience in that amount of time?

My money is on the dogs.

View attachment 378141

Don't be a smuck - get on the truck!

It's "schmuck".

Please don't speak Yiddish. My ears hurt when you do it.

 

[alang1216]

Why not seed Europa's oceans with micro-organisms? Why not seed the ice caps of Mars with life? Why not seed the methane oceans of Titan with life?

What is the worst that could happen? Maybe we can even engineer the life we seed on each body in order to benefit ourselves. For example, we genetically engineer bacteria for Mars seeding that converts carbon dioxide to oxygen, leaving hydrocarbon waste for us to use to make energy.

I think the obvious target would be Venus. Superheated so most likely sterile. Drop in some self-replicating, bacteria or plants that could float in the thick atmosphere and convert the CO2 to a solid that drops to the surface. Once the CO2 is gone the planet cools.

 

[Oz and the Orchestra]

far future generations.

Far, far, far, far, far, far, far future generations.

Exactly there isn't time. In 65 million years our Sun will become a 'red giant' and destroy much of the solar system.

We need to be investing all our efforts into building 'star ships', self sufficient in food and fuel so as we can go to "infinity and beyond".......well perhaps not quite that far. Indeed any old planet in any old solar system that passes the 'goldilocks test' will suffice

In 65 million years, human (if we can still call ourselves that) will no more resemble us than we resemble a sea sponge.

A star ship as we conceive it today would be as primitive flint tools.

Who knows what other Earth species might achieve sentience in that amount of time?

My money is on the dogs.

View attachment 378141

Don't be a smuck - get on the truck!

It's "schmuck".

Please don't speak Yiddish. My ears hurt when you do it.

And I thought I was being 'yankified'! - actually i knew there was a ch in there somewhere.

Its called corrupting a language, like you yanks corrupt the Queens English - Colour not Color, Through not Thru, Realise not Realize.

I set this computer to UK English yet it keeps red lining. There is only one form of English no such thing as US.

 

[Oz and the Orchestra]

Why not seed Europa's oceans with micro-organisms? Why not seed the ice caps of Mars with life? Why not seed the methane oceans of Titan with life?

What is the worst that could happen? Maybe we can even engineer the life we seed on each body in order to benefit ourselves. For example, we genetically engineer bacteria for Mars seeding that converts carbon dioxide to oxygen, leaving hydrocarbon waste for us to use to make energy.

I think the obvious target would be Venus. Superheated so most likely sterile. Drop in some self-replicating, bacteria or plants that could float in the thick atmosphere and convert the CO2 to a solid that drops to the surface. Once the CO2 is gone the planet cools.

Could this super bacteria be used to kill covid as I'm a bit nervous about disinfectant!

 

[fncceo]

far future generations.

Far, far, far, far, far, far, far future generations.

Exactly there isn't time. In 65 million years our Sun will become a 'red giant' and destroy much of the solar system.

We need to be investing all our efforts into building 'star ships', self sufficient in food and fuel so as we can go to "infinity and beyond".......well perhaps not quite that far. Indeed any old planet in any old solar system that passes the 'goldilocks test' will suffice

In 65 million years, human (if we can still call ourselves that) will no more resemble us than we resemble a sea sponge.

A star ship as we conceive it today would be as primitive flint tools.

Who knows what other Earth species might achieve sentience in that amount of time?

My money is on the dogs.

View attachment 378141

Don't be a smuck - get on the truck!

It's "schmuck".

Please don't speak Yiddish. My ears hurt when you do it.

And I thought I was being 'yankified'! - actually i knew there was a ch in there somewhere.

Its called corrupting a language, like you yanks corrupt the Queens English - Colour not Color, Through not Thru, Realise not Realize.

I set this computer to UK English yet it keeps red lining. There is only one form of English no such thing as US.

Only 60 million people speak "The Queen's" -- fewer since you can't count the Welsh.

320 million Americans speak American English.

About a BILLION Indians speak their particular brand of English.

So, Apu wins!

 

[Oz and the Orchestra]

far future generations.

Far, far, far, far, far, far, far future generations.

Exactly there isn't time. In 65 million years our Sun will become a 'red giant' and destroy much of the solar system.

We need to be investing all our efforts into building 'star ships', self sufficient in food and fuel so as we can go to "infinity and beyond".......well perhaps not quite that far. Indeed any old planet in any old solar system that passes the 'goldilocks test' will suffice

In 65 million years, human (if we can still call ourselves that) will no more resemble us than we resemble a sea sponge.

A star ship as we conceive it today would be as primitive flint tools.

Who knows what other Earth species might achieve sentience in that amount of time?

My money is on the dogs.

View attachment 378141

Don't be a smuck - get on the truck!

It's "schmuck".

Please don't speak Yiddish. My ears hurt when you do it.

And I thought I was being 'yankified'! - actually i knew there was a ch in there somewhere.

Its called corrupting a language, like you yanks corrupt the Queens English - Colour not Color, Through not Thru, Realise not Realize.

I set this computer to UK English yet it keeps red lining. There is only one form of English no such thing as US.

Only 60 million people speak "The Queen's" -- fewer since you can't count the Welsh.

320 million Americans speak American English.

About a BILLION Indians speak their particular brand of English.

So, Apu wins!

I did of course mean 'yankeefied' which I'm told isn't a word either.

As in music, the original is always the best.

Is 'Yiddish' a corruption of German or Hebrew?

 

[fncceo]

Is 'Yiddish' a corruption of German or Hebrew?

That's need to know.

 

[Oz and the Orchestra]

Is 'Yiddish' a corruption of German or Hebrew?

That's need to know.

Err yea.....sorry, sorry, as a member of the UK Labour Party I don't want to be accused of being ant-Semitic. Shut up Jeremy!

 

[Fort Fun Indiana]

can't even take care of our own planet. What makes you think humans are responsible enough to "Green House" other orbiting planetoids in our solar system to benefit ourselves?

I wasn't even suggesting that much. Dump some organisms, and watch what happens.

 

[Fort Fun Indiana]

Because the oceans of Europa are already teeming with life: coral, squid, octopus, etc

Maybe, but remember, we will have ruled that out, in this scenario.

 

[Fort Fun Indiana]

I realize you’re serious, but I wonder about possible negative consequences, like the seeded life evolving into “enemies” of our far future generations.

That's why i asked, "What's the worst that could happen?"

What you are suggesting might take a while.

 

[Fort Fun Indiana]

Sometimes I think Mars may be a bit too close to home for that because sometimes rocks from Mars land on Earth.

We could end up with a scenario where life evolves on Mars for millennia, then a novel pathogen from Mars that is viable somehow gets brought back to Earth's atmosphere on a meteor. An invasive species that wreaks havoc.

Now see, that is scary. But i wonder how plausible such a thing is. Like, is that a real concern, given that pathogens here have evolved inside and alongside mammals (for example) for 60 million years? Could a pathogen with no such environment even effect humans? I don't know.

 

[Fort Fun Indiana]

Why not seed Europa's oceans with micro-organisms? Why not seed the ice caps of Mars with life? Why not seed the methane oceans of Titan with life?

What is the worst that could happen? Maybe we can even engineer the life we seed on each body in order to benefit ourselves. For example, we genetically engineer bacteria for Mars seeding that converts carbon dioxide to oxygen, leaving hydrocarbon waste for us to use to make energy.


Why we don't? I think it may revolve around availability of $$$$$.

If we can send a probe, we can send a probe full of bacteria.

 

[Fort Fun Indiana]

Maybe we should take better care of the planet we have before we start screwing with other planets. Just saying

Well sure, and we will, eventually. But that aside... Thoughts?

 

[Fort Fun Indiana]

Now, about your ideas of playing God, I shudder when I think of the law of unintended consequences.

Such as? That's the kind of stuff i would like to hear.

 

[Marion Morrison]

Why not seed Europa's oceans with micro-organisms? Why not seed the ice caps of Mars with life? Why not seed the methane oceans of Titan with life?

What is the worst that could happen? Maybe we can even engineer the life we seed on each body in order to benefit ourselves. For example, we genetically engineer bacteria for Mars seeding that converts carbon dioxide to oxygen, leaving hydrocarbon waste for us to use to make energy.

Breathing air is nice..

Correction. You, not breathing air is nice. Actually, wonderful.

Here's some education for you.

Life on Mars?

It's hard enough to identify fossilized microbes on Earth. How would we ever recognize them on Mars?

www.smithsonianmag.com

You not breathing is better for all mankind.

 

[Fort Fun Indiana]

Why not seed Europa's oceans with micro-organisms? Why not seed the ice caps of Mars with life? Why not seed the methane oceans of Titan with life?

What is the worst that could happen? Maybe we can even engineer the life we seed on each body in order to benefit ourselves. For example, we genetically engineer bacteria for Mars seeding that converts carbon dioxide to oxygen, leaving hydrocarbon waste for us to use to make energy.

I think the obvious target would be Venus. Superheated so most likely sterile. Drop in some self-replicating, bacteria or plants that could float in the thick atmosphere and convert the CO2 to a solid that drops to the surface. Once the CO2 is gone the planet cools.

Love it! But there wouldn't be much atmosphere left.

 

[alang1216]

Why not seed Europa's oceans with micro-organisms? Why not seed the ice caps of Mars with life? Why not seed the methane oceans of Titan with life?

What is the worst that could happen? Maybe we can even engineer the life we seed on each body in order to benefit ourselves. For example, we genetically engineer bacteria for Mars seeding that converts carbon dioxide to oxygen, leaving hydrocarbon waste for us to use to make energy.

I think the obvious target would be Venus. Superheated so most likely sterile. Drop in some self-replicating, bacteria or plants that could float in the thick atmosphere and convert the CO2 to a solid that drops to the surface. Once the CO2 is gone the planet cools.

Could this super bacteria be used to kill covid as I'm a bit nervous about disinfectant!

Relax. If we keep putting CO2 into our atmosphere we could get a runaway greenhouse effect like the one on Venus. That will kill all the covid.

 

[alang1216]

Why not seed Europa's oceans with micro-organisms? Why not seed the ice caps of Mars with life? Why not seed the methane oceans of Titan with life?

What is the worst that could happen? Maybe we can even engineer the life we seed on each body in order to benefit ourselves. For example, we genetically engineer bacteria for Mars seeding that converts carbon dioxide to oxygen, leaving hydrocarbon waste for us to use to make energy.

I think the obvious target would be Venus. Superheated so most likely sterile. Drop in some self-replicating, bacteria or plants that could float in the thick atmosphere and convert the CO2 to a solid that drops to the surface. Once the CO2 is gone the planet cools.

Love it! But there wouldn't be much atmosphere left.

I think there is plenty of nitrogen in the Venus atmosphere and the CO2 could yield enough O2 to replicate Earth's atmosphere.

 

[abu afak]

Why not seed Europa's oceans with micro-organisms? Why not seed the ice caps of Mars with life? Why not seed the methane oceans of Titan with life?

What is the worst that could happen? Maybe we can even engineer the life we seed on each body in order to benefit ourselves. For example, we genetically engineer bacteria for Mars seeding that converts carbon dioxide to oxygen, leaving hydrocarbon waste for us to use to make energy.

It is the smallest of the Galilean moons. Temperature: Europa's surface temperature at the equator never rises above minus 260 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 160 degrees Celsius). At the poles of the moon, the temperature never rises above minus 370 F (minus 220 C).Mar 22, 2018
Orbits: Jupiter
Discoverer: Galileo Galilei
Europa — Facts And Information About Jupiter Moon Europa ...

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