New compelling evidence of life on Venus

[The New California Republic]

Ahhhhhhhhh! Scary aliens!

They are only scary in the sense that if the microbes exist then they are different to most other life forms that we know of, with the exception of some acidophilic microbes we have on Earth.

[Empirical Switzerland]

I was joking

[Atheris]

Ahhhhhhhhh! Scary aliens!

They are only scary in the sense that if the microbes exist then they are different to most other life forms that we know of, with the exception of some acidophilic microbes we have on Earth.

Party pooper.

[Dangine]

If there is life on Venus and they are bacteria, it would cool if we could use them for medical use, although I'm not sure how we would collect them or if they would even be able survive on Earth.

[La Paz de Los Ricos]

If there is life on Venus and they are bacteria, it would cool if we could use them for medical use, although I'm not sure how we would collect them or if they would even be able survive on Earth.

It seems unethical for everyone to rush over to Venus and enslave the potential life it could hold.

I mean, should those microbes have the potential to one day evolve into something bigger, it would be a shame for us to snuff out that potential by stealing some microbes and contaminating the atmosphere with Earth microbes from whatever probes we send over.

[Salus Maior]

If there is life on Venus and they are bacteria, it would cool if we could use them for medical use, although I'm not sure how we would collect them or if they would even be able survive on Earth.

Or we bring back bacteria that starts another pandemic.

That's a fun thought.

[Heloin]

I know this is slightly pedantic, but....

There is no evidence of life on Venus.

There is, however, now some evidence of life in Venus's atmosphere, c. 50 km above the planet's surface.

Given that, for comparison, Everest is about 8.8 km high, and the tallest planetary mountain in the Solar System (Olympus Mons on Mars) is about 26 km high, that's not an entirely academic distinction. If there is life in Venus's atmosphere, then it would seem to exist at a point significantly above the planet's surface at the Venusian tropopause, where the atmospheric pressure is roughly similar to the pressure at Earth's surface, and the temperature is a relatively cool 75 C; in contrast to 93 times denser than our atmosphere and a balmy 460 C on the planet's surface. So if those Venusian microbes exist, it's likely precisely because they're not on Venus.

Possible life found above Venus gives the image of space ships not bacteria flinging itself through the sky personally.

[Aureumterra]

If there is life on Venus and they are bacteria, it would cool if we could use them for medical use, although I'm not sure how we would collect them or if they would even be able survive on Earth.

It seems unethical for everyone to rush over to Venus and enslave the potential life it could hold.

I mean, should those microbes have the potential to one day evolve into something bigger, it would be a shame for us to snuff out that potential by stealing some microbes and contaminating the atmosphere with Earth microbes from whatever probes we send over.

That’s… not how anything works

[Valrifell]

The only way to know conclusively is to launch manned missions to the Venusian atmosphere, who's with me!

[Valrifell]

Ahhhhhhhhh! Scary aliens!

They are only scary in the sense that if the microbes exist then they are different to most other life forms that we know of, with the exception of some acidophilic microbes we have on Earth.

Personally, I find extremophiles terrifying. The waterbear haunts my dreams.

[Empirical Switzerland]

The only way to know conclusively is to launch manned missions to the Venusian atmosphere, who's with me!

Nearly any rover has melted on their surface, humans would do the same. The mission would literally turn into soup.

[Valrifell]

The only way to know conclusively is to launch manned missions to the Venusian atmosphere, who's with me!

Nearly any rover has melted on their surface, humans would do the same. The mission would literally turn into soup.

We're not touching down, just getting into the upper atmosphere where this alleged discovery hangs around. Just need some balloons, don't even need pressurized suits.

[Atheris]

Nearly any rover has melted on their surface, humans would do the same. The mission would literally turn into soup.

We're not touching down, just getting into the upper atmosphere where this alleged discovery hangs around. Just need some balloons, don't even need pressurized suits.

IIRC, the Venusian atmosphere is around 75C, or 167F if you're not a commie. So, yeah, pressurized suits would be needed. It's possible, though.

[Nuroblav]

excitement

^^this

[La Paz de Los Ricos]

It seems unethical for everyone to rush over to Venus and enslave the potential life it could hold.

I mean, should those microbes have the potential to one day evolve into something bigger, it would be a shame for us to snuff out that potential by stealing some microbes and contaminating the atmosphere with Earth microbes from whatever probes we send over.

That’s… not how anything works

Huh.

Then what would be the better thing to say?

[Duvniask]

As far as scientists know, there are only two ways to produce phosphine, either artificially in a lab, or by certain kinds of microbes that live in oxygen-free environments. Since there aren’t any alien labs on Venus (that we know of), that leaves microbes.

Source: https://earthsky.org/space/life-on-venu ... signatures

This is not true. phosphine is quite common on both Jupiter and Saturn, we just don't know of a natural process for creating it on terrestrial planets without life being involved. Our first expectation should be "yet undiscovered chemical process" Not "life" https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/a ... 3509001328

Also remember that we've sent several probes to Venus. If it is microbes there's the distinct possibly that this will be even more disappointing then finding nothing, and we will discover we've contaminated our closest neighbor with earth microbes.

Well, considering Venus it's probably not anything alive now.

But as I understand it, there's a theory that at one point Venus was more habitable.

We can rule out ancient aliens(sorry I had to) phospine is UV sensitive. It would have broken down by now.

It seems like you did not read the OP or the article, which makes clear in later paragraphs that this is talking about terrestrial planets.

[Nilokeras]

Also remember that we've sent several probes to Venus. If it is microbes there's the distinct possibly that this will be even more disappointing then finding nothing, and we will discover we've contaminated our closest neighbor with earth microbes.

Speaking with my ecologist hat on I would think the odds of contamination are a bit smaller on Venus than might be true elsewhere - the environmental mismatch between the soil microbes that are the most likely hitchhikers and the Venusian surface/atmosphere is probably big enough to do them in.

[Duvniask]

Also remember that we've sent several probes to Venus. If it is microbes there's the distinct possibly that this will be even more disappointing then finding nothing, and we will discover we've contaminated our closest neighbor with earth microbes.

Speaking with my ecologist hat on I would think the odds of contamination are a bit smaller on Venus than might be true elsewhere - the environmental mismatch between the soil microbes that are the most likely hitchhikers and the Venusian surface/atmosphere is probably big enough to do them in.

You fucked that quote up so bad you attributed it to me instead.

[Kombinita Socialisma Demokratio]

Likely not the aliens we were looking forward to, but nonetheless exciting!

Just so we're one the same page: the aliens we're looking forward to are the hot ones we want to bang, yes? Twi'leks, Asari, and the like? I could sure go for a hot blue alien waifu.

Rule 34 says that even these potential aliens are the aliens some people were looking forward to.



Anyway, it is not yet proof. Phosphine can form at extremely high temperatures and pressures independent of life, as well as be created by extremophile microbes.
If there is not any evidence for alternative explanations after a while, and there is more evidence for this explanation, then there is probably life on/at Venus.

[UniversalCommons]

Not space syphilis, tentacle beasts.

[Kowani]

Not space syphilis, tentacle beasts.

japan intensifies

[Dumb Ideologies]

Alas, it's unlikely to be the first intelligent life in the galaxy.

[Kowani]

Alas, it's unlikely to be the first intelligent life in the galaxy.

Yeah, dolphins were here first.

[The Huskar Social Union]

Relevant

[Auristania]

Welcome to our Microbial over Lords!