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Sasha
30th November 2010, 13:51
NASA To Brief Findings For Extraterrestrial Life

By Sophia Meng | November 29, 2010 6:39 PM EST
NASA (http://www.ibtimes.com/topics/detail/192/nasa/) will hold a news conference to discuss an astrobiology finding that will impact the search for evidence of extraterrestrial life.

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IBTimes
NASA will hold a press conference discussing recent research in the search for extraterrestrial life.



The news conference will be held at 2 p.m. EST on Thursday, Dec. 2 at the NASA (http://www.ibtimes.com/topics/detail/192/nasa/) Headquarters auditorium. The live broadcast of the conference will be available at http://www.nasa.gov/ntv .
Astrobiology is the study of the origin, evolution, distribution and future of life in the universe.
Though the science journal has embargoed details of the discoveries secret until the conference, it can be expected to be related to three fundamental questions from NASA's Astrobiology Program: How does life begin and evolve? Is there life beyond Earth and, if so, how can we detect it? What is the future of life on Earth and in the universe?



NASA funded its first astrobiology project in 1959 and established its Exobiology Program in 1960. NASA's Viking missions to Mars, launched in 1976, included three experiments designed to look for possible signs of life. In the 21st century, astrobiology is a focus of a growing number of NASA solar system exploration missions.
The briefing participants will include Mary Voytek, director of Astrobiology Program, Felisa Wolfe-Simon, NASA astrobiology research fellow, Pamela Conrad, astrobiologist at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Steven Benner, distinguished fellow from Foundation for Applied Molecular Evolution and James Elser, professor from Arizona (http://www.ibtimes.com/topics/detail/472/arizona/) State University.



source: http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/86766/20101129/nasa-astrobiology-extraterrestrial-life.htm

press release nasa:



NASA News Conference on Astrobiology Discovery


Category:

Date: Thursday, December 2, 2010

Location: NASA Headquarters auditorium 300 E St. SW, Washington, DC 20546, US


WASHINGTON -- NASA will hold a news conference at 2 p.m. EST on Thursday, Dec. 2, to discuss an astrobiology finding that will impact the search for evidence of extraterrestrial life. Astrobiology is the study of the origin, evolution, distribution and future of life in the universe.

The news conference will be held at the NASA Headquarters auditorium at 300 E St. SW, in Washington. It will be broadcast live on NASA Television and streamed on the agency's website at http://www.nasa.gov (http://www.nasa.gov/).

Participants are:

- Mary Voytek, director, Astrobiology Program, NASA Headquarters, Washington
- Felisa Wolfe-Simon, NASA astrobiology research fellow, U.S. Geological Survey, Menlo Park, Calif.
- Pamela Conrad, astrobiologist, NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.
- Steven Benner, distinguished fellow, Foundation for Applied Molecular Evolution, Gainesville, Fla.
- James Elser, professor, Arizona State University, Tempe

Media representatives may attend the conference or ask questions by phone or from participating NASA locations. To obtain dial-in information, journalists must send their name, affiliation and telephone number to Steve Cole at [email protected] or call 202-358-0918 by noon Dec. 2.

For NASA TV streaming video and downlink information, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/ntv

For more information about NASA astrobiology activities, visit: http://astrobiology.nasa.gov (http://astrobiology.nasa.gov/)

Web Site Address: http://astrobiology.nasa.gov (http://astrobiology.nasa.gov/)



speculation is its about findings on mars because thats Pamela Conrads field of expertise

ÑóẊîöʼn
30th November 2010, 22:14
I hope that whatever it is, it's something fairly major - a good way to lose public interest is to make a big show over something small or ambiguous or something that turns out to be not so exciting at all.

Nevertheless, I'm looking forward to whatever it is they've got to say.

Sasha
1st December 2010, 19:19
see: http://www.revleft.com/vb/nasa-finds-new-t145822/index.html

Comrade Wolfie's Very Nearly Banned Adventures
1st December 2010, 20:20
That is some pretty big news. I though the most commonly theorized other 'basis' for life was silicone?

Amphictyonis
1st December 2010, 20:38
see: http://www.revleft.com/vb/nasa-finds-new-t145822/index.html

Makes me think of Titan. Too bad there's no profit for capitalists in a multi robotic trip to Titan and or Europa (the Huygens probe didn't seem to get much of a look). I've always thought Europa would be more likely to have life but Titan looks appealing as well. As far as the universe goes I need no scientist to tell me life may exist out there. It simply has to, with the amount of stars and planets.

Q
2nd December 2010, 07:58
Makes me think of Titan. Too bad there's no profit for capitalists in a multi robotic trip to Titan and or Europa (the Huygens probe didn't seem to get much of a look). I've always thought Europa would be more likely to have life but Titan looks appealing as well. As far as the universe goes I need no scientist to tell me life may exist out there. It simply has to, with the amount of stars and planets.

Basically anywhere where fluids exist could life develop. Europe possibly has fluid water, as does Mars underground, Titan has vast oceans of fluid methane. And Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune have a fluidic atmosphere (they are gas giants, but gravity will make sure that in the deeper layers these gasses are compressed to become fluidic).

As this arsenic find points out, just looking for "Earth-like life" might prove to be way too narrow and our solarsystem could be swarming with different forms of life. Earth just happens to be the most developed and a place where the most intelligent species are.

Or is it? ;)