Comet 67P Exhibits Signs Opening Up Possibility of Alien Life

[Sturgeon]

http://time.com/3946292/comet-philae-life-microbial-67p-astronomers-alien/

[Xlucine]

I prefer the guardian's article:

 

Neither Rosetta nor Philae are equipped to search for direct evidence of life after a proposal to include this in the mission was allegedly laughed out of court. Maverick astronomer and astrobiologist Prof Chandra Wickramasinghe, who was involved in the mission planning 15 years ago, believes people should be more open to the possibility of alien life.

Wickramasinghe said: “Five hundred years ago it was a struggle to have people accept that the Earth was not the centre of the universe. After that revolution our thinking has remained Earth-centred in relation to life and biology. It’s deeply ingrained in our scientific culture and it will take a lot of evidence to kick it over.”

Prof Wickramasinghe’s views are regarded as several steps outside the scientific mainstream. He has previously suggested that the SARS virus arrived to Earth from space and that airborne spores that caused rainfall in Kerala to turn a reddish hue had an extraterrestrial origin.

He and colleague Dr Max Wallis, from the University of Cardiff, believe 67P and other comets like it could provide homes for living microbes similar to the “extremophiles” that inhabit the most inhospitable regions of the Earth.

Comets may have helped to sow the seeds of life on Earth and possibly other planets such as Mars, they argue.

The scientists have carried out computer simulations that suggest microbes could inhabit watery regions of the comet. Organisms containing anti-freeze salts could be active at temperatures as low as -40C, their research shows.

The comet has a black hydrocarbon crust overlaying ice, smooth icy “seas” and flat-bottomed craters containing lakes of re-frozen water overlain with organic debris.
Wickramasinghe said data coming from the comet seems to point to “micro-organisms being involved in the formation of the icy structures, the preponderance of aromatic hydrocarbons, and the very dark surface”.

http://www.theguardian.com/science/2015/jul/06/philae-comet-could-be-home-to-alien-life-say-top-scientists

 

So a couple of scientists who asked for a device to sense life to be placed on philae (and were "laughed out of court") are saying they were right all along. I'd prefer to wait for more scientists to come out in favour of this before believing it

[Khand-e]

Are we alone in the universe? What do you guys think? Part 5.

[Belesarius]

Very interesting stuff.

[LostCosmonaut]

I'd like to wait for more information, but I'm cautiously optimistic.

 

Still waiting for NASA to send orbiters/landers to Europa, Enceladus, Titan, et. al., which evidence shows have at least a good a chance of extraterrestial life as the comet. (Especially considering there's some nontrivial evidence of life on Titan based on atmospheric processes.)

[Priory_of_Sion]

I believe the comet is just an egg for a cyclopean creature, like the ones who built the Pyramids in Egypt, Mexico, and on the Moon. I know this is true. Don't argue with my beliefs you bigots.

Microbial "life" might be fairly common, but I doubt it is on every comet or rocky body. Abiogenesis is a complex process and might be impossible in many environments.