Extraterresterial Life Exists, Scientist Claims

[Hum]

If a group of scientists are correct, tiny fossils uncovered inside a meteorite found in Sri Lanka in December are proof of extraterrestrial life.

In a detailed paper called "Fossil Diatoms In A New Carbonaceous Meteorite" that is appearing in the Journal of Cosmology, Chandra Wickramasinghe claims to have found strong evidence that life exists throughout the universe.

An electron microscope was used to study the reported remains of a large meteorite (see image below) that fell near the Sri Lanka village of Polonnaruwa on Dec. 29.

Wickramasinghe is the director of the Buckingham Centre for Astrobiology at the University of Buckingham in the U.K. In December, he and his colleagues found "a microstructure and morphology characteristic of a wide class of terrestrial diatoms." The group concluded that "the presence of structures of this kind in any extraterrestrial setting could be construed as unequivocal proof of biology" -- in other words, proof of life outside of planet Earth.

Wickramasinghe and English astronomer Sir Fred Hoyle have co-developed a theory known as "panspermia," which suggests that life exists throughout the universe and is distributed by meteoroids and asteroids.

"We conclude ... that the identification of fossilised diatoms [as shown in the image below] in the Polonnaruwa meteorite is firmly established and unimpeachable. Since this meteorite is considered to be an extinct cometary fragment, the idea of microbial life carried within comets and the theory of cometary panspermia is thus vindicated," Wickramasinghe wrote in the research paper.

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[Crisp]

Although I do believe in other life forms somewhere out there, cross contamination could be the cause. The only way you'll ever be able to really prove it, is if you find it from another planet other than our own.

[The Evil Overlord]

Well of course it exists, just look at HUM's sig

all the proof I need :p

[Rippleman]

Although I do believe in other life forms somewhere out there, cross contamination could be the cause. The only way you'll ever be able to really prove it, is if you find it from another planet other than our own.

i am not a molecular scientist or biologist, but i would assume the science field has certain checks in place to prevent errors just like the one you are proposing.

[ILikeTobacco]

It isn't a matter of if there is life, it is a matter of where.

[Astra.Xtreme]

It isn't a matter of if there is life, it is a matter of where.

And when. I would think the best way to find signs of life would be to uncover some remains similar to how we dig up dinosaur bones.

Hell, I'd believe that Mars has remains of life on it, but we're just not able to dig deep enough yet.

[psionicinversion]

it could be the way planets get "seeded" with life, there was a sudden explosion of life or someat on our planet billions of years ago, could of bin seeded by a meteorite like this, in which case there would be more carbon based life like our own through our own galaxy.

anyone who believes we are the only intelligent life in the entire universe is stupid, because what would be the point in exploring anything. may as well just sit on this little rock of ours and wait till we get blown up by the a meteorite or someat.

[The Evil Overlord]

And when. I would think the best way to find signs of life would be to uncover some remains similar to how we dig up dinosaur bones.

Hell, I'd believe that Mars has remains of life on it, but we're just not able to dig deep enough yet.

I remember a news story on TV stating they did find fossilised remains on Mars (vaguely)

[Wakers]

Although I do believe in other life forms somewhere out there, cross contamination could be the cause. The only way you'll ever be able to really prove it, is if you find it from another planet other than our own.

The meteorite landed last year and it contains fossils of what appear to be microbiological life.

Either it had the incredible fortune to land on a bed of previously undiscovered microbiological fossils and incorporate them into its structure without somehow destroying them on impact, or you didn't really think your comment through :D

They're either extra-terrestrial life or something non-biological that looks uncannily like something biological.

[ILikeTobacco]

I remember a news story on TV stating they did find fossilised remains on Mars (vaguely)

I remember that. I think it was more like "what they thought could be fossilized remains." Never confirmed though.

[Astra.Xtreme]

I remember a news story on TV stating they did find fossilised remains on Mars (vaguely)

I think Curiosity found something that resembled corral, but they never really went any deeper than that.

Or are you thinking of something different?

[The Evil Overlord]

I think Curiosity found something that resembled corral, but they never really went any deeper than that.

Or are you thinking of something different?

It might have been that,

ILIKETOBACCO mentioned it was unconfirmed, but I'm just glad someone other than me remembered it :)

[ILikeTobacco]

It might have been that,

ILIKETOBACCO mentioned it was unconfirmed, but I'm just glad someone other than me remembered it :)

Here ya go

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ALH84001

[geertd]

Hum

read this http://www.slate.com/blogs/bad_astronomy/2013/01/15/life_in_a_meteorite_claims_by_n_c_wickramasinghe_of_diatoms_in_a_meteorite.html

totally debunks Wickramasinghe article

[_neutrino Veteran]

as large as the universe is i would expect there to be live somewhere else. whether we have proof of it or not.

[Astra.Xtreme]

Hum

read this http://www.slate.com..._meteorite.html

totally debunks Wickramasinghe article

Interesting! Thanks for posting that. :)

[Hum]

Hum

read this http://www.slate.com..._meteorite.html

totally debunks Wickramasinghe article

I am simply posting the story -- doesn't mean I agree with it. ;)

[Davo]

We'll meet them soon enough

[NotChetHanks]

I honestly don't understand how people still think we are the only living intelligent beings. One planet, in one solar system in a galaxy of billions of them in a universe of billions of galaxies. Why is this even a debate anymore? Life exists and we aren't the only living breathing intelligent creatures.

[@Leo]

I honestly don't understand how people still think we are the only living intelligent beings. One planet, in one solar system in a galaxy of billions of them in a universe of billions of galaxies. Why is this even a debate anymore? Life exists and we aren't the only living breathing intelligent creatures.

Hurr durr the bible doesn't mention extraterrestrial life. Why would there be such life, when earth is the center of the universe?

[TPreston]

I honestly don't understand how people still think we are the only living intelligent beings. One planet, in one solar system in a galaxy of billions of them in a universe of billions of galaxies. Why is this even a debate anymore? Life exists and we aren't the only living breathing intelligent creatures.

Because There is one key missing piece of information which is how common is the formation of life.

That could be anywhere from so common our solar system is the exception and most planets have life to its extremely uncommon so much so that only one other planet with life exsists in the universe and its on the other side.

So saying look at the stars is useless. Life diversifying we gave that covered. The formation of life from non life there's some compelling evidence but no theory

Overreaching is bad.

[LUTZIFER]

as large as the universe is i would expect there to be live somewhere else. whether we have proof of it or not.

Exactly. Doesn't even make sense for people to think that out of the trillions and trillions of other planets out there, that ours is the only one with life.

[Dot Matrix]

Hum

read this http://www.slate.com..._meteorite.html

totally debunks Wickramasinghe article

Just about to post this.

[NotChetHanks]

Because There is one key missing piece of information which is how common is the formation of life.

That could be anywhere from so common our solar system is the exception and most planets have life to its extremely uncommon so much so that only one other planet with life exsists in the universe and its on the other side.

So saying look at the stars is useless. Life diversifying we gave that covered. The formation of life from non life there's some compelling evidence but no theory

Overreaching is bad.

If one other planet has intelligent life then "look at the stars" isn't so useless. If there is no other life out there then the theory that life is one big accident is null and void and maybe those "religious nuts" are right. Evolution is wrong and intelligent deisgn is correct. It can't be both ways. Every other thing in nature that happens naturally or by accident happens more than once. Anything that happens only once was intentional. These are stone cold scientific facts. How is it over reaching?

[TPreston]

Evolution doesn't address the origon of life.