[meteorite-list] Astrobiologists Find Stuff

From: Richard Montgomery <rickmont_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Wed, 13 Mar 2013 17:16:55 -0700
Message-ID: <AC450F0C3D7343EDAD467A17FEE68B82_at_bosoheadPC>

Michael M and List,

First, apologies to be so Sci-Fi...not the intention. If I had a better
rocker I'd probably be knocked off of it for remotely, even slightltly
suggesting this, especially to this credentialed List; best a slap
upside-the-head to get me back to reality...

Meanwhile, here goes....it falls into the X-curiousity factor of all
equations: how can we rule out everything that hasn't already been ruled in?
To wit: given what we know about Life-to-develop-needs-100%-water, what
don't we know? Is our silly-human insignificance bound only by what we
currently know and entertain as possibilities?

This is NOT an endoresment for rice-paddy science; nor a support for the
previous thread. I've just always wondered why we assume that all elemental
progressions are known.

Big stew out there! I really would like to hear from you
heavy-weights...it'll rest better when I read.

Sincerely, and good thing I'm not a B-movie producer,
Richard Montgomery


----- Original Message -----
From: "Michael Mulgrew" <mikestang at gmail.com>
To: "Mark Ford" <mark.ford at southernscientific.co.uk>; "Meteorite List"
<meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com>
Sent: Wednesday, March 13, 2013 9:28 AM
Subject: Re: [meteorite-list] Astrobiologists Find Ancient
FossilsinFireballFragments


> Considering our current understanding of what it takes for life to
> develop, i.e. water is 100% absolutely necessary, I would say the
> recent evidence of Mars' wet past increases the chances of
> extraterrestrial life discovery by much, much more than "a tiny tiny
> amount".
>
> Michael in so. Cal.
>
> On Wed, Mar 13, 2013 at 9:03 AM, Mark Ford
> <mark.ford at southernscientific.co.uk> wrote:
>>
>> Sure and I don't deny finding water or evidence of it is very exciting,
>> but what I question, is 'the building blocks of life claim'. This is pure
>> hype. Sure water and amino acids are essential for life, but I would
>> question exactly how certain life is to evolve when water alone is
>> present. The answer is it's massively more complex than just having
>> flowing water. So finding water does not immediately mean there is any
>> life. From some of the recent press and Nasa coverage, you would get the
>> impression that finding water on Mars automatically means the hunt for
>> extraterrestrial life is nearly over, but the truth is very far from it!
>> It just makes it a tiny tiny amount more likely..
>>
>> Mark
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Received on Wed 13 Mar 2013 08:16:55 PM PDT