Thread: 120,000 yr old Microbe awakes

From one invisible being to another: I fail to see the connection.

The difference here being that the microbe is a... microbe, and the thing is a... shape shifting alien.

Let me be the first visible person, then, to clarify: The article says we may learn some stuff or other about living things living on other planets, and the movie is about one example of some such possible thing (aka an alien).

Gracias, Mes Tarrant. Just think, some people are fiddling around with this now-thawed microbe in some college lab . . . never even asked for the publics consent.

Originally Posted by InvisibleWoman

Gracias, Mes Tarrant. Just think, some people are fiddling around with this now-thawed microbe in some college lab . . . never even asked for the publics consent.

Could you explain why they should ask for public's consent?

Anyone know toxoplasma gondii?
Scary brain parasite that's supposed to be in half of the people.

http://hubpages.com/hub/Toxoplasma-G...-Extraordinare

Wow, this thread is one big exercise in non sequiturs.

Originally Posted by SnakeCharmer

Wow, this thread is one big exercise in non sequiturs.

Don't get your panties in a twist.

As for consent, I thought that maybe the public would like to think about whether it's okay for some college kids to be defrosting a microbe that's been frozen in what's possibly the closest thing to an extraterrestrial environment on Earth.

Originally Posted by InvisibleWoman

As for consent, I thought that maybe the public would like to think about whether it's okay for some college kids to be defrosting a microbe that's been frozen in what's possibly the closest thing to an extraterrestrial environment on Earth.

Is 'the public' somehow more competent in making decisions about that than 'some college kids?

Also, how else are they supposed to study hypothetical extraterrestrial life forms without "defrosting a microbe that's been frozen in what's possibly the closest thing to an extraterrestrial environment on Earth" and using it as a model?

Interesting in itself, but the article is complete bollocks like pretty much every science article I've ever seen on an American news website. Such a recent microbe gives us no idea about alien life forms at all.

To get a clue what alien life might be like, the best you can do is look to the chemautotrophs which live at the bottom of the oceans around hydrothermal vents, which are possibly some of the oldest life forms on Earth and completely different to life as we know it; but still that only gives you a picture of the variation possible, alien life will probably still be completely unexpected.

Originally Posted by InvisibleWoman

Gracias, Mes Tarrant. Just think, some people are fiddling around with this now-thawed microbe in some college lab . . . never even asked for the publics consent.

Hahahahaha no.

Originally Posted by Xei

Such a recent microbe gives us no idea about alien life forms at all.

True, but it's still useful to study it as it can show how life adapts itself to conditions of extreme cold.
Needles to say, alien extremophiles might be completely different, but you use whatever you have.

Plus, extremophiles are extremely cool (no pun intended) and studies of microorganisms like that often lead to technological applications.

Originally Posted by Xei

the article is complete bollocks like pretty much every science article I've ever seen on an American news website.

I hate to hijack the thread, but I'm getting really tired of the negative stereotypes of Americans that I see fairly frequently around the board. With regard to the above comment I'll just point out that the popular science articles coming out of other countries don't have track records any better than those coming from American sites. Check out the archives of the popular Bad Science blog, written by a London doctor who very frequently takes critical aim at popular science articles primarily coming out of the UK. The phenomenon of poor press coverage of science topics is a global one.

Mainstream American media does not equate to 'Americans'...

I stick by what I say. Almost all Brits would probably agree that American news shows are bizarrely informal and often opinionated which is a complete contrast to the main news channels over here, and I've never seen a science article on an American news site which doesn't exaggerate or go for some kind of shocker headline which isn't really true.

Obviously poor reporting can come from anywhere, but I make the exception for Britain because there is at least one reliable site which doesn't deal in bad science, which is the BBC.

The Fox News report about free energy via burning hydrogen electrolysed from water creating a 'flame which feels on slightly warm to the touch, but is actually hotter than the surface of the sun, demonstrated by its ability to burn solid charcoal' sticks vividly in my mind, although I realise that Fox isn't representative of all media.

Originally Posted by Xei

Obviously poor reporting can come from anywhere, but I make the exception for Britain because there is at least one reliable site which doesn't deal in bad science, which is the BBC.

A perusal of the 33 Bad Science articles tagged with BBC suggests otherwise. So much for Britain's last bastion of reliable science reporting.

Originally Posted by Xei

but I make the exception for Britain because there is at least one reliable site which doesn't deal in bad science, which is the BBC.

One reliable site from a whole country, nice. and the BBC is the biggest joke ever!

Originally Posted by DuB

A perusal of the 33 Bad Science articles tagged with BBC suggests otherwise. So much for Britain's last bastion of reliable science reporting.

I think we'll have to agree that science and mainstream media just don't get along

Originally Posted by InvisibleWoman

Read this:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/livescience/...ter120000years

Then watch this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ouZkkIsLiNg

Gentlemen...The end of the world is nigh. Arm yourselves and protect your women..The Microbe is upon us and it is not friendly. May god help us...May god help us all.