[link]

msbelle, I get a "server too busy" error.

Nevermind. Here it is:

NASA is planning to make a huge announcement today, about possible life in our own solar system.

Exact details of what we can expect to hear have not been released. We do know that evidence has been found that could point to life relatively close to the earth.

Official word is expected this afternoon at 2 p.m. We'll have complete coverage of today's big news when it is released. Tune to News 13 for the complete story.

Cool. I hope it's better evidence than the Mars meteor.

If it turns out to be true it would make me very happy....

possible life in our own solar system.

Um, standing right here?

Not to get altogether too picky, but, ambiguous semantic contraint does that to a girl.

Yeah, could be exciting, but could be very inconclusive. Guess I'll just have to wait and see.

We aren't possible life in the solar system. We are life in the solar system. Which leads me to suspect that the announcement will not be about, say, Earth.

It's a hunch.

Made the 8am meeting. Now it's time for second breakfast.

If it's evidence for life on Mars, then that will hopefully help NASA's budget. (Or it will provide further ammunition to those who say we shouldn't bother going back to the Moon, and just focus on going to Mars.)

If it's evidence for life on Mars, then that will hopefully help NASA's budget.

Nah, they'll just keep with the original plan, which involves sacrificing other projects and stealing their money. They'll just start going after the bigger projects. There's a lot of solid science that is really hurting for funds now, due to Bush's Moon/Mars stuff.

bitter

It's a hunch.

Pfft. You're so loosey-goosey about these things. Next you'll be telling me you believe in psychics!

I will say, it always amuses me the excitement a couple of Martian mushrooms or plankton (or whatever they are) can cause in people. They don't spur the same excitement in me, because, you know, of all the living things I might find on an alien planet, plankton, mushrooms and cockroaches would be sort of, no big whoop.

But even others similarly clueless in the ways of ecology and xenobiology get starry-eyed about the idea of life on other planets. It's sort of sweet, but I confess I also find it sort of baffling.

Well, even if very simple life is found on Mars, it proves that life is possible on other planets besides Earth. Or at least it's an extra data point to support the theory that more advanced forms of life are likely elsewhere.

Plus more evidence that we here on earth are not so special/unique.

I will say, it always amuses me the excitement a couple of Martian mushrooms or plankton (or whatever they are) can cause in people. They don't spur the same excitement in me, because, you know, of all the living things I might find on an alien planet, plankton, mushrooms and cockroaches would be sort of, no big whoop.

I don't think it's so much excitement about the microorganism itself as the implications. If life shows up on the planet next door, then it seems to indicate that life might be pretty common. Combine that with the number of extra-solar planets being found and it seems like there might be a lot of life out there.

I'm pretty skeptical about the announcement being anything conclusive though.