Evidence for microbial life trapped inside meteorites...

[SagansHeroes]

...as old as the solar system

http://journalofcosmology.com/Life100.html

Fossils of Cyanobacteria in CI1 Carbonaceous Meteorites:
Implications to Life on Comets, Europa, and Enceladus

Dr. Hoover has discovered evidence of microfossils similar to Cyanobacteria, in freshly fractured slices of the interior surfaces of the Alais, Ivuna, and Orgueil CI1 carbonaceous meteorites. Based on Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM) and other measures, Dr. Hoover has concluded they are indigenous to these meteors and are similar to trichomic cyanobacteria and other trichomic prokaryotes such as filamentous sulfur bacteria. He concludes these fossilized bacteria are not Earthly contaminants but are the fossilized remains of living organisms which lived in the parent bodies of these meteors, e.g. comets, moons, and other astral bodies. The implications are that life is everywhere, and that life on Earth may have come from other planets.

Seems relatively legit... jaw is firmly dropped.

Or have I been hoodwinked by fancy titles?

 

[Unwardil]

If true, it confirms what I have long believed to be true, that if life can exist on earth, it must be able to exist elsewhere and that if it is able to exist someplace then it WILL exist in that place and that's basically everywhere in the universe where you can get the organic components for DNA, which, unless our solar system is atypical in that regard is... Everywhere in the universe where there is stuff.

 

[Pulsar]

Richard Hoover again? He claimed the same thing in 2005 and 2007. If someone else confirms his claims, I'll be interested. Until then, meh.

 

[Master_Ghost_Knight]

The Journal of Cosmology is a known sham, more likely to find scams than actual science. Do not take any of this seriously.

 

[RigelKentaurusA]

Do not take any of this seriously.

Exactly.

 

[Pulsar]

Heh, Phil Plait and PZ Myers have commented on the news. I love it how their characters shine through:

I'll be honest: my own reaction is one of extreme skepticism.

So, to conclude: a claim has been made about micro-fossils in a meteorite. The claims are interesting, the pictures intriguing, but we are a long, long way from knowing whether the claim is valid or not! We've been down this road before and been disappointed. As with any scientific claim, skepticism is needed, and in the case of extraordinary claims, well, you know the saying.

No, no, no. No no no no no no no no.

The extraterrestrial 'bacteria' all look like random mineral squiggles and bumps on a field full of random squiggles and bumps, and apparently, the authors thought some particular squiggle looked sort of like some photo of a bug. This isn't science, it's pareidolia. They might as well be analyzing Martian satellite photos for pictures that sorta kinda look like artifacts.

I'm looking forward to the publication next year of the discovery of an extraterrestrial rabbit in a meteor. While they're at it, they might as well throw in a bigfoot print on the surface and chupacabra coprolite from space. All will be about as convincing as this story.

:lol:

 

[Deleted member 499]

The fact that this guy claims to have found organisms that are known to be present on Earth sets off all sorts of alarm bells about contamination. How far into the interior were the slices taken from? was the meteorite recovered intact or was it a set of grouped stones? How badly fractured was it? Also, two of the meteorites were recovered ~150-200 years ago and one ~70 years ago, what conditions have they been kept in? I realise that there's a possibility that the organisms on Earth could have been seeded by the meteorites, but it would require some evidence. Secondly the entire hypothesis seems to be based on SEM images, he doesn't seem to have done any carbon isotope work. In fact, has he done any chemistry at all? It's similar to the whole fuss about ALH84001 when people start running around making claims before anything has been properly looked at.

The Journal of Cosmology also leaves something to be desired

which lived in the parent bodies of these meteors, e.g. comets, moons, and other astral bodies.

A carbonaceous chondrite is an undifferentiated meteorite with a primitive solar system composition. There is no way in hell the parent body would be a moon or even a large asteroid. It's a minor point, but it's something a journal like this needs to get right if it's going to report on this kind of stuff.

 

[AndromedasWake]

Don't get swept away by the Journal of Cosmology - it's about as easy to get published there as the journal of my ass (see JoMA editorial guidelines)

This is the same journal, after all, whose editors felt the following was appropriate when stirring up the Tyche shitstorm over statistically insignificant data;

The torches and pitchforks crowd, led by astronomer-wannabe Phil Plait claims its not so. But then, Plait's most famous discovery was finding one of his old socks when it went missing after a spin in his dryer.

Awfully catty, don't you think?

Hoover is welcome to submit to the IJoA and provide samples for other scientists, or continue to publish through a website which is also, coincidentally, a mouthpiece for his books.

 

[Deleted member 499]

Looks like it's not going to be around much longer, found this. Although I can't find the original press release. Obviously it's a suitably whiny and paranoid bitch about how it's been killed off by the establishment because it dared to speak the "truth"

http://daviddobbs.posterous.com/journal-of-cosmology-going-out-with-big-bang

My problem is not where it's been published, it's the chance that the media are going to get hold of it and massively blow it out of proportion like they did with ALH84001.

 

[Pulsar]

OMG, the Journal of Cosmology has written and official reaction to all the criticism: http://journalofcosmology.com/Life100.html

Have the Terrorist Won?

Only a few crackpots and charlatans have denounced the Hoover study. NASA's chief scientist was charged with unprofessional conduct for lying publicly about the Journal of Cosmology and the Hoover paper. The same crackpots, self-promoters, liars, and failures, are quoted repeatedly in the media. However, where is the evidence the Hoover study is not accurate?

Few legitimate scientists have come forward to contest Hoover's findings. Why is that? Because the evidence is solid.

But why have so few scientists come forward to attest to the validity? The answer is: They are afraid. They are terrified. And for good reason.

The status quo and their "hand puppets" will stop at nothing to crush debate about important scientific issues, and this includes slander, defamation, trade libel... they will ruin you. Three hundred years ago, they would burn you for questioning orthodoxy. Has anything changed?

The scientific community must march according to the tune whistled by those who control the funding. If you don't do as you are told, if you dare to ask the wrong questions, they will destroy you.

JOC offered the scientific community a unique opportunity to debate an important paper, but for the most part they have declined.

The message is: Be afraid. Be very afraid. Or you will be destroyed.

Why is America in decline?

Maybe the terrorists have won.

:shock: Holy crap. And they expect anyone to take them seriously?