Cassini Finds Hydrocarbons on Titan..(guess we can throw away our Bibles now)

ap ^ | Mon, Apr 25, 2005 | na

[Flavius]

PASADENA, Calif. - A close flyby of Saturn's big moon Titan by the international Cassini spacecraft revealed an upper atmosphere brimming with complex organic material, a finding that could hold clues to how life arose on Earth, scientists said Monday.

Cassini flew within 638 miles of Titan's frozen surface on April 16 and discovered a hydrocarbon-laced upper atmosphere.

Titan's atmosphere is mainly made up of nitrogen and methane, the simplest type of hydrocarbon. But scientists were surprised to find complex organic material in the latest flyby. Because Titan is extremely cold — about minus 290 degrees — scientists expected the organic material to condense and rain down to the surface.

"We are beginning to appreciate the role of the upper atmosphere in the complex carbon cycle that occurs on Titan," said Hunter Waite, a professor at the University of Michigan.

Scientists believe Titan's atmosphere may be similar to that of the primordial Earth and studying it could provide clues to how life began.

The $3.3 billion Cassini mission, funded by NASA and the European and Italian space agencies, was launched in 1997 and took seven years to reach Saturn. The European Huygens probe carried aboard Cassini was released on Dec. 24 and plunged to the surface of Titan in January.

[Last Dakotan]

Science might very well answer the question of how life was formed, but it will never answer the more important question of why.

[Flavius]

because it could

[AntiGuv]

It's not the methane itself that cannot be explained without biology, but rather the presence of methane and carbon dioxide together. That doesn't mean it won't be explained by abiotic means, just that we don't know how to explain it yet. When all's said and done, I would not be surprised if Titan is dead as dead can be, but my point is that we have no basis yet to proclaim Titan yet.

[jla]

There's nothing in the Bible to preclude civilizations on other planets regardless of what some narrow, rigid Christians assert.

So did Jesus do more than one crucification & resurrection?

[AntiGuv]

No basis to proclaim Titan dead, that is..

[WorkingClassFilth]

Seems to me that 'multiple worlds' theory would hold that Christ did not die once for all unless some advanced civilizations are perfect in sinless states.

I don't believe in pan-galactic life in the first place, so multiple races of uber Adam & Eves is wa-a-a-ay over the top to me. However, this is America and people are free to take comfort in whatever turns their crank - or engages their hyperdrive.

[Marine_Uncle]

If Carl Sagan was required to make it as a research scientist he would have ended up with a bottle of rum in some skid row.
As for life emerging from organic molecular structures, we have yet to see anyone lay out anyting that even closely resembles a "honest" portrayed scenario. And least we forget, the earth very unique placement within the sun's orbit, the tilt of the earth, it's rotation, all contribute to a very very find line between the possibilities of life existing, verse no probablility of any living organisms existing let along thriving. Quite frankly I do not like tax dollars going toward such idiotic ventures as seeking life where it cannot exists. It just seems to me that to many supposed scientist are still living in the 50's when guys like Stanley Miller managed to create some very basic organic molecular structures with very tightly controlled conditions, cold traps and the like to gather what simply turned into goo afterwards. Living systems are extremely complex. The biochemistry of life is so wonderouse it should make us all lay on our faces in humbleness. To think any scientist would actually think a carbon based life form could form and thrive on Titans moon is to me utterly ridiculous. And I am not trying to be rude to anyone that believes otherwise. Could an Silicon based CPU just come into existence from raw materials? Think hard about it.
All the knowledge, and different fields of science that go into creating a integrated circuit. I know I designed them, and understand the processing involved. I tell you even the most simple form of living organism, is far more complex then anything mankind has ever attempted to build. Just to think it all just evolved is just nonesense. The simplest cell requires to many mechanisms to be fully functional in order for it to exist, and if the any particular function say some protein synthesis loop is interupted because something prevents a particular enzyme from doing it's thing the cell will die. So how on earth could the cell ever come to be if the enzymes, exact correct rna/dna and other protein molecules, and the large number of intellegent chemical reactions that must all be in place and working correctly where not already in place and functioning properly?

[sitetest]

Dear skr,

"Personally, I believe He was speaking of Gentiles."

You think aliens keep kosher?


sitetest

[spinestein]

[Since methane dissipates without constant replenishment and since the only thing we know of to create such atmospheric mixtures (acetylene, ethane, methane, and carbon dioxide) is biology, what we know bodes quite well for something to call Titan home.]


Methane is only unstable on Earth in the presence of oxygen.

It is very likely that the early Earth had methane in it's atmosphere until the evolution of photosynthesizing plants created the significant amounts of oxygen.

Methane is very abundant in the atmospheres of all the outer giant planets (Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune).

[taxesareforever]

a finding that could hold clues to how life arose on Earth, scientists said Monday.

They must have spotted a Bible on Titan and I can guarantee it holds clues to how life on earth arose.

[Paloma_55]

Science might very well answer the question of how life was formed, but it will never answer the more important question of why.

He is no fool that gives up what he can not have, to gain what he can not lose.

If the atheists are right, then we will all just perish and turn to dust.

If we are right, THEY will perish and turn to dust.

[Quix]

The Bible declares that

ALLLLLL CREATION GROANS EAGERLY, EXPECTANTLY AWAITING THE MANIFESTATION OF THE SONS OF GOD.

Presumably for their ruling and rigning with Christ over endless civilizations and galaxies and endless ages.

There's no philosophical nor Biblical problem with Christ having died once and for all on earth for all Creation.

[Flavius]

well i figured this 'news' would throw everyone in a franzy

one can only imagine what those poor scientist had to go through to convice the clergy that earth was not flat...

granted there are less and less mysteries in the Bible to the point where people have to say well... you cant take it literal.. and off course there are people that do...

frankly i have no idea either way im just tryin to pay the bills

[clamper1797]

I don't think Jesus needs UFO's at all.

What does God need with a space ship ???

[Quix]

See my reply to 46 at #52

[AntiGuv]

First of all, Titan does not have enough gravity to keep any atmosphere from escaping, so whatever atmosphere Titan has must be constantly replenished. Second, UV radiation breaks methane down.

The Jovian, etc. atmospheres are a totally different situation that have no bearing on Titan.

[WorkingClassFilth]

"There's no philosophical nor Biblical problem with Christ having died once and for all on earth for all Creation."

Sure seem to me that there would be.

In your view, would other worlds be infected with sin as well?

[Quix]

Carried far enough, one could say

What does God need with paper, ink, Bibles, radio, TV, the net, sermons etc.

I'm not privy to God's perspective on UFO's other than I believe He's against the vast number of reported ET's who seem to be in league with satan toward setting up the global government predicted in the Bible to be headed by satan.

[BigCinBigD]

Titan is laced with hydrocarbons? I hope Nissan does a recall.

[Quix]

FWIW,

Here's a thread on a Bible Code on the Tsunami:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/religion/1390460/posts?page=53