NASA telescope spots ingredients for life in young universe

AP on Bakersfield Californian ^ | 7/28/05 | AP - Pasadena

[NormsRevenge]

PASADENA, Calif. (AP) - A NASA telescope has spotted galaxies that hold the ingredients for life dating back to when the universe was very young.

Using the infrared Spitzer Space Telescope, scientists at the California Institute of Technology detected organic molecules in galaxies when the universe was a quarter of its current age of 14 billion years old, NASA said Thursday.

These complex molecules, composed of carbon and hydrogen, are commonly found on Earth and are thought to be responsible for planet and star formation.

Spitzer scientists found the organic building blocks in galaxies where intense star formation took place in a short period of time. These starburst galaxies are not visible to optical telescopes because of their distance and light-absorbing dust.

Results will appear in the Aug. 10 issue of the Astrophysical Journal.

Previous scientists have found such galaxies and molecules that were closer to the Milky Way galaxy.

"These complex compounds tell us that by the time we see these galaxies, several generations of stars have already been formed," said co-author George Helou of the Spitzer Science Center.

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On the Net:

Spitzer Space Telescope: http://www.spitzer.caltech.edu/

[Las Vegas Dave]

pinging!

[maestro]

?......NASA telescope...finally.... spots....Absolute Proof... ingredients for life in young universe.....finally.....?

money well spent?

[Jaysun]

Zzzzzzzzzz

Pointless. They could beam back a picture of God struggling with the childproof cap on a bottle of Mylanta - still pointless. Our money would be better spent reinventing the wheel.

[PatrickHenry]

EvolutionPing

A pro-evolution science list with over 290 names. See the list's description at my freeper homepage. Then FReepmail to be added or dropped.

[aMorePerfectUnion]

This is what NASA is all about isn't it? They exist to find life outside the earth, right? That's why we spend the $ on this program... so this is good news, right?

[Pharmboy]

If life is out there, why haven't they contacted us yet? We could use another IT guy (or gal or alien) at my workplace...

[RightWhale]

This search for the origins of life is the Grail to those who still do not see that the purpose of exploration, whether clothed in the labcoats of science or the immaculate uniforms of national security, is to scout out new lands and resources. Then settlement.

[PatrickHenry]

If life is out there, why haven't they contacted us yet?

That's the big question. It's known as the Fermi paradox.

[Pharmboy]

Yes...I am aware of the Fermi Paradox. I thought I would reiterate it and stir things up (I must humbly admit I thought of it myself several years ago before I knew of the eponymous paradox). I believe we are alone.

Do you?

[PatrickHenry]

I believe we are alone. Do you?

I assume you're speaking of intelligent life elsewhere. At the moment, yes, we're alone -- by which I mean only that we've not been contacted. But it's difficult to conclude that we're the only intelligent life in existence. Contact is possible, via signals. Actual interstellar travel is a whole different topic.

[PatrickHenry]

Get your tush into this thread! [Durned astronomers! Always star-gazing when you need them.]

[Pharmboy]

Yes...I should have been more explicit. I believe life has arisen elsewhere, but intelligent life, IMO, is a one-off that (likely) only happened here because of a great series of coincidences.

No, it's not falsifiable, but that's what I believe, fwiw.

[PatrickHenry]

You could be right. But it's a big galaxy, and we've got millions of years ahead of us to find out. I said "galaxy" and not "universe" because I doubt that we'll be getting any contacts from beyond the Milky Way. But some new (and very unexpected) developments could change that. At the moment, we're the only game in town. And that's not a bad thing. If we're alone, then it all belongs to us.

[<1/1,000,000th%]

Pointless. They could beam back a picture of God struggling with the childproof cap on a bottle of Mylanta - still pointless. Our money would be better spent reinventing the wheel.

So you'll be returning your computer, car, clothing, phones, television, medicines, etc.

They're all worthless by-products of science research.

[b_sharp]

"Yes...I should have been more explicit. I believe life has arisen elsewhere, but intelligent life, IMO, is a one-off that (likely) only happened here because of a great series of coincidences. "

Or if there has been other intelligent life it is/was so far way in time or distance to be essentially equivalent to non-existant.

[Pharmboy]

Yes...a possibility. However, in my little brain, I would think that if an intelligent civilization arose, say, 100,000 years ago, they would have figured out space-time travel and found us.

Or, then again, maybe they have observed us, taken one look at the democrats, and headed right back to Alpha Centauri.

[b_sharp]

"Yes...a possibility. However, in my little brain, I would think that if an intelligent civilization arose, say, 100,000 years ago, they would have figured out space-time travel and found us.

Or at least created self replicating space fairing machines that we would find evidence of. Trouble with that scenario is it assumes travel between galaxies would be as easy as within a galaxy.

"Or, then again, maybe they have observed us, taken one look at the democrats, and headed right back to Alpha Centauri.

LOL. Don't do that while I'm drinking please.

[Alamo-Girl]

Thanks for the ping!

[AFreeBird]

This search for the origins of life is the Grail to those who still do not see that the purpose of exploration...

Indeed. Considering that there are those that think that this earth is getting over populated, we damn well should be looking for other places to colonize... but most the people who are complaining about over population are also against us colonizing some other un-inhabited world...

Weird huh?