'Major' Alien Planet Announcement Monday

[Flat_Steve]

From Space.com:

http://www.space.com/12908-alien-planet-announceme...


Any ideas what it could be? My guess is they've detected lots of methane or something along those lines on an exoplanet in the Goldilocks zone indicating something's alive to be producing it.

[ChiChoAndy]

Oooh, interesting...
<ears prick up>

[DonkeyApple]

My money is on it being a team of British and European scientists based down in south America who are about to run out of funding and need to remind universities of their vital importance.

Prepare oneself for massive, massive unexcitement.

[ChiChoAndy]

I'm preparing myself for alien invasion. I'll be digging a secret bunker today, and filling it with tins of beans.

[munroman]

ChiChoAndy said:

I'm preparing myself for alien invasion. I'll be digging a secret bunker today, and filling it with tins of beans.

It's probably a planet full of car fans, scared of aliens, who live in secret bunkers eating beans.

Sadly, the massive methane emissions have given them away........

[ChiChoAndy]

munroman said:

It's probably a planet full of car fans, scared of aliens, who live in secret bunkers eating beans.

Sadly, the massive methane emissions have given them away........

Aww... My alien brother from another alien mother.

[Eric Mc]

I predicted a year or so ago that an earth like, earthj sized planet would be detected within ten years. Maybe this is it. Planet detection techniques are improving on a daily basis.

[bob1179]

It'll be interesting to see what they have found. I'll be watching with interest.

[ChiChoAndy]

Sounds like it's populated with lots of cows. Still, IF that is the find, it will be incredibly interesting, and I can see a lot of research going into it, and therefore money. Interesting times ahead.

[Eric Mc]

Sounds like it might have a global warming problem. I think we need to launch an expedition there so that we can warn them of the dangers.

[ChiChoAndy]

Eric Mc said:

Sounds like it might have a global warming problem. I think we need to launch an expedition there so that we can warn them of the dangers.

Ooh, manned mission? Can we send Gore?

[Puggit]

Methane isn't necessarily proof of life: http://www.space.com/11154-saturn-titan-methane-ra...

[ChiChoAndy]

Well, of it is in the goldilocks zone, the methane could well take a different form, rather than "rain". Of course we don't actually know what forms other life take, as we only have our own planet to go on, but we do know that life can exist in all sorts of inhospitable places. Boiling liquid, sulphur rich vents, and so on. Still very interesting.

[Diderot]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2011/aug/18/alie...

They've been in touch obviously: 'reduce the devil's tax gas or else it's invasion.'

[HD Adam]

I, for one, welcome our new Ant Overlords

[macp]

munroman said:

It's probably a planet full of car fans, scared of aliens, who live in secret bunkers eating beans.

Sadly, the massive methane emissions have given them away........

[Westy Pre-Lit]

Eric Mc said:

Sounds like it might have a global warming problem. I think we need to launch an expedition there so that we can warn them of the dangers.

[anonymous-user]

DonkeyApple said:

My money is on it being a team of British and European scientists based down in south America who are about to run out of funding and need to remind universities of their vital importance.

Prepare oneself for massive, massive unexcitement.

i'm a bit mystified by this statement - seems to be part of a general anti-academic/anti-research feeling on PH.

If they have some science exciting enough for a press conference, then their funding is almost certainly deserved. Very little scientific research reaches the public in this way - not because its not important or useful or high quality, but because it is perhaps a little abstract or far removed from people's daily lives. I've been involved in front line science for 7 years or so now, only once has anything I've worked on been publicised like this (stories on the BBC, etc. etc.)

(btw the scientists in this story are not British as far as I can tell).

[anonymous-user]

more related to this story:

the only responsible action for world leaders to take, after discovering an alien habitable planet, is to to colonise it. To do anything else jeopardises the future of the human species.

[ChiChoAndy]

Use Psychology said:

more related to this story:

the only responsible action for world leaders to take, after discovering an alien habitable planet, is to to colonise it. To do anything else jeopardises the future of the human species.

Best leave now then! It'll take a while to get there.