NASA Finds Alien DNA in Californian Lake

[Stardude82]

Arsenic substituted DNA has been conjectured for some time. I guess the big surprise is that it got found on Earth first and not on some moon of Saturn. The Wikipedia article has references.

http/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prebiotic_arsenic

 

[heffeque]

Jesus Christ, Allah and FSM simultaneously put that DNA there to put our faiths to test.

 

[tronika]

someone probably just puked in the lake. but seriously, im very excited to hear what they ACTUALLY have to say. not some leaked info from jizzmodo.

 

[Guest]

Unfortunately no one makes mention that NASA probably spent 127 million dollars to discover this. What a waste!

 

[tomasreal]

What’s the big deal, my wife is an alien and I have the Visa to prove it.

 

[mr_tuel]

Probably one of the biggest (if not the biggest) biological discovery the 21st century so far! It may even be the biggest in the last century!

 

[WarraWarra]

LMAO NASA dong something or being able to achieve something ??
Come on you have more chance of finding intelligent life in Washington DC than in a pond in CA and we know there is nothing intelligent in Washington DC.

 

[mr_tuel]

[citation][nom]yellowblue[/nom]Bad news to environmentalists. Now we have to maintain the lake to be polluted to save the newly discovered life form.[/citation]
You can't really call it polluted if the arsenic is the reason that life exists in that biosphere. That's like calling C02 a pollutant...oh wait

 

[Guest]

Long ago people were speculating that silicon could take the place of carbon in life, they are one on top of the other in the periodic table.

Likewise Arsenic is right below Phosphorus, so one substituting for the other should be possible. The wonder is that nothing where it happened has been previously discovered.

Now, I'm no expert in chemistry, but I do remember my five hour class from college. . .

 

[formin]

sounds cool. cant wait to get more details ... i crave details .... yummmmmm details

 

[dragonsqrrl]

[citation][nom]CommonSense[/nom]This is OLD news!The announcement has to be MUCH more than a simple arsenic microbe being discovered because that story was ALREADY reported in May 2005!FIVE years ago people. Why would this be a major announcement if that is all there is to report now? Get with the story! NPR also reported this years ago as well! Here's the link for proof.http/toxics.usgs.gov/highlights/arsenic_bugs.htmlAnd also the possibility of ancient life on earth using arsenic from 2008.http/www.newscientist.com/articl [...] c-dna.html[/citation]
I don't think it mentions anything about discovering an organism that uses arsenic in its DNA in either of the articles you pointed to. The first points to arsenic as an energy source, and the second is purely theoretical.

 

[chunkymonster]

[citation][nom]jonpaul37[/nom]Fifteen Hundred years ago, Everyone knew that the Earth was the center of the Universe. Five Hundred years ago, Everyone knew that the Earth was flat. Five Minutes ago, Scientists knew that DNA was made up if 6 elements. Imagine what we'll "know" Tomorrow...[/citation]FAIL for stealing from Men in Black...

 

[Geef]

So now we just have to give this new type of arsenic lifeform a few million years to develop and then we will have giant bug like creatures with Acid for blood and reproduce by implanting their eggs in people.
Aliens is teh win!

 

[Silmarunya]

[citation][nom]Marcus Yam[/nom]The word "alien" does not strictly mean extraterrestrial. There are many other definitions, such as it being of something outside of current familiarity.[/citation]

If so, I apologise. I didn't really know you meant 'alien' as in 'unfamiliar'. English is my third language, if it's any form of excuse

However, I think most people, even native speakers, will think of extraterrestrial when they hear 'alien'.

 

[angelraiter]

[citation][nom]NASASNORES[/nom]IF THIS IS THE BIG NEWS - WAKE ME UP WHEN IT'S OVER.NASA IS A BUNCH OF DULLARDS WHO WOULD NOT KNOW EXTRATERRESTRIAL LIFE IF IT BIT THEM.[/citation]
/Facepalm

 

[f-14]

arsenic you say hum? maybe these are the predecessor to the acid blooded terrestrials from 'Alien& Aliens' ? that would change up a jurassic park line very nicely.
Dialog - Ian Malcolm: God creates dinosaurs. God destroys dinosaurs. God creates man. Man destroys God. Man creates dinosaurs.
Ellie Sattler: Dinosaurs eat man... woman inherits the earth.
Nasa: Aliens with acid blood eat woman, life as we know it ends.

 

[f-14]

another good line from jurassic park concerning this discovery

Dr. Ian Malcolm: John, the kind of control you're attempting is not possible. If there's one thing the history of evolution has taught us, it's that life will not be contained. Life breaks free. It expands to new territories. It crashes through barriers painfully, maybe even dangerously, but - well, there it is... All I'm saying is that life finds a way.

 

[jonpaul37]

[citation][nom]chunkymonster[/nom]FAIL for stealing from Men in Black...[/citation]

Thanks, but i've been reminded a few times, albeit FAIL reminders, nonetheless...

Ps. FAIL for being late to the party

 

[g00fysmiley]

didn't they already find arsenic based life in the chemical pits of oen of heritage enviromentl's chemical dump sites years ago

 

[h83r]

Anybody remember the comedy movie 'Evolution'. Weren't those aliens built on Arsenic? If I remember right Head and Shoulders shampoo is what killed them