Scientist Predicts Higher Forms Of Alien Life on Europa

originally posted by: game over man
Wouldn't life on Europa have similarities to the life at the bottom of our sea floor where sunlight does not reach them and it's very dark?

It's even BETTER than that, potentially. The ecosystem in the ocean under the ice also involves locations where the gases released from the vents accumulate, up under the ice-roof. Pockets of air would accumulate up against irregularities in the ice shell, with floating ice floes providing opportunities for water-based life to crawl out of the water. Still dark and cold, but what sort of life would adapt to THAT niche? It all depends on what kind of genetic coding develops and how unstable it is [allowing for evolution and natural selection].

originally posted by: MichiganSwampBuck
If they haven't found life already, when they do and get samples, it will somehow end up in a bio-weapons facility in China where it mutates and escapes containment.

That makes for a super sci fi plot!! Where's James Cameron?

you should be more honest on your title. Higher forms of life as in....octopus.

a reply to: jidnum

It depends on what you compared them to.

Octopuses are clearly a higher life form when compared with, for example, politicians.

Besides the possibility of hydrothermal vents on Europa's sea floor...the gravitational tidal forces from Jupiter and Io, also help keep ice-capped Europa's sea from freezing in totality.

originally posted by: OrionHunterX

It's 'almost a racing certainty' there's alien life on Jupiter's moon Europa—and Mars could be hiding primitive microorganisms, too. That's the view of leading British space scientist Professor Monica Grady, who says the notion of undiscovered life in our galaxy isn't nearly as far-fetched as we might expect.

Professor Grady, a Professor of Planetary and Space Science, says the frigid seas beneath Europa's ice sheets could harbor 'octopus' like creatures. Meanwhile the deep caverns and caves found on Mars may also hide subterranean life-forms—as they offer shelter from intense solar radiation while also potentially boasting remnants of ice.

Professor Grady was speaking at Liverpool Hope University, where she's just been installed as Chancellor, and revealed: "When it comes to the prospects of life beyond Earth, it's almost a racing certainty that there's life beneath the ice on Europa.

"Elsewhere, if there's going to be life on Mars, it's going to be under the surface of the planet. "There you're protected from solar radiation. And that means there's the possibility of ice remaining in the pores of the rocks, which could act as a source of water.

"If there is something on Mars, it's likely to be very small—bacteria.

"But I think we've got a better chance of having slightly higher forms of life on Europa, perhaps similar to the intelligence of an octopus."

Well, if that's the case then the universe could be teeming with life and probably advanced civilizations far ahead of us in technology that would perhaps seem like magic to us. One scientist said that there are more advanced civilizations partying around the universe than there are grains of sand on planet earth!!

I wouldn't go that far but there is probably more life out there than we can ever imagine!


phys.org...

Weeee face huggers I would expect lower than us life forms to be the most dangerous. The less intelligent the more prone to be controlled by instinctive survival.

originally posted by: ArMaP
a reply to: jidnum

It depends on what you compared them to.

Octopuses are clearly a higher life form when compared with, for example, politicians.

ArMaP, you haven't lost your sense of humor!! Lol! Your reply had me in splits!!!

Further to what Jim mentioned in his post above, scientists think studying 'extremophiles' in toxic hydrothermal vents deep under the ocean could teach us about potential extraterrestrial life.

originally posted by: flice

originally posted by: OrionHunterX

It's 'almost a racing certainty' there's alien life on Jupiter's moon Europa—and Mars could be hiding primitive microorganisms, too. That's the view of leading British space scientist Professor Monica Grady, who says the notion of undiscovered life in our galaxy isn't nearly as far-fetched as we might expect.

Professor Grady, a Professor of Planetary and Space Science, says the frigid seas beneath Europa's ice sheets could harbor 'octopus' like creatures. Meanwhile the deep caverns and caves found on Mars may also hide subterranean life-forms—as they offer shelter from intense solar radiation while also potentially boasting remnants of ice.

Professor Grady was speaking at Liverpool Hope University, where she's just been installed as Chancellor, and revealed: "When it comes to the prospects of life beyond Earth, it's almost a racing certainty that there's life beneath the ice on Europa.

"Elsewhere, if there's going to be life on Mars, it's going to be under the surface of the planet. "There you're protected from solar radiation. And that means there's the possibility of ice remaining in the pores of the rocks, which could act as a source of water.

"If there is something on Mars, it's likely to be very small—bacteria.

"But I think we've got a better chance of having slightly higher forms of life on Europa, perhaps similar to the intelligence of an octopus."

Well, if that's the case then the universe could be teeming with life and probably advanced civilizations far ahead of us in technology that would perhaps seem like magic to us. One scientist said that there are more advanced civilizations partying around the universe than there are grains of sand on planet earth!!

I wouldn't go that far but there is probably more life out there than we can ever imagine!


phys.org...

Weeee face huggers

I would expect lower than us life forms to be the most dangerous. The less intelligent the more prone to be controlled by instinctive survival.

That's one reason why we need to send a remote controlled lander-rover to Europa. Have it drill through the ice where it's the thinnest. Then drop tools that listen, sense vibrations, and also lower a TV camera with a light on it...

It would cost less than the manned mission to Mars, and potentially have bigger pay-offs. Seeing life swimming under Europa's ice would be far FAR more exciting than finding a little moss in a Mars cave.

originally posted by: rhynouk
Always fascinating when it's predicted that life exists elsewhere. We get a lot of these predictions. At least 3 a year. It's about time that they actually found some. Scientists saying they are out there is getting a little old now.

Imagine trying to find a needle in a hay stack the size of the united states. Even if you know for certain it is there, it will take you quite a while to find it. In the case of extraterrestrial, intelligent or otherwise, we have our best guesses based on what we know from this planet. But that could be limiting us in ways we dont know or dont understand at this point in time. It could conceivably take several life time to search even a small percentage of the night sky, the galaxy if freaking HUGE and the universe in total is several orders of magnitude larger still... far beyond what our mind can easily grasp. So give them time, they will find life soon, relatively speaking of course.

Me: There is pokemon on Pluto!

People: laugh

Me with a degree: There is pokemon on Pluto!

People: OMFG ALIENS ARE REAL!


The thought of other life in this solar system is an interesting one, but this isn't really anything new though.
Scientist types have been saying this kind of thing about Europa and Mars for a few decades now at least.

As someone else said, call me when we have 'absolutes' not 'maybes'.

a reply to: OrionHunterX

Its really strange that the most common habitat for life may not be Earth like planets, but Ice Moons like Europa or Enceladus. Titan is a pretty good candidate as well for a subsurface global ocean. Earth might well be a freak of sorts.

If there are octopi, I assume there would be an entire ecosystem to support them. Seems like that would be easy enough to detect even now. But so far nothing.

a reply to: OrionHunterX

If there is life there they are born to be top cricketers temperatures on Europe are quite extreme

originally posted by: JackFrostvc
I have my doubts on life being in Europa , but you never know.

They estimate the ice sheet to be 15 Miles thick.
I guess the problem in finding out is going to be how do you get through that much ice to go down and look for life
. Even if you could do so, like dropping something radioactive on it to melt through, the hole would close up behind it as it went down. Let alone the eruption of pressure that would happen if somehow you did get through.

I don't think you could do it here on earth, let alone robotically all the way over on Europa

FWIW there are cracks in the ice so I expect there is always liquid water exposed...