Evidence for Ocean Found at Saturn's Moon Titan, page 1

An ocean seasoned with the chemical ingredients of life may lie hidden beneath the icy surface of Saturn's moon Titan.

The evidence? The entire surface of Titan appears to be sliding around, scientists say, like cheese over tomato sauce on a slice of pizza.

Titan is the largest of the more than 50 known moons orbiting Saturn, and is in fact bigger than the planet Mercury. Titan possesses a thick, planet-like atmosphere — the only moon in the solar system known to have one. And the Cassini-Huygens mission to Saturn and its moons revealed a surface at Titan covered with icy mountains, oily lakes and seas and what might be "cryovolcanoes" that spew plumes of water and ammonia.

Scientists had long suspected that an underground ocean might exist on Titan, much as Jupiter's moons Ganymede, Callisto and Europa do.

"Models of heat flow in Titan's interior suggested years ago that Titan would likely have an internal water or water-ammonia ocean," said Ralph Lorenz, a Cassini radar team member at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Lab in Laurel, Md.

This image shows bodies of liquid near Titan's north pole. It show that many of the features commonly associated with lakes on Earth, such as islands, bays, inlets and channels, are also present on this cold Saturnian moon. Credit: NASA/JPL

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reply to post by NovusOrdoMundi

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It's nice of you to make a note of our responsibility as a species towards the other species of creature on our planet - if we continue the way we are we're probably going to end up making an awful long list of extinct species of animal that can be poured over in future decades by people who will probably have gotten fed up with their closest ancestors milling about and not really doing much to address the problem.

However, i'm all for the colonisation of space if it means that the human species can continue it's existence.

And who knows?

Perhaps we need a fresh start to try out new technologies in an environment that isn't already suffering the effects of human industry.

I think that in future years we not only have to consider the possibility of the Earth becoming uninhabitable due to the cataclysmic forces of nature unleashed, but also that we need to consider the possibility of the Earth becoming uninhabitable due to the simple problem of over-population.

In which case, the only foreseeable solution to a population issue other than mass genocide is to colonise space.

To be honest in the crudest sense, i'm not even bothered about finding a habitable planet, because the burning issue (i feel) for humans at the moment is our nessecity for more room.

We could potentially address this issue by learning how to use the ocean to provide for us in a way that would make the issue of over-population somewhat obselete, as after all a large proportionate of Earth's surface is made up of water.

So therefore it would only be natural to adapt to an undersea environment before we adapt to that of deep-space.

Hell, we don't even need to colonise planets, all we need is their metals - the actual livelihood of humanity in the future might revolve around space travel to the point of which we don't even land on uninhabitable planets, instead just using complex robotics to mine (and potentially terraform, if the planet was in a good location as a trading hub perhaps).

This would be the important difference to mention between the colonisation of space, and the colonisation of other planets.

Still, we aren't anywhere near that level of technology yet, but it would be a good idea for someone to start work on it sometime soon.

reply to post by NovusOrdoMundi

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My sentiments exactly.We as humans can't even grasp control of our own problems and emotions on earth. We could always use Titan as an alternative to decontaminate earth and send all the criminals and trash there.

I think it's time to give earth back to those who deserve it.The animals because we as humans have shown that thrrough the spread of knowledge and education mankind has learned little in the art of self control and less in living with one another.As a matter of fact the smarter we become the more selfish and stupid are actions become.

Or you could just send me there. I would rather sit there for a few seconds of peace then implode rather than live on this selfish planet.A few second of peace!!!!!!

reply to post by NovusOrdoMundi

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apologies,I accidentally double posted

[edit on 22-3-2008 by 19DCW71]

Maybe we should just stop destroying the planet we're already on and stop fighting on the planet we're already on rather than taking our pollution, garbage and war to another body in the Solar System?

Personally I don't give a damn about the state of this Planet - Maybe you don't like that but its my opinion that its just a cradle and we should be colonising the solar system and thinking about the next star systems too.

People shouldn't be bound to one planet, if we are the only intelligent life then its sensless to have all our eggs in one basket. Surely even you see that my freind???

If Titan has Stuff we can use lets take it! In my mind the Solar System is our resource and we should be using its material to conquer our Galaxy!
So what if we pollute it and strip it of any usefull materials - theres a countless number other star systems out there we can live in instead!

The problem is, those with the power to take us there are the ones who wish to abuse what is there, and abuse any 'small people' they take with them.

If it was for peaceful purposes, maybe. If we were a curious and scientific species, perhaps.

But we're not. We're a war and profit driven violent group of psychopaths with only destruction, mining, and stripping of the land around us on our minds.

I guess I'm the "hippie" type because I am upset with, and feel ashamed with, how we treat this planet, so I feel even more against spreading our garbage to another body anywhere in the Universe.

This is a very funny way of looking at things to me. Why are you ashamed to be Human? Yes we war and fight and strip nature away to make our comfortable homes and high technology - so What we are Hunters and we have fought our way to top of the food chain buddy - what did you expect?
I think this rule is the same across the universe if there is other life out there and if we meet themand we can't trade or communicate with them - yes we will probably fight them, kill them and assimilate them. (Unless of course they are more vicious than us!) I personally think that the great thing about being Human we are Earths winners. You are probably going to go into a long reaotic about how there are starving people, Enviromental problems etc etc. blah blah blah - so what we are at a bottleneck - thats why we have to start spreading about.

Its 2008 - this planet is shagged - lets go to Titan and go surfing - i reckon the swells will be 100Ft with 1/7 gravity wahey!

I beg to differ. I feel like if we are intended to be wiped out, then that's how it has to be, and anything different is just an arrogant attempt by us to change the inevitable and change our fate. It's out of our hands and should remain that way.

Given the way humans are, if we give ourselves control over our own fate...damn, if you're not in a position of power, look the hell out.

Maybe our existence isn't meant to continue. We wouldn't be here if the dinosaurs existence was meant to continue, so what if we put off another species to come after us? Or maybe even something greater than just a species?

I'm not religious, but I believe in fate (to an extent). I think we need to leave that alone.

If we are so hell bent on preserving our existence, then maybe we just need to stop destroying our surroundings that support our existence.

(Snip)

Seriously though i understand you opinion but i think your way off the mark.

(Snip)


Mod Note: Courtesy is Mandatory -- Please Review

[edit on 22-3-2008 by chissler]

reply to post by oinkment

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Step away from your Star Wars DVD collection and lets focus on science and common sense.

The majority of this planet is not only not colonized, but not even touched by humans. In the parts that are, the majority of it is destroyed, stripped, mined, polluted and abused.

Before we cry "over-population!" and assemble some grand plan to colonize the Universe, how about we simply spread out on the planet we're on? Why must we group together, 10+ million strong, in tightly packed cities when there are untouched lands?

Until we, as humans, evolve and, dare I say, mature, we won't accomplish anything of any importance.

Everything we need is right here on this planet. If we ever do grow the hell up and get past all of the differences in culture, religion and politics, then we can move past these imaginary national borders and truly colonize our planet.

But that comes with a great responsibility. Moving past those differences to meet the full potentials of not only ourselves, but our planet, comes with respecting the planet. We can't strip it, abuse it and pollute it for greed and profit. We need to use it how it was intended to be used - for us to survive.

Putting people on other bodies in the Solar System does not impress me and does not define "human accomplishment."

Completely changing how we are and how we act, and being able to live on the same planet as others without needless wars and without polluting the only home we're ever going to know would impress me and would define "human accomplishment."

It's that human competitive and imperialistic nature that got us in trouble here on Earth. Lets not relive the mistakes and venture outside of our naturally defined boundaries in to a much more hostile atmosphere where, might I add, we have absolutely no experience living in.

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