NASA recently scheduled a press conference for December 2 to discuss “an astrobiology finding that will impact the search for evidence of extraterrestrial life.”
That’s a pretty heavy sentence, and speculation has started to run wild around the interweb. Personally, I think an announcement of “we are not alone” would take a much different form than a NASA press conference (Like, say, Obama breaking into every television signal in North America, live from the oval office).
My guess is that it’s something to do with a new discovery about the chemistry of life here on Earth that could provide us with new tools to help search for the presence of (or potential for) life off-Earth.
I’ll keep an ear on this and report back later this week. Until then, consider this:
What would the discovery of life, even simple bacterial life, somewhere other than the Earth mean to you? How do you think that knowledge would affect our society?
The comments box awaits your deep thoughts.


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