Aliens from outer space?

[Operation Ripper]

I've read sporadic updates on these cells, anyone know if the "scientists" involved are legitimate academics, and if so why can't the matter of the origin of these things be resolved quicker? If something "living" object is from outer space, shouldn't proving it or disproving it be rather easy?

[Squink]

Originally Posted by Operation Ripper

If something "living" object is from outer space, shouldn't proving it or disproving it be rather easy?

Not if you are arguing with true believers.
The 'controversy' is ongoing.

Here's a thread on the stuff from a couple months ago: Did people ever figure out what the red rain in Kerala was?

[Capa84]

I remember the old thread...it was kind of funny to see people arguing that occam's razor should push us to the "meteorite hit a flock of bats, and it's blood falling" as the most logical explanation.

[Richard Pearse]

Originally Posted by Capa84

I remember the old thread...it was kind of funny to see people arguing that occam's razor should push us to the "meteorite hit a flock of bats, and it's blood falling" as the most logical explanation.

I don't mean to defend this view specifically. But just because something is very unlikely, doesn't mean it is not the most likely scenario.

[gabriela]

I'd hate aliens to come from this planet.

[Revtim]

Originally Posted by 1920s Style "Death Ray"

I don't mean to defend this view specifically. But just because something is very unlikely, doesn't mean it is not the most likely scenario.

Exactly. Even if it was an unlikely chain of events that led to terrestrial biological substances in the rain, it's still far more likely the cells came from the biosphere they were found in than outer space.

It's like finding odd-looking fish in the middle of the Atlantic ocean. Why speculate that it came from the Pacific, when it was found in an ocean known to produce many types of fish?

[Operation Ripper]

Originally Posted by gabriela

I'd hate aliens to come from this planet.

So you're saying you're against the immgration reforms concerning illegal aliens from this planet in the recently passed Senate bill?

[Chronos]

From the article, the evidence that they were reproducing was that some of them were cut open and found to have smaller "buds" inside them. Color me completely, entirely underwhelmed: I've seen soap bubbles with smaller soap bubbles inside them, but that doesn't mean that soap bubbles reproduce. If they want to prove reproduction, the logical approach is to take a sample of them, count the number of thingies, wait a while, and then count them again. The fact that this is not mentioned suggests to me that either this was not attempted, which would be bad, or that it was attempted but the results were negative so they didn't mention them, which is worse.