Doggedly searching for the crux of the biscuit.
"The remnants of at least ten pyramids have been discovered on the coast of Peru, marking what could be a vast ceremonial site of an ancient, little-known culture, archaeologists say."
"Scientists investigating the icy waters of Antarctica said Tuesday they have collected mysterious creatures in the murky depths, including giant sea spiders and huge worms. (See video.)"
Mars' watery stage was probably too salty and acidic to support life as we know it. How do we know that? As a result of all our research into food preservation.
A giant snakehead, the Indonesian fish that walks on land and caused a minor panic here in the US a few years ago, was caught by a fisherman in a river in England. Okay, I know this last one isn't really big news, but the picture makes it all worth it.
re; snakehead: HOLY SH!T. I have occasionally been a fisherperson here in the midwest and always fervently prayed I'd never catch something that would take a 2x4 or a 22 cal. bullet to finish off (we can get truly humongous catfish). That looks like if you tried 'catch and release' it would take your hand off while you were trying to disengage the hook...
Yikes.
Posted by: Paula Helm Murray at February 20, 2008 04:26 PMI say bullshit about acidic and salty Mars being too inhospitable for life.
All life needs is a liquid H20 solvent and it can get a foothold.
Especially if it gets here via panspermia and spores from across the galaxy. If Deinococcus radiodurans exists, so could anything else.
Don't write off life on Mars, even now.
No it ain't in the form of little green men or even multicellulars, but I'd be damned if bacteria didn't already make a home there.
Posted by: Jon at February 20, 2008 09:38 PM4: "I'd be damned if bacteria didn't already make a home there."
Relax, Jon. None of us would cast the first stone.
Posted by: TokyoTom at February 21, 2008 12:08 AM6: Ha! Sorry, just having a geek-out moment...
Thanks for bearing with me in my freak out geek out moment.
Surely you understand where I'm coming from, right?
Posted by: Jon at February 21, 2008 04:07 AM4: "panspermia and spores from across the galaxy"
8: "Surely you understand where I'm coming from, right?"
Yes, Jon, like others here, your visions of grandeur lead you to occasionally confuse the coming of the Lord with your own manly potency and generosity.
Posted by: TokyoTom at February 21, 2008 07:14 AM9: Pretty freaky, dude. Makes one wonder what kind of magic dust those Martians might have.
Posted by: TokyoTom at February 21, 2008 07:23 AM10: TT, I don't have visions of grandeur, nor do I fancy myself as all that manly, potent, or generous!
I'm a weakling, not very good in the sack, and am quite stingy when it comes to money. Honestly. :-)
Posted by: Jon at February 21, 2008 07:56 PMC'mon; don't give us libertarians a bad name. It's not only the liberals who are "Born to be Wild" and ready to join the panspermia movement by exploding into space an fertilizing the galaxy.
Posted by: TokyoTom at February 21, 2008 09:35 PMYeah I'll take your salty and acidic and raise you boiling hot. Deep hydrothermal vents have all of those properties and they support a hole host of strange life forms.
Posted by: Ru at February 21, 2008 10:53 PMThe snakehead actually has a mild, affectionate nature, but its looks are against it.
Posted by: mcmc at February 22, 2008 06:39 PM