[extropy-chat] ET is a Bacterium was Dark Matter and ET.

[Mike Lorrey]

--- The Avantguardian <avantguardian2020 at yahoo.com> wrote:
> --- Mike Lorrey <mlorrey at yahoo.com> wrote:
> > Just because we have a uniform genetic code doesn't
> > speak anything to
> > the origins of life. All it indicates is that a life
> > form with that
> > genetic code either arose first, or outcompeted
> > other, less efficient
> > or more flawed species of bacteria arose and
> > exterminated everything
> > else (just as all humans can be genetically traced
> > back to one common
> > ancestor who was not necessarily the first of his or
> > her species and
> > gender).
> 
> Yes all these things are possible but wouldn't there
> be evidence of these "alternative" lifeforms? They
> have microfossils dating to very early after the earth
> solidified(~300 million years). These microfossils for
> all intents and purposes resemble certain phyla of
> modern bacteria. This is why your example doesn't
> hold. 

You can't make this determination for the simple reason that you cannot
read the genetic code of such early fossils. Fossils generally do not
contain genetic material, they are rock which formed either to fill in
voids left by decomposed matter or which follow a shape created by
organic matter before it decomposed. There is no chance of catching the
first bacteria in amber since amber is a biological product of tree
sap.

> You are right that we are fairly certain that
> all modern humans decended from two individuals, there
> are numerous fossils documenting all the other
> homonids that we outcompeted to do so. These
> evolutionary "alternative biology" losers ought to
> have left some clues that they were here.

But you have no way of knowing whether they used different genetic code
than us or our ancestors or not. A fossilized shape of a bacteria
doesn't tell you its genetic code.

> 
> > At that early date in Earth's development, Earth's
> > atmosphere was 52
> > times thicker and denser than it currently is, which
> > would reduce odds
> > of meteoric/cometary material containing bacteria
> > surviving reentry.
> 
> Not necessarily. If the spores were frozen into some
> water ice, they would merely be dispersed by the
> vaporization of the ice upon atmospheric entry. Then
> they would float down way slower than any snowflake in
> the 52x atmosphere.

And they'd have both survive landing in that atmosphere but surviving
and thriving in a 52 bar atmosphere with a surface temp over 150
degrees. The beast you are describing is an ultra extremophile that
would use catalytic elements like tungsten and other high temperature
elements in its protiens and today would be generally inert at normal
temps and pressures.

Such creatures already exist in the Archaea and thrive throughout the
earth's crust.

Mike Lorrey
Vice-Chair, 2nd District, Libertarian Party of NH
"Necessity is the plea for every infringement of human freedom.
It is the argument of tyrants; it is the creed of slaves."
                                      -William Pitt (1759-1806) 
Blog: http://intlib.blogspot.com

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