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Posts:
996
From:
Philadelphia
Registered:
2/5/09
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(1 of 8)
Is Europa teeming with life?
Nov 3, 2009 10:01 AM
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On Europa, you have this icy crust on top of this huge ocean – and it’s a global ocean covering the whole moon – and the icy crust is continually being re-worked so that no part of it is older than about 1% of the age of the solar system.
The H2O on Europa is about 100 miles deep and there’s a few miles of ice on top of it. But almost all of that 100 miles is liquid water. The Earth’s oceans are only a few miles deep (about 5 miles). So, even though the Earth is a lot bigger, Europa has a lot more liquid water because its oceans are just so deep.
http://www.earthfiles.com/news.php?ID=1638&category=Science
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Currently reading "Foundation and Empire" by Isaac Asimov
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Posts:
1,294
From:
Kansas
Registered:
4/16/09
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(2 of 8)
Re: Is Europa teeming with life?
Nov 3, 2009 10:33 AM
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All these worlds are yours, except Europa. Attempt no landing there. Use them together. Use them in peace.
I almost expect us to find some forms of life on Europa. I wish funds were unlimited and we could get a mission going there...in my lifetime.
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Posts:
996
From:
Philadelphia
Registered:
2/5/09
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(3 of 8)
Re: Is Europa teeming with life?
Nov 3, 2009 12:38 PM
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You never know YBA. Technology has a way of changing in leaps and bounds, albeit, advances on the space front havent been all too great.
Looks like you'll have to wait until 2026 YBA!
http://discovermagazine.com/2009/sep/28-is-this-bizarre-moon-our-best-hope-finding-extraterrestrial-life
I read another article in Discover Mag (couldnt find online) about this whacky professor-type inventor who is designing a mission to land a probe on Europa, super heat it for several weeks to melt throw the ice, and then drive the probe through the water like a submarine once it breaches the ice. The main problem with his theory is the fact that the probe would have to be nuclear powered.
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Currently reading "Foundation and Empire" by Isaac Asimov
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Posts:
898
From:
USA
Registered:
4/3/09
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(4 of 8)
Re: Is Europa teeming with life?
Nov 3, 2009 1:18 PM
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> On Europa, you have this icy crust on top of this
> huge ocean – and it’s a global ocean covering the
> whole moon – and the icy crust is continually being
> re-worked so that no part of it is older than about
> 1% of the age of the solar system.
>
> The H2O on Europa is about 100 miles deep and there’s
> a few miles of ice on top of it. But almost all of
> that 100 miles is liquid water. The Earth’s oceans
> are only a few miles deep (about 5 miles). So, even
> though the Earth is a lot bigger, Europa has a lot
> more liquid water because its oceans are just so
> deep.
>
> http://www.earthfiles.com/news.php?ID=1638&category=Sc
> ience
>
> --
> Currently reading "Foundation and Empire" by Isaac
> Asimov
There is probably some type of life there, although we probably won't be able to recognize it at first. I'm amazed by how many people are closed minded thinking that life on earth is the ONLY life out there....
Oh well - here's hopin' there's life (of any type) on Europa!
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Posts:
996
From:
Philadelphia
Registered:
2/5/09
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(5 of 8)
Re: Is Europa teeming with life?
Nov 3, 2009 1:47 PM
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I have a couple friends that are pretty religious, and they get visibly angry when you start mentioning a topic like this, it's incredible.
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Currently reading "Foundation and Empire" by Isaac Asimov
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Posts:
898
From:
USA
Registered:
4/3/09
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(6 of 8)
Re: Is Europa teeming with life?
Nov 4, 2009 9:43 AM
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> I have a couple friends that are pretty religious,
> and they get visibly angry when you start mentioning
> a topic like this, it's incredible.
>
> --
> Currently reading "Foundation and Empire" by Isaac
> Asimov
Religion can create close minded people.
When people act like this, it makes me wonder how strong their faith is to begin with....
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Posts:
784
From:
Savannah ga
Registered:
2/22/09
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(7 of 8)
Re: Is Europa teeming with life?
Nov 4, 2009 3:56 PM
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If there were no religions, would there have ever been wars?
It sounds like a stupid question, but think about it.
If Europa is teeming with life, is it teeming with religion as well?
Imagine traveling to another planet only to find that their religion does not acknowledge you or your very existence. How would you like to be recieved by them?
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Posts:
248
Registered:
1/14/09
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(8 of 8)
Re: Is Europa teeming with life?
Nov 4, 2009 4:40 PM
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I can only hope there is a team going through great troubles to design something that will take absolutely no life of any kind with it there. The prospect of contaminating either a pristinely empty or uniquely developed structure there is something that is not to be taken lightly, although I am sure someone there has thought of it. The simple notion of retrieval is surely impossible, they need to be considering how whatever they design will surely corrode there, and should in turn consider the consequences of such a thing. Other than that it is exciting and can only hope I live to hear what they find.
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