Possible life found on Venus

[clearspira]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-54133538

TL:DR We have detected a gas in the atmosphere of Venus called phosphine, which is a molecule made up of one phosphorous atom and three hydrogen atoms. On Earth, it is only created naturally only by microorganisms that live in oxygen poor environments such as swamps or feasting away in the guts of larger animals such as penguins.

The obvious retort (and the team admits this) is that there could be a natural source of phosphine out there that can be produced by something else. However given the extreme conditions found on Venus (it is hotter than a pizza oven) no one is quite sure what else could possibly produce something so similar to a by-product of a microorganism and yet so different it does not require a life form to generate. If there is life on Venus, it is probably airborne, up where the weather is less hostile.

There are many if's here, but just think for a moment if this was true. All we've been hoping for in the past few decades is to find some fossils or some bacteria on Mars. No one really dreamed they would find life on Venus because the place is basically Hell. In my opinion it also reopens the idea of panspermia - how is there life on Venus, Earth and possibly Mars? These planets are incredibly close after all. Close enough that a bit of rock with some early organisms attached to it could have travelled the distance.

Just think of how many biology textbooks and religions would be rewritten if we sent a probe to Venus, found life in its atmosphere with genetic markers that linked it back to Earth or vice versa. Just think if we actually originated on another planet? Sod Mars, lets get that mission to Venus.

I'm not going to lie, I would die a happy man if we proved the existence of life on other planets. It is something I have wanted to see my whole life - even if it is just some microorganisms on Venus that may have come from Earth.

[Fuzzy Necromancer]

Plot twist: the chemical is coming from alien meth labs

[TGLS]

On one hand, the surface melts lead and the pressure would crush a tank. On the other, a narrow band way up in the sky has conditions comparable to Earth. But back on the first, there's literally no water there. You might think Mars, the Sahara or Mercury are dry, but that's just peanuts compared to Venus.

[Draco Dracul]

On one hand, the surface melts lead and the pressure would crush a tank. On the other, a narrow band way up in the sky has conditions comparable to Earth. But back on the first, there's literally no water there. You might think Mars, the Sahara or Mercury are dry, but that's just peanuts compared to Venus.

Coincidentally the phosphine is being detected in that narrow band of the atmosphere with earth like conditions.

[BridgeConsoleMasher]

That's impossible.

[Riedquat]

That's impossible.

So, as far as we know, is any other method of naturally producing phosphine, so we start with the possibility of the one we do know but with a pretty large dose of scepticism and asking "anyone got any other ideas?"

[King Green]

That's impossible.

What kind of "impossible"? We have Tarti-grades who can live in active nuclear weapons and plants that compel sentient animals to commit suicide, among most things the planet we live on has been EVERY DAY, ANY DAY trying to kill us all?!

So I wouldn't call it impossible, just unlikely for beings to create thought to be within our lifetime...unless they're gaseous lovecraft beings?

[BridgeConsoleMasher]

like Mission: impossible.

[Madner Kami]

That's impossible.

No, just improbable.

So, as far as we know, is any other method of naturally producing phosphine, so we start with the possibility of the one we do know but with a pretty large dose of scepticism and asking "anyone got any other ideas?"

There are other ideas, which, as they are based off of our knowledge of Earth are unlikely to produce the quantities in question. Vulcanism is more or less the only larger source on Earth, but there's just not enough volcanic activity on Venus to produce the amounts in question. Not that we know of at least and even if there were, the stuff wouldn't be where it is either.

plants that compel sentient animals to commit suicide

Um, what? That was a terrible movie by Shamalayabingbong, not a documentary.

[BridgeConsoleMasher]

That's impossible.

No, just improbable.

That's the point. It's so improbable that it's impossible.