First official post of the 2014 Summer Assignment. Rules are simple:
- Look at the list of links I provide.
- Pick a few (or all) to read.
- Make an intelligent comment here that shows you read and thought about at least one.
- Gain points.
- Could viruses be at the root of the entire Tree of Life on the Earth? I hope so, becuase viruses are awesome.
- Well, maybe not all viruses. This is actually pretty scary, and will likely rekindle debate as to what should be done with the remaining stocks
- Europa is near the top of the list for places to look for extra-terrestrial life. New data show that life might be even more likely in the vast ocean under a layer of ice. "In fact, if you shook this small moon of Jupiter, you might hear a sloshing sound." Of course, if you shook this small moon, you might be this guy.
In the coming weeks, I will try to get posts up earlier in the week, hopefully around Tuesday-early Wednesday. For this one, you will have all next week to post a comment and get full credit.
50 comments:
CDC Media Statement on Newly Discovered Smallpox Specimens:
The discovery of vials containing variola virus in a Food and Drug Administration disturbed me. It made me wonder how these vials containing a virus which killed over 300 million people in the 20 century alone were stored so carelessly and were so easily forgotten. It raised the following questions in my mind:
What if there was a breech in the vials?
What if the virus was still viable even after almost half a century?
What if these vials were accidently exposed?
Having always been interested in astronomy, I decided to read the article about the possibility of life in Europa. I had to admit that I was shocked that there was a possibility of life on a moon that was too far away from the sun to be classified as being in the habitable zone, since the temperatures would be extremely low that most extremophiles would most likely not be able to handle it. Still, the evidence of the deep ocean that lies beneath the moon's frozen surface made me believe that there was a possibility of life on Jupiter's moon although it isn't the most likely.
The article I thought about after reading was the National Geographic about Europa. I personally think that Europa's water is a prime indication of life on the planet. As a result of their being a profuse amount of water, it gives rise to the idea that there could be life, microbial or possibly more sophisticated in the depths of Europa's oceans. However, I doubt that a simple probe would be able to discover the life, because the life would most likely be at the bottom of Europa's oceans. And because we don't really know how deep Europa's oceans actually are that could pose a problem. To truly discover if there is life on that planet I believe a manned space craft would have to go there and search. This is because if we sent a probe or any other remote controlled robot to search for us, it would be liable to be damaged. This is because as a matter of fact they are extremely heavy, and the majority of Europa is either water of ice. Hence, whatever we send would most likely break the ice and sink. If whatever we send is not thoroughly equipped to handle the under water pressure of Europa,s oceans, then that would mean several billion dollars would literally be flushed down the drain. Therefore, to truly discover if there is life on that planet, I believe that a human would have to be sent. As a result of space travel of that magnitude not being available in the foreseeable future, it is safe to assume we will not know if there is life on Europa for a some time to come. Unless of course we develop something that can penetrate the depths of the ocean, and allow us to see, at the very least life on the microbial level. However that too does not seem liable to happen in the foreseeable future.
A New View of Europa:
The theory of life on other planets has always been a topic of interest in the scientific community. Finding oceans that may be as much as a 100 kilometers deep on the surface of Jupiter's moon Europa is just one discovery closer to our answer. Though the exploration date of this moon is still uncertain, the red streaks formed by sulfur-containing compounds could be an exciting indicator of how life can utilize the redox transformations of sulfur to exist in icy and extreme environments of Europa.
If life is found beneath Europa's surface this discovery could change the way we live on earth. Could Europa be habitable by humans in the near future? Who knows, maybe science fiction movies be a precursor to space travel to Europa.
Ashana P
I believe that viruses could have a part in the tree of life on Earth. The first article has proved to me that viruses may have come before cells in the evolution process. The article states that there have been discoveries of giant viruses such as the pithovirus which has some replication machinery causing it to be more independent than other viruses. Viruses are also more diverse than cells which conflicts with the theory that viruses derived from cells. I also believe that viruses do depend on having a host such as a cell to copy themselves. I also believe that it is difficult for viruses to come before cells because many do depend on a host to copy themselves. The theory that I believe the most is the on that Abergel and Claverie have, “Giant viruses may have evolved from a line of cells that is now extinct. “ I think that that is the most realistic theory.
I believe the Europa can be home to extraterrestrial life. Europa has an ocean covered with a layer of frozen ice. There is a possibility that there could be life under the ice. There are also red cracks in the ice made by sulfur-containing compounds coming up from beneath the ice. If we compare these streaks to the Canadian Arctic, then the cracks may symbolize life in Europa’s global ocean. I feel that we should send out a spacecraft to study the plant in the future, possibly in a couple years. I think that we should have some planning time before we decide to send the spacecraft to Europa, but I feel that we shouldn’t wait to long because we should try to figure out if there is life on Europa as fast as we can.
After reading the first article on viruses I think that it is amazing that we are living with these mimiviruses, pandoviruses, and pithoviruses that could be from a different version of life entirely. In my opinion this warrants their own domain because a lot of their genetics are completely different than what we think of as normal.
On the topic of life as we know it, it was really interesting to me that in the third article, Europa, an icy and watery moon of Jupiter, had similar red streaks of sulfur containing compounds as the Canadian Arctic and could be evidence of life. It has always surprised me how many forms that proof of life could come in. Life is such a complex and miraculous thing.
It is exciting and thrilling to hear that Jupiter's moon Europa possibly harbors extraterrestrial life. Life here on Earth is indeed fascinating: the way how all living organisms, which are all part of one big system, socialize and interact with one another, endless bodies of water teem with sea creatures, and the mind of the human being never ceases to impress. However, to hear that there could be fish darting around underneath Europa's icy surface is far more exciting than some rover buggy wheeling around Mars' dry (and boring) dirt land. Here on Earth, there have been multiple accounts of UFO witnesses and alien abductions, but there has been no concrete, definite proof of extraterrestrial existence. I personally find it hard to believe that Earth is the only body in space that contains life, especially if space is a never ending stretch of time and...space! There is other life out there, somewhere. Past NASA probes have flown by Jupiter's watery moon, but a "mission to Europa" is yet to happen. It may take many, many years of planning, preparation, and budgeting for such a mission to occur, but I still look forward to that day when a probe will be finally sent on such a groundbreaking, milestone mission.
I read the article on the discovery of Europa’s ocean and found it quite impressive. This is actually one of the few times scientists actually discovered a habitat which could contain a form of life outside Earth, and unlike the speculation of Mars possessing the existence of life, there seems to be more accurate evidence and studies towards this finding. While in the future, when the spacecraft is sent here, which is definitely a possibility, there will hopefully be a firm confirmation of the moon’s waters under the frozen crust of ice which contains new life. Another feeling after reading this article was a shocking sense that our solar system already has so many findings of life possibly existing. If there are already this much signs of life in our own solar system, I’m curious about our whole galaxy, our whole milky way. Just like the creatures of the ocean, outside of Earth might just be another ocean we need to intensely study. Could there be millions of Europas roaming around? Or possibly another Earth?
Article I: A Viral-Based Root of Life
This article brings up a point of with new evidence comes new ideas; however, I think the idea expressed in the article is more or less an advance on the idea of the chicken and the egg. The many scientists in this article come up with many theories of their being a world of viruses to begin with that eventually “created” the cells of today (theorized by Koonin) while others continue to argue that modern-day viruses require a host to live. While Abergel and Claverie make valid points and possible theories of a, currently extinct, line of cells being the basis of the organisms known as viruses, that only brings up the question of where did they come from and how was it that only that type received the strange genes that later transferred to only certain viruses and not all. Furthermore, it seems that the “giants” went undetected for several time periods until now, so why would it be that only a “few” of the organisms would be able to somewhat disguise as other known organisms and be pushed aside until further inquiry? As a human who believes in Darwin’s theory of evolution, why would it be that only a few viruses would camouflage themselves against the major threat of humanity? I believe that merely the giants appeared fairly recently in biological history and that they evolved to try to hide themselves from the world of humans. Additionally, the unknown genes from the giants could just be an evolution that allows certain types of viruses to disguise as other organisms to prevent extinction. However due to my lack of knowledge in the field of biology, this entire theory of mine could be entirely false.
Article III: A New View of Europa
Having already prior knowledge on the topic, I was not particularly surprised by the information given in the article. The idea of exploration of this possibly habitable moon is nothing new of the sort; however there is some debate on whether to send a robotic probe to try to find possible life on the moon. Using a robotic probe would allow more movement without any danger for any human beings, while sending a human manned vessel would disallow proficient delivery of food and necessary materials for humans to possibly survive on Europa due to the long distance to Europa and also Europa’s ice surface could prove dangerous for any humans wishing to stand and possibly fall through it. In conclusion, I believe, if space programs were to send something to Europa to search for life, it would most likely be a robotic probe.
-David Liu
Throughout the duration of my life thus far I have had a consistent interest in the science of astronomy and as one may guess a thorough interest in the possibility of Extra- Terrestrial life. The National Geographic/ Europa article immediately intrigued me. Before reading this article, I possessed minimal knowledge regarding Europa other than the fact that this moon is covered in ice. However, I was surprised upon learning that beneath the frozen crust there is an ocean that is possibly heated by hydrothermal sea vents.
With the possibility of hydrothermal sea vents on the ocean floors, life may be possible. Liquid water is a major key in life sustenance for life as we know it. In addition, Europa's icy crust might be able to protect an possible organisms from the Sun's solar flares. Furthermore, organisms need a way to create energy; that part is solved by the possibility of the sea vents. My hypothesis is that the life we find on Europa, if any at all, will be chemotrophs or archae organisms converting inorganic matter into energy through chemosynthesis. My hypothesis is somewhat similar to Günter Wächtershäuser iron- sulfur world theory.
I believe that in the near future as technology is advancing, we will be able to pierce the icy crust of Europa and find Extra- Terrestrial Life. The organisms we find may be similar to life as we know it or totally different. But for now, all we can do is hypothesize.
I think that finding extra terrestrial life on Europa is fascinating, since the moon's environment has a different pressure and temperature than the average organism can survive in. I also think that it's a very promising find due to the fact that Jupiter's moon has a global ocean larger than all the oceans combined from Earth, and has contact with a rocky sea floor (similar to Earth's oceans). I'm curious to find out how NASA would create probe to withstand the different environment settings of Europa's ocean. The instruments that they create can only come to answer one of humanities biggest questions if whether there is life somewhere else in the galaxy.
I would really like Europa to be studied by humans within the next few years for evidence of life. However, I believe it will take more than ten or twenty years to even acquire the technology to explore Europa. We may be able to look for life on Europa after decades, considering the factors. One main concern of mine is how we will be able to explore life under the ice that covers Europa's oceans. We may find some evidence of life within the small percentage of ocean within the first 12 kilometres under Europa's surface, but after that any probe will be crushed by the pressure of millions of tons of water. There are bacteria that live near hydrothermal sea vents in Earth's oceans, but to examine the hydrothermal vents of Europa, we would have to create a probe that could withstand an astounding amount of pressure and crack through the ice on the surface of the ocean. Another reason sending a probe to the bottom of Europa's oceans is risky is because we do not know if any life form can even withstand that much pressure. I honestly believe that we are far from being able to explore all of Europa's oceans for life. The article on giant viruses reminds me of the DNA in chloroplasts and mitochondria for some reason. I am curious about these new genes found in the giant bacteria, and all this talk of the bacteria or virus appearing first reminds me of the hypothesis that mitochondria and chloroplasts are foreign invaders to the cell that have become a part of them. I am not sure if this hypothesis supports the fact that viruses may have come before the cell and used the cell to such an extent that they have evolved to become a part of the cell. It would be awesome if these new giant viruses had genes that could be transferred to other organisms for some super organism action.
After reading the article about the discovery of giant viruses, I was amazed at how this changes our theories on how life started. Studying the mimivirus, pandoravirus, and pithovirus proposed the idea that cells may not actually be the first living things on Earth. Because these viruses have more genes than cells, it proves that cells had to come from viruses because viruses are so diverse that they have the ability to contain the entire range of genes available to cells. Giant viruses also have more methods of reproducing than cells. They are a lot more independent than regular viruses, even possessing their own replication machinery which diminishes the importance of a host. There are many theories on the exact timeline of how life came about and this controversy will probably continue for many years to come. Something else currently being discussed, which I find very intriguing, is the question about whether these giant viruses are alive or not. Generally viruses are not considered to be living because they cannot replicate their genes without a host but giant viruses lie somewhere between bacterium and virus so in the future, a fourth branch of classification, along with archaea, bacteria, and eukaryotes, may be required.
It is surprising how long it has taken us to discover giant viruses when it seems that we are so far ahead in the world of biology as well as in remodeling the path of life and evolution. This just shows us how astonishingly complex and diverse life can be and how there are so many more surprises waiting to be discovered. Even in a world beyond our own, in a moon of Jupiter, unbelievable possibilities are being uncovered. It is amazing to think that life may exist in the depths of Europa’s vast oceans. The evidence for this is extremely convincing as well. The red streaks on the surface of this moon, suggesting that there are sulfur containing compounds pushing up through the ice, are similar to the streaks seen on Earth in the Canadian Arctic. There are some problems we must analyze before action is taken though. First of all, it is questionable how there can be life on a place so far away from the sun with such low temperatures that surely even the most capable organisms cannot survive. Also, it will be difficult to pierce the layer of ice and sink into the ocean below but I know that our scientists will eventually find a way to examine this possibility of life in another location. So far, we have only studied a minuscule fraction of the entire world of knowledge ahead of us but in this modern age of advanced technology and motivated scientists, I believe that we will continue along this path towards greatness.
With a great interest in astronomy and having prior knowledge about Europa, I decided to read A New View of Europa. Based on this article, I believe there may be a possibility of the existence of extraterrestrial life on this moon due to the fact that there is an ocean that goes 100 kilometers in depth. At this point, scientists are having difficulties confirming their speculations about life on Europe because they have not created a space probe that can survive in the oceanic environment of Jupiter's moon. However, the article claims that in a couple years, this conflict will be resolved as scientists will formulate a probe or spacecraft that will be able to withstand the conditions of Europa. Therefore, I think scientists are on the right path in actually finding out if there is existence of life on this moon. The appearance of the red streaks formed by the sulfur-containing compounds in the reprocessed images of Europa makes the scientists' conjectures more credible. Now, all they need to do is to confirm it, which may happen in the next decade or so. Scientists are one step closer in solving this enigma and formulating a robotic emissary to send to Europa is the best way to ensure the presence of extraterrestrial life. Furthermore, I think it is smart of scientists not to send a human being to Europa to ensure there is life in the ocean because nobody is certain whether it is safe enough for a human to step foot on Europa and survive. There may not even be life on this moon due to extreme condition such as extremely low or high temperatures. Therefore, if there is no life and a human tries to go on Europa, then it is possible he or she may not survive, so it is better to use a robot that has the senses to send live feedback to curious scientists instead of risking a human being's life. Overall, I believe scientists are on the right path in finding out if there is life in the oceans of Europa and finally solving this long time mystery.
For decades scientists have been interested in the idea of life outside of planet Earth. Europa has given the scientific community hope as this moon could be a potential landing spot for future space crafts and humans. Although this idea is intriguing, there may be some drawbacks to this idea. How can a moon far away from the sun sustain life? The presumed theory of a possible ocean is a positive sign towards future endeavors in terms traveling to this moon. Before we decide to embark on a trip to Europa we need to navigate the moon with robots and other space craft to see if this moon is a possible landing spot for humans. Europa has intrigued scientists and has potential to become a revolutionary idea for the scientific community
Although I read all of the articles, the third on possible extraterrestrial life on Jupiter's moon Europa fascinated me the most. I have always believed that there has to be other life somewhere in the universe, and the possibility that it may be in our solar system boggles my mind. I do think that there is a possibility of life under the ice of Europa's frozen ocean. If the theory of Europa's deep oceans having hydrothermal sea vents is true, it can also make the possibility of life much higher. After reading up on these vents and what roles they play in the creation of bacteria, I have discovered that the pouring out of minerals from these vents could chemically react with the cold waters of Europa's oceans. One chemical reaction that can occur is with sulfur, which can form metal rich towers and deposits of minerals on sea floors. The fluids also contain chemicals that feed microbes at the base of a unique food web that survives apart from the sun, which means that bacteria and new life at the very bottom of Europa's oceans can be forming even without sunlight. As we have already discovered, there are sulfur-containing compounds that have oozed through the ice of Europa, meaning that this process could be taking place deep below the surface, and the compounds oozing up could be evidence of this. The only complication to discovering whether or not this life is actually forming is the actual task of sending probes and space crafts down into this oceans past the ice. As we know by experience with Earthen oceans, water pressure increases the farther you go down, and with Europa's oceans possibly being deeper than 100 kilometers, the spacecraft could be crushed before it is able to get far enough to discover this possible life. Despite the obvious doubts and setbacks that discovering the possibility of life on Europa will bring, I believe that it is a worthy cause that should continue to be looked into and researched.
In relation to whether or not a mission to Europa would be feasible or even justifiable it is definitely justifiable. I truly believe that there has to be life on other planets and maybe not what we think of as normal life. A lot of aspects of Europa are incredibly different than Earth, but as we have found out with viruses there could be different kinds of life on our very Earth so it would make sense that life elsewhere in the universe would evolve very differently based on the environment and energy resources. The presence of water and the sulfur streaks are very promising. So I think life on Europa is a very real possibility that should not be discounted easily.
However the feasibility of this mission is another matter all together. NASA has been losing funding since 2012 and manned flights have been all but eliminated. Right now this mission is not really feasible; not because the technology could not be found or created within a few years but because they would not have the money to take on such a project- this in itself is a terrible thing- but I believe it should be a priority.
After reading all of the articles, I found that CDC Media Statement on Newly Discovered Smallpox Specimens, was the most captivating. It astonished me to find out that those vials could go undiscovered for so long. It really makes you think about how organized the FDA really is. I hope that for future references, everything is being logged and well maintained. It was very irresponsible for the FDA to allow for such a virus to be left unattended in a storage room.
In the article, the CDC describes how they contained the situation. By ensuring that there were no threats to the employees or the public, they were able to move the vials to a secure location. When the results from the tests return, the samples will be destroyed. The WHO will be supervising the destruction of all of the samples. The CDC is also launching another investigation to determine how these samples were so carelessly stored. For precautionary measures, it would be wise to inspect other facilities for unaccounted for threats.
After reviewing the third article about Europa, one of the largest moons of Jupiter, I decided to research some more into NASA's extraterrestrial life plans for the future. According to the Examiner, NASA has made a bold and confident statement that they will find alien life within the next 20 years. They also announced that one of the first places they will look is Europa. As stated in the article "A New View of Europa," the moon Europa contains almost 2 or 3 times the amount of water in Earth's oceans. This shows that there is a good possibility that there could be life as all life we know of requires water. Searching for life on Europa is the first step I believe for humans to leave Earth when Earth is no longer an option. We need to know that life can exist on other planets before humans can decide to live there. Already Earth is being overpopulated with humans and threats such as global warming, meteors, and solar problems will not let us stay here forever. Regardless, we need the proper technology to discover and get us there. As of now, we do not have that complex technology to travel across space and find signs of life. The first step towards exploring for life is with a new system called the Transiting Exoplanet Surveillance Satellite. According to NASA, it will launch in 2017 and aid in the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence, or SETI for short. Furthermore, we need to do some research here on Earth about the origins of life on this planet before searching for more on other worlds. Microbiologists should explore the pithovirus increasingly to discover its position in the tree of life as it could provide clues about how life usually evolves and develops. Taking it one step further, if we do find a primitive life forms in space, we could simulate an environment to make those organisms evolve for our benefit or their benefit. This will raise many bioethical issues, however, but hopefully humanity takes the right decision.
Article:
NASA makes bold prediction: Alien life will be found within 20 years
URL: http://www.examiner.com/article/nasa-makes-bold-prediction-alien-life-will-be-found-within-20-years
I found the article on Eurpoa very interesting. I would have never thought that an icy moon of Jupiter could contain any forms of life because of the extreme temperature and environment. However, after reading this article I think there might be a chance that there is at least some forms of life there, even if its simply microorganisms. If the red streaks found on the images released from NASA are representative of the red streaks we see on images of the Earth, I would be more confident in saying that there is definitely some form of life on Europa. I was surprised to hear that the ocean of Europa could possibly be three times more than all of Earth's oceans combined. If that is accurate I would expect that there would be some sort of bacteria or other micro-organism living in it. Perhaps an undiscovered, rare type of bacteria that only thrives in extremely freezing temperatures. Although it would be very unlikely that we would be able to find out the truth about Europa, I still have some hope that in the future our technological advances would give us a better look at what Europa has to hold. First, I feel that there needs to be more information on the moon itself in order to decide whether Europa is home to any species. I think the next step should be to design some sort of space-craft or device that can land on Europa and collect samples of minerals and record information on the temperature, surface, etc. This way scientists would be able to make a more educated guess on whether Europa could have any life on it at all. If that could get accomplished successfully then more space-crafts can be sent there for a complete analysis.
I also found the article on the giant viruses fascinating. It was interesting that many scientists have differing views on whether viruses or cells evolved first as a result of this bizarre new discovery. I was surprised to hear that Abergel and Claverie suspected the mimivirus to be "abound in the natural world and undetectable" due to their unusually large size. After reading the different perspectives scientists had on whether viruses or cells evolved first, I felt that Abergel and Claverie's theory was the most persuasive. They believe that the giant virus evolved after a line of extinct cells. This makes sense to me because there could have been a chance that these "cells" could no longer survive in their changing environment leading to the introduction of the virus.
-Richa Patel
A New View of Europa:
After reading the given articles, I found that the possibility of finding extra-terrestrial life on Jupiter's small moon the most interesting. One of the most important indicators of life on Jupiter's moon is the global ocean underneath the crust. This vast ocean could be almost 100 kilometers deep and contains two to three times more water then Earth's oceans combined. This much water makes room for many possibilities of what can be roaming around on this moon. Europa is also at the top of the list of places that scientists want to research and explore for extra-terrestrial life because of the possible minerals and hydrothermal sea vents. Having minerals in the ocean is necessary for life to exist so knowing that there are minerals in the water from the ocean floor will increase the possibility of life on this moon. The hydrothermal sea vents, which are created when water seeps through the surface of a planet and geothermically heated water is then released also would increase the possibility of life on Europa. Lastly, the other evidence that shows the possibility of life on Europa is the sulfur containing compounds that have risen to the ice. The article called Biogeochemical Characterization of a Sulfur-rich Arctic Ecosystem gives information about the Canadian High Arctic where sulfur was found and has shown the possibility of the use of redox transformations of sulfur for life to exist in extreme environments. This information shows that the sulfur that is seeping through the ice may be from life existing in the extreme icy environment of the moon. Although there is a possibility of finding extra-terrestrial life on Jupiter's small moon, it will take much more research to find out how to get to and land on the moon. After finding out the means to get to the moon and land, scientists will have to continue to research to see if it would be possible to go under the oceans crust. This may not be possible because of the extreme pressure of the ocean.
It's fascinating to see that extraterrestrial life is indeed possible on other planets/moons, especially since Europa isn't hundreds or millions of light years away. this could make experimentation much easier and effective. Data could be brought back before 10 or so generations of scientists die. If one could compare Europa to Earth, then one can say that it is going through an ice age and seeing that the ice is starting to melt, life could start to thrive on land within the next thousand to million years. Studying the biological nature of these samples retrieved from digging through the ice could determine how safe these organisms are and if they could potentially benefit us humans, or harm us. Overall, finding new life could be awfully exciting, but at the same could be horrifying, for we have no clue as to what is hiding underneath that ice. In the near future, hopefully astrobiologists can determine a safe way to break through the ice and truly determine whether life is feasible on Europa.
I read the articles and found the article on the possibility of life on one of Jupiter's moons Europa the most interesting. It reminded me of a group project I did in 8th grade when each group was assigned a planet or moon in space and had to determine whether it was likely or not to be habitable by any form of life. We had to support our answer based on the availability of water, nutrients, and energy. Since there seems to be is a large frozen ocean underneath the surface of Europa it could be very possible there could be life on that moon and I think it's very proactive and smart to start exploring Europa because even if there is only traces of prior forms of life it could still greatly influence and help all life on Earth. Finding living life forms would be even more influential.
Viruses
Looking closely at the Virus World Theory, its foundation does not have a clear-cut explanation or support towards the phylogenetic tree. However, the primitive cells that first came around, match the molecular structure of a virus a lot more than a later evolved or modern cell. Although this distinction is in a grey area, as biologist Koonin said viruses are a simple form of life that has evolved into more complex systems. Viruses are dependent on other life forms for replication- this could serve as a basis for answers of what evolved first? The genetic changes or even mutations could be traced through evolution back to the beginning of how viruses evolved and changed so much. Much evidence points to the early origins of a virus, however the complex well-developed and altered viruses today puts this question into constant debate.
Europa
Chemical reactions help serve as evidence of life forms. The sulfur based compounds may be a vital component for other life forms we have never studied before. Many scientists are skeptical of the living conditions on other planets, however, we have never found any other life forms to determine the possible and very different compounds that might be enough to sustain life elsewhere. The narrow minded thought that carbon must be present for "life" to exist, is not accurate because we do not know the needs of other life. The vast ocean present on Europa, as stated in the article, is a great discovery that will serve for great exploration and research of other life or even atmospheres to learn about.
A New View of Europa
Life as we are familiar with on Earth requires a habitable environment in order to survive and further thrive, but can we assume the same for other celestial bodies?
Planetary habitability is determined by five factors, namely: water, temperature, energy, nutrients, and atmosphere. In addition, too much of a factor can prove to be just as detrimental as not enough or even none of it at all, but because Earth offers each one of these factors in a temperate amount, conditions on our planet are ideal for supporting life forms (particularly advanced surface life such as ourselves).
Data collected from NASA’s Galileo probe verifies that beneath its frozen surface, Europa “contains between two and three times as much water as all the oceans on Earth, combined.”
According to NASA’s APOD (Astronomy Picture of the Day)’s posted on May 15, 2012 and May 24, 2012, respectively, if all of the water on/ near Earth’s surface was gathered together to form a ball, its radius would be only about 700 kilometers, and if all of Europa’s water came together similarly, it would have a radius of approximately 877 kilometers. All this – and Europa isn’t even the size of our own minute moon!
For sure, Europa satisfies the habitability factor of water, but what about the other four factors?
Temperatures range from 140 Kelvin (about -210 degrees F, or -135 degrees C) to as low as about 50 Kelvin (-370 degrees F, or -223 degrees C), but possible sea vents beneath Europa’s ocean suggest a possible way to increase these temperatures, and the hydrothermal energy given off by the aforementioned sea vents on Europa’s sea floor stands as a possible energy source. The presence of red cracks in Europa’s surface, caused by sulfur-containing compounds, is one example of an available known nutrient. Europa also has its own atmosphere, albeit very thin.
In the past, no one could legitimately believe that life could ever exist in such conditions, but this notion has long since changed. Of all the celestial bodies which have been studied in search for competence of sustaining life, Europa’s potential has been recognized by scientists as a legitimate option in the pursuit of life beyond Earth. Hopefully, the robotic probe scientists dream of sending to Europa will be built well enough to withstand the hardened conditions this moon has to offer. No one can know for sure whether the probability of life on Europa will definitely lead to discovery until then.
A New View Of Europa:
From kids to adults I hear umpteen people feud among one another regarding the existence of extraterrestrial life in our world. Is it really possible? As a result I decided to read the article, ”A New View Of Europa” because of the rising conflicts as well as my interest in astronomy. The article “A New View Of Europa” definitely gives many people a hunch that extraterrestrial life may exist on Europa, one of Jupiter’s many moons; however, no scientific evidence was cited. Therefore, There is no guarantee that extraterrestrials are habituating in Europa. Although the top of the ocean on Europa is frozen, we have found water underneath the partially melted spherical ice cube (Europa). In addition, the article states that the moon has oceans as deep as,”100 kilometers”; hence, is deep enough for the formation of hydrothermal vents on the see floor. Due to Jupiter’s distant location from the sun, bacteria may be able to survive by using chemosynthesis with the help of the minerals and chemicals emitted from the hydrothermal vents. Moving on, after seeing the image that NASA has taken of the Europa; the innumerable amount of sulfur compound streaks found on the crust seems to be enough to not only support some life but an entire civilization of life under the sea. Therefore, after final analysis, Europa has the recourses to support life due to hydrothermal vents, sulfur compounds and other minerals as well as H2O found on mysterious moon. We may still be developing a probe to send to Europa that will eventually find a landing spot for a spacecraft; nevertheless, it may bring us closer to answering the big question. “Do extraterrestrial beings exist on Europa”, and if so what is the next step in space and extraterrestrial exploration?
After reading all the articles, the two articles that caught my attention were A New View of Europa, and CDC Media statement on Newly Discovered Smallpox Specimens. When reading the article about Europa, I thought it was incredibly interesting to hear that there could possibly be life on Europa. The discovery of global oceans lying beneath the moon’s frozen, criss-crossed crust has given the scientific community hope that there could be a new form of life on Europa. Scientist have been searching for a new form of life for the past few decades and it is finally a possibility. Even though it is an exciting idea that there could be another form of life, there is no actually proof that one would be able to sustain life on Europa. It is a keen decision to have a probe sent out to Europa rather than sending a human because that no one knows if life is actually sustainable. Once scientist send the probe out, we will have a better understanding of whether or not there is an actual possibility of other forms of life. Scientist definitely are on the right path to discover this potential new life, and I can’t wait to find out if there is life extra-terrestrial life on Europa.
CDC Media Statement on Newly Discovered Smallpox Specimens also was a very interesting article because I was surprised to find out that vials, which are known as smallpox, were found in an unused portion of a storage room in a Food and Drug Administration (FDA). This makes me question the hygiene of the FDA and how sanitary they truly are. In the article it states that the vials are dated from all the 1950’s. After the discovery of the vials, they were immediately secured in a CDC-registered laboratory and made sure that was no infectious exposure to the workers or the public which then allowed them to move the vials to test them even further. I was in complete and utter shock that the vials had been around since 1950’s and we are discovering them now. CDC have notified the World Health Organization (WHO) about their discovery since they are the ones who inspect these smallpox amenities. I hope that this helps FDA become more proactive in making sure that no incident as such, should ever happen again, and also encourages WHO to make sure that they are inspecting these facilities sufficiently. Hopefully, both the FDA and WHO do what is needed in order to prevent this from happen again.
A New View of Europa
From the articles given this week to read, I was most interested in the one about life outside of earth. This question has been pondered about for years. There have been many fascinating theories about it and this happens to be the most recent one I've read. Once I read this article it caused my imagination to run wild. I thought about Europa going through same eras that earth once did like the Archean era, Mesozoic era and Cenozoic era. I think Europa could become the next earth because it has an abundance of water, minerals and hydrothermal sea vents. The importance of water for life to thrive has been stated by many people before and it has the same application here. Minerals are the source for protein and food for some life such as plants. Another article attached to this one talked about the similarities between the findings in Arctic Canada and of Europa. The highly unusual amounts of Sulfur suggested some link to life according to the lead Investigator that is conducting experiments in Canada. He also believes there is too much radiation at the surface of Europa for life to exist but it may under the 100km deep oceans. The continuation of tastings in Arctic Canada are to better understand the geography of Europa and the best way to send a probe there to retrieve more information. I think as of now it's too cold for any significant life to exist because of the lack of heat. But in many years to come I believe it is possible for life to thrive in Europa.
A New View of Europa:
Just like most children, after watching Star Wars or a movie that takes place in the distant future, I ask myself "Do aliens exist? Are extraterrestrials a possibility?" The article "A New View of Europa" contains a fascinating and plausible theory that life may actually exist somewhere other than Earth. Hydrothermal sea vents can provide life for organisms that use chemosynthesis to create energy by mediating chemical reactions. Such organisms exist on Earth, so why can't they exist on Europa? Water is essential for life too, so that is another contributing factor that may allow life on Europa. Although this logic is reasonable, it is still a theory because no evidence of life on Europa exists so far. Sending a probe to Europa (should scientists figure out a way to penetrate the thick ice) might provide evidence for life, but I believe that human exploration is more reliable than probes. Due to the freezing temperatures, harsh conditions, and unknown environment below the ice, probes are subject to damage and destruction. Although sending humans to a distant planet is risky, considering that these are actual human lives placed in harms way, they are more reliable since they can do everything a probe can and more. Humans can infer and make conclusions based on observations. Once they make some conclusions, they can explore more upon them. Meanwhile, probes can only mindlessly wander the foreign planet. No one knows yet if there is life on Europa, but sending probes there might finally answer the question "Are we alone in the universe?"
CDC Media Statement on Newly Discovered Smallpox Specimens:
The discovery of vials containing variola virus in a Food and Drug Administration disturbed me. It made me wonder how these vials containing a virus which killed over 300 million people in the 20 century alone were stored so carelessly and were so easily forgotten. The finding of the variola virus made the credibility of vaccinations and medicines today questionable. Small pox had thought to be a disease that was “eradicated” worldwide in the 1980’s with the help from medical advancements such as vaccinations. If the vials found in the food and Drug Administration still have the potential to be viable even after almost half a century, is it even possible to completely eliminate a virus and shield humans from their possible outbreaks? This finding made me wonder if there is a protocol and a certain procedure that needs to take place before storing vials containing such harmful viruses. Could it be possible that there are more deadly viruses that have been poorly stored and are waiting to be discovered? These careless acts taken by scientists are only encouraging an unforgivable accident to occur. How long will it be before they realize the magnitude of destruction that such viruses could cause?
Of the three articles given to read this week, I was most fascinated by the article A New View of Europa. As a lover of science fiction movies especially, I have always been fascinated by the possibility of life beyond earth. Scientists have been searching for extraterrestrial life outside of earth's atmosphere for many decades. It shocks me to see that life could possibly exist on this small moon of Jupiter. Through further exploration I found that Europa is 1,900 miles in diameter, which makes it smaller than Earth's moon. Despite this, Europa contains between two and three times as much water as all of Earth's oceans combined! How can such a small moon in comparison to the size of earth contain this vast ocean of water? If any, what kinds of organisms are surviving around the hydrothermal sea vents as well? Although it is amazing to see that any life form could survive on this small moon, it is astonishing because of how far Europa is from the sun. In the near future with further research from spacecrafts and robots, it will be compelling to learn more about whether or not Europa can in fact support more intelligent life forms.
For a Science project last year (8th grade), I had to evaluate whether or not life was possible on Europa based on certain criteria provided by our teacher. It was evident that there was a higher possibility than other moons, but it still seemed so unlikely that life could exist elsewhere. However, reading this article shed light on more plausible evidence that allowed me to reanalyze my views. Evidently, Europa lacks in many basic features- its freezing climate, foreign geography, and severe environment oppose the possibility of alien life. In contrast, the possibility of hydrothermal sea vents suggest that life is an option, because if deep-sea creatures live here, it’s possible that a sufficient amount could exist there. Scientists placing probes there could be problematic because of the aforementioned unknown territory; imagining that it survives, the probe would indicate many things to astrobiologists studying the possibility of life. (Scientist might learn from the 1990’s “robotic emissary [that] had the moon in sight,” mentioned by Nadia Drake. The Galileo spacecraft might drop some hints from its mission in the Jovian system.) The answers to our questions could be in our grasp in the next few decades, as a new probe is sent on its campaign through Europa’s vast, global ocean underneath the moons icy outer layer. Investigating Europa might provide us the answer to the universal, old-as-time question- do aliens exist? And the impact of that answer is almost unimaginable.
Possible Viral Origin of Life
After reading all the articles, I have to say that the first story about how viruses might have been the start of life was the most interesting. We have lived for so many years accepting the fact the complex life derived from bacteria, but then suddenly the giant virus, pithovirus, emerges and completely alters everything we have come to know. Even the idea that humans evolved from viruses is shocking. The scientist mentioned in this article all made valid points but what virologist Valerian Dolja said really stood out. He said, “Where diversity lies, origin lies.” I found the statement important because history has proven that origin is truly where diversity is. For example, in the article it states that we were able to identify that humans originated from Africa because of the population diversity, so that simply supports the point. Scientists were at a point where they thought that they had discovered almost everything about origins of human life, but the giant viruses test to differ. After reading about all the evidence, I believe and agree with Koonin that giant viruses existed because it could be just the beginning of a must greater discovery.
Article 1: Hints of Life’s Start Found in a Giant Virus
I read the article about the giant viruses and contemplated about all the changes that this can bring in modern day science. Past theories could be manipulated or completely wiped out because of the discovery of giant viruses. As a result of this, new theories will definitely emerge, trying to explain the timeline of early life. Controversy will exist as opposing groups will try to explain what they feel is right. More time and money must be invested in the research of this new breakthrough in science. Viruses are not considered to be living because they lack properties of living organisms. They do not respond to stimuli, don’t reproduce independently, or grow or develop. Viruses invade host cells in order to replicate. New research shows that the mimivirus, pandoravirus, and pithovirus are more independent and advanced than common viruses. These viruses don’t need to rely on host cells to replicate. They carry their own instruments of replication. It is so different from our current, accepted view of viruses. Traditional thinking suggests that viruses emerged after cells. It makes sense because most viruses require cells as hosts to thrive. They use multiple cells to cause a rapid spread of the virus. New theories derived from the discovery of giant viruses propose that ancestral viruses could have provided the blueprints for cellular life and might have spawned diversification into many organisms. Surprisingly, viruses have more genes than cells. This is solid evidence that cells had to come from viruses. They are more diverse than cells and contain a wide range of genes. Giant viruses lie in a place between bacterium and virus. Some researchers say that giant viruses require their own branch of classification, away from archaea, bacteria and eukaryotes. A fourth branch might be necessary for giant viruses.
Europa, a small moon of Jupiter, is known to have an ocean lying beneath its icy crust. Scientists have not yet discovered what is existent in the ocean, however, many speculate that Europa has the possibility of supporting life. With the belief of Europa having hydrothermal sea vents in its ocean, scientists are extremely interested in studying the ocean. Scientists are currently aware of the fact that bacterial life can exist by chemosynthesis through these hydrothermal vents. Chemosynthesis, the biological conversion of carbon molecules and nutrients to organic matter, happens on our own planet. Therefore, if there is life on Europa, I believe that it will most likely be some form of bacterial life. It will be interesting to see how NASA will be able to develop a probe to discover life on Jupiter's moon. Some challenges they will face are the unknown depths of the ocean and the extremely high amounts of pressure.
In my opinion, there is a possibility that there is evidence of life in Europa. The essential factors to enhance humanity are clothing, shelter, food and water. In Europa, there is water three times more than all the oceans on earth combined together. I think that sending a spacecraft is great idea because it allows scientists to research evidence of life in Europa. I think that the probe will find different features of Europa like the weather, the atmosphere etc. just like Mariner 2 confirmed that venus is an extremely hot on Dec. 14 1962. After some research, I discovered that there are some obstacles, the space probe cannot tell the amount of gravitational force there is on Europa? Also, it cannot tell if there are any signs of organic molecules. I believe that scientists will find ways to overcome these obstacles and achieve their goal.
i did some research using the website, nasa.gov
For centuries, one of the most thought provoking ideas has been the question of whether life on other planets exists. When a person initially thinks about “aliens” or extraterrestrial life, they think of creatures living on actual planets like Saturn, Uranus and especially Mars. What is mistakenly disregarded is the possibility of life on planets which is why the article about extraterrestrial life on one of Jupiter’s moons caught my attention. What I know about Europa is that it is one of the Galilean moons of Jupiter and that it is covered in ice. That was truthfully all the knowledge I had about this segment until I read the article. One of the most interesting things about the whole article to me was probably the fact that the world is relying on a machine to find out if there actually is life or not. Personally, I don’t think anyone can say whether there is life on Europa or not. No one knows enough information about what lies under the icy crust to actually make a logical and correct conclusion about the extraterrestrial life. Scientists are definitely well aware of this which is why they have chosen to use the Europa Clipper to find signs of life. I think that more advances in technology will need to be made in order for the Clipper to be able to find signs of life which may take decades and maybe even a century or two. Ever since scientists and astrobiologists have used technology to detect life, they have found only signs that something existed. For example, on the Mars rover Curiosity has found signs that there could have been life on Mars but not actual life. Finding signs of life is definitely a huge step in the right direction however are we actually ready for life other than our own? Over the years, more and more facts about other life in the universe have come forward but in my opinion, it is too early to form a logical and correct conclusion about what exists while the possibility still stands.
Out of all the articles this week, I was most intrigued by the article on Europa. I believe astronomy is one of the most interesting branches of science. I have always thought about the possibility that life exists somewhere besides the planet earth. I've also always believed that anything is possible. Thus, after reading this article I have hope that there is life on Jupitar's moon Europa. According to research, there is an ocean that lies below the moon's crust. This ocean is said to be as much as 100 kilometers deep. The ocean has 2 to 3 times more water than all of Earths oceans combined. There is a chance that this underwater environment would be like Earth's oceans. Therefore there is a chance of hydrothermal vents. Life here can be very similar to microbial life under Earth's oceans. Before it was believed that all living things, including those under the ocean, needed sunlight to live. This was proved wrong with the discovery of chemosynthesis. This showed that living things needed only water and an energy gradient. Now all we need to do is test our theories. NASA is planning to send a 2 billion dollar probe called the Europa Clipper to the moon. The estimated lauch time is 2021. There are many advantages and disadvantages to the use of probes. An advantage would be the it is safer than sending humans. We still don't know the environment very well. Thus it might be dangerous. Not knowing the environment is a huge disadvantage. We don't know what might happen to the probe. For all we know, it might fall in a hole. Overall, I enjoyed reading this article. It made me think about the possibility of extraterrestrial life. Even though the organisms we might find won't be as advanced as humans, it will still be very important. It will give us hope that somewhere in this universe, there can be unique organisms like us.
CDC’s Smallpox Media Statement:
This media statement released by the CDC details a recent disturbing finding. Vials of variola, or smallpox, were found in an operating FDA laboratory. Smallpox has killed an astronomic number of people, since its emergence in the human population in about 10,000 B.C.E. Fortunately, the vials were in an unused area of a storage room. However, this issue concerns me greatly. Because this FDA laboratory was one of the spaces previously used by the NIH, it raises the possibility that other NIH-turned-FDA spaces may contain similar samples of dangerous biologic products. For the safety of their employees, as well as the general populace, I believe that the CDC, FDA, and NIH should thoroughly check all of their laboratories and buildings for any other unaccounted samples. We all are truly fortunate that the vials were not breached, as smallpox is a lethal disease.
With a history of being used as a weapon of biological warfare, it raises concerns in that it could be used as a biological weapon once again. Furthermore, there was a death in 1978 (of the British medical photographer Janet Parker) caused by smallpox. The source of infection was traced to a research laboratory that was working with the disease, creating a possibility that such an accident may happen again. It is the belief of some people that by studying smallpox, new vaccines, antiviral medications, and diagnostic tests may be created. However, the WHO created a team of public health experts that concluded in 2010 that there is no essential public heath purpose served by storing the samples. Because of these concerns and findings, it is my belief that the safety protocols concerning smallpox should be significantly improved, or the virus completely destroyed.
Giant Virus Discovery
After reading this article, I was astounded at the potential implications the discovery of giant viruses could have. This discovery could change our theories on the origins of life. Traditionally, it is believed that viruses evolved after cells, since they are dependent on cells for replication. Hence, the virus came after the cell. However, the discovery of these giant viruses, the mimivirus, pandoravirus, and pithovirus, could completely change the theory. In addition to their enormous size, the new giant viruses are also incredibly genetically complex compared to the ‘traditional virus’. Besides containing an incredible number of genes, the giant viruses have strange genes. The strange genes led scientists to believe viruses evolved earlier than previously thought, possibly even before the evolution of the cell. They even contained some replication mechanisms of their own, which should have allowed them to replicate without needing a cell. Some scientists even go on to say that the giant viruses could have been the basis of cellular life, and that they even helped cellular life diversify into a myriad of organisms.
The finding of the pithovirus, pandoravirus, and mimivirus has sparked a great debate and controversy over the origins of life, and what came first. The discovery of the giant viruses has also raised another question: Are they alive? Usually, viruses are considered not to be alive, due to their inability to replicate genes on their own. The giant viruses have the genes for replication, suggesting that they could have once been independent, but they devolved into dependent viruses. The giant viruses also have unique and unusual genes, that aren’t found in the domains of archaea, bacteria, or eukaryotes. Due to their genetic uniqueness, and their state of being ‘half-alive’, it is my current belief that a fourth domain should be created, for the viruses.
Of the three interesting articles, I found the one about possible life on Europa the most fascinating. I have always been curious about life existing in other places in the universe besides Earth. Watching movies and other videos have primarily sparked my interest in extraterrestrial life. I find it amazing that there can be life on one of Jupiter's moon since it is so far away from the sun. It is unclear on how long it would take until scientists visit this moon, but it would be quite exciting yet nerve-racking to see if they find any evidence of life. We don't know what to expect on this icy moon. This moon can possibly be in one of its developmental stages for life just like the Earth developed how it is today after the Ice Age and Pangaea. I still find it difficult to imagine scientists going to a place where they know very little about.
These three articles were extremely fascinating. I have always had an interest in astronomy and extraterrestrial life. That is why the article about Jupiter's icy moon, Europa, sparked some curiosity. I began to realize that there is a high possibility for life on the icy moon. We have all learned that, where there is water, there is life. Just think about it, about 71 percent of the Earth's surface is water-covered, and Earth is home to billions of species (8.7 billion ). Europa contains three times as much water as all the oceans on Earth, combined. Just imagine how much life there could be on this moon. In addition, NASA has recently revealed a new view of Europa. The picture contains red streaks that look like highways, formed by sulfur-containing compounds oozing through the ice. I did some research, and I found that sulfur plays an extremely important role in the existence of all living things. It is a key component of certain proteins that make life possible. Evidence of sulfur on Europa, is an indication that there might be living organism present on the icy moon. I am looking forward to NASA finding and revealing more information about this moon.
I found this new information about viruses and giant-viruses very interesting and surprising. I previously had no clue that so many viruses even existed especially at the size and scale as those recently discovered. With these new discoveries it raises the question which came first, the cell or the virus. Although scientists aren't sure which it is, it is clear that both rely on each other to exist and evolve. Perhaps Abergel and Claverie's theory that the giant virus evolved after a line of extinct cells is correct. Their theory seemed to persuade me the most because within the theory of evolution we know it to be possible for an organism to evolve completely to the point that the original organism is no longer present (i.e. homo erectus). With this being said perhaps a cell that was present in the past evolved into viruses and is no longer present today. We are only left with modern cells and viruses.
While I admit that the span of my understanding of giant viruses was initially about the size of a giant virus before reading the first article, I now acknowledge the giant virus as an entirely plausible origin of the Tree of Life. The Virus World theory of biologist Eugene Koonin, which asserts that viruses appeared before the development of cells, is supported by the discoveries of the giant virus samples. He claims that the foundation of modern-day viruses had evolved from elements that were no longer capable of replication. The same may be said for the recently discovered smallpox specimens in Maryland. Unlike the giant viruses, I hope that it is impossible for these specimens to evolve new types of genetic information or barriers to defend against eradication. Overall I found the diagram that compared the sizes of giant viruses with the size of the E. coli bacterium to be the best visual of the first article. Although the mimivirus, pandoravirus, and pithovirus have proved to be tremendous factors in the evolution of life, their sizes range from 0.4 micrometers to 1.5 micrometers long. In comparison, they are only a mere fraction of the 80 micrometer width of a human hair. I will consider that “hair-splitting” disparity next time I ponder the evolution of life.
I read the article about the frozen ocean on Europa and the article where it says that viruses could be closer to the basis of evolution. I read the article about Europa because it sounded interesting. Scientists say that there could be life under the frozen crust of Europa. Some evidence that points to this is the sulfur compounds oozing out of the ice surface. This could provide the chemicals needed to sustain life. That being said, even though scientists finding the partially frozen ocean on Europa is a big find, I think that they should continue to search for evidence of life. My opinion on this is that even though Europa having a partially frozen ocean does increase the chances of there being life on Europa, it is still a long shot, and so, I think the scientists should send probes to gather more information. As to the article pertaining to the possibility that giant viruses could have came before cells, I support this theory. In school I learnt that the reasons why viruses are so adaptable is because most are very simple viruses and can change easily since there isn't much to change. Therefore, if you apply the same logic to cells, then cells could have easily adapted to protect themselves from viruses since the cells were so simple. Therefore, this would put viruses at the base of the evolutionary cycle before cells and not after.
For thousands of years people on earth have tried to find life elsewhere in the universe. Now scientist claim that life may exist on Europa, is it possible? Due to advancements in technology scientist claim that Europa has high chance of having life. The moon Europa is known to be the sixth largest moon in the solar system and the 6th closest moon to Jupiter. Galileo Galilei discovered Europa in 1610 by his smallest Galiean space satellites. Later in 1990 a spacecraft called Galileo soared past the Jovian system. Part of the mission included taking pictures of Jupiter’s moons one of them was Europa. Europa is known to be an ice moon. Scientist claims that the surface of Europa is ice but under is far more fascinating. Scientist state that oceans leading up to 100 kilometers (3,280,84feet) deep lye under the ice bed. Scientist is working on a way to sink a spacecraft under the ice crust in the next decade. Lastly, in November 6, 1997, Galileo offered pictures that can prove life is on Europa. Red streaks created by sulfur-containing compound, scientists call it highways, if they match the ones we have on earth up in the Canadian Arctic life is possible beneath the ice surface of Europa.
Out of the three articles, I found the article about the small moon of Jupiter, Europa, most interesting. Seeing that there could actually be extraterrestrial life through this small moon makes scientists and the human race curious. This small moon and its alien sea creates curiosity of what could be swimming in it and the fact that it contains 3 times as much water as the water on Earth makes the possibilities endless of what could be in that alien sea. Sending spacecraft into that sea can determine and find something beyond what scientists can imagine. This icy moon could be something significant for our knowledge.
The article i found most interesting was the one on Jupiter's moon Europa. Although i had learned about the moon containing water in 8th grade, i was suprised to read that within the next decade or so Earth will send a spacecraft to it. Whether one believes in extraterrestrial life or not, Europa definitely looks promising to hold life. Between having up to three times the amount of water than Earth, and having oceans as deep as 100 kilometers, our imaginations can only extrapulate what lies in this moon. What i believe to be the most promising signs of life are red streaks shown in photos released by NASA These streaks are caused by sulfur-containing compounds oozing through the ice. What intrigues scientists is that these streaks are commonly found on Earth up in the Canadian Arctic. Because there is life in the arctic and these streaks are present, scientists believe that just maybe these streaks show that life does exist under the ice of Europa. Whether life can be found on Europa no one is certain, but i look forward to the upcoming years when Earth sends a spacecraft to investigate.
The article I found most interesting was the article discussing the newly found smallpox samples. Employees of the CDC have recently found vials labeled "variola." Variola is commonly known as smallpox and these vials were found in an unused portion of the FDA store room. The FDA laboratory is located on the NIH (National Institutes of Health) Bethesda campus. These employees were preparing for a transfer into a new laboratory. The vials have been found to be dated back to the 1950s and could have potentially been dangerous. Therefore, they were immediately placed in a secure area and were scheduled for an examination. They soon discovered that these vials did indeed contain variola virus DNA. The organization that specializes in repositories for smallpox, WHO, soon joined and began supervising the variola research. WHO and CDC have decided that if smallpox is actually found in the vials, they will both begin immediately destroying the cases. Organizations are also investigating the history and origin of these vials.
Smallpox was an infectious disease caused by either two virus variants, Variola minor and Variola major. If these vials of variola do indeed contain smallpox, they have to be disposed of properly. The public needs to be safeguarded from these deadly biological samples. Variola is a causative agent of smallpox and can majorly effect our population. Variola major is the more severe form of the two. It is also the most common. Variola minor is a more minor form of smallpox and is caused by a less virulent form of the virus. Hopefully this variola is not a potential smallpox carrier. New viruses and bacteria samples are found each and every day. As our world of science expands, it is important for us to keep learning and develop our own theories.
The idea of life somewhere else out there in the vast universe is one that no doubt fascinates much of the human population. According to this article, Jupiter’s fourth-largest moon, Europa, is now suspected to hold all the necessary ingredients for life. Encased in a thick icy shell, Europa may appear desolate and inhospitable to any forms of life, but scientists believe a vast ocean of liquid water flows. The moon’s seafloor might also bustle with activity from volcanoes and hydrothermal vents, which on the Earth’s seafloor teem with life. All in all the chances of life on Europa seem quite promising; however, the icy shell proves to be very problematic. Sending a team of astronauts is out of the question as we have not yet mastered space travel of that magnitude, and though scientists are working on developing a drill powerful enough to penetrate Europa’s crust it will be a while yet before it can actually be used. So for now all we have are speculations and questions. Discovering whether creatures live within or beneath the moon’s ice makes us wonder, is anybody out there? And if so, how widespread might life be?
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