Stardust samples exceed expectations

[125gJoe]

Unbelievable!
They don't know what they have!

Not wearing biohazard suits is just plain stupid.

Link: http://msnbc.msn.com/id/10908902/



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[Watcher74]

Well, it's supposed to be from the earliest formation of our solar system. Hydrogen is the most common element by far in the entire universe, followed by helium, lithium, beryllium...etc. Complex chemical combinations are extremely rare. It's not likely that cyanide will be there. No virus's or bacteria or anything like that, much less a virus or bacteria that could do anything to this planets biological life. Also the extreme vast number of any possible "creatures" brought to this planet from somewhere else would die immediately if not very soon after.

The original personnel that collected the probe had on protective suits just in case. But they have obviously seen no need to continue that safeguard.

I think that they know what they are doing. If they can shoot up a rocket, approach the comet, collect samples, and not only bring it back to Earth nor not even back to a land area on Earth, but back to land on our very country's soil? They know what the heck they are doing.

[endlessdream]

Anyone read The Andromeda Strain by Michael Crichton?

[125gJoe]

Well, it's supposed to be from .....Supposed to be from..? That's just it; they don't know exactly what they have, so why chance it? How much more could it cost to be just a little safer with "outer space dust"?
They are recklessly playing around with unknown conditions.


... No virus's or bacteria or anything like that, much less a virus or bacteria that could do anything to this planets biological life. .....I don't see how you came to that conclusion. We are talking about deep space, interstellar particles. These "scientists" seem to think it's a nice day at the beach to pick up a few shark teeth...

:thud:


Article quotes (Link below):

"Scientists have already spotted a mineral grain from the comet, Brownlee said."

""We don't know yet ... if we have some cometary water in some form preserved for analysis here," Zolensky added."

Link: http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/060119_stardust_results.html



Anyone read The Andromeda Strain by Michael Crichton?Yes.
We've seen fiction become reality many times.

Hollywood should put Andromeda Strain on their list of re-makes -- I mean who would have thought.. "Dukes of Hazzard" and "Starsky and Hutch"??



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[Watcher74]

I don't see how you came to that conclusion. We are talking about deep space, interstellar particles.

Joe, you have to take into account how viruses cause damage. Computer viruses are called the same name as biological viruses because they mimic how real viruses work.

Viruses take advantage of how a biological creatures body works. If the virus is not adapted to that specific kind of biology...well it doesn't do anything. It, at best, is ineffective. But the remote possibility that these two different types of biological creatures could even exist in the same environment? Not very much of a chance.

I can sit here and write a computer virus for a Windows computer. Then put that virus on a Linux computer. And guess what? The virus can't do anything to harm the Linux code. Why? Because the virus has to be made to attack that specific programming code.

Biological viruses are the same way. Do you really think a comet has viruses that are designed to attack Earth creatures? How the crap would that be possible?

The vast majority of Earth viruses can't even attack other species. Most viruses that can kill a dog can't touch a human and vice versus. So if Earth viruses that can kill a specific type of mammal can't hurt another mammal from another species, well how the heck is an "alien" virus going to hurt any Earth creature?

And obviously the scientists agree with me. But hey, it would be fantastic to find evidence of any kind of alien virus. Stupendous. That would be the greatest discovery humans have ever made. Life from somewhere else than Earth.

[Corax]

Agreed, the conditions are safe from biological threats. The real danger, and I'm sure they've already confirmed it isn't a problem or else they're be doing things differently, would be radiation.

[msouth468]

I've got 5 bucks saying that the dust is really small nanobots from a distant world. Sent to earth to deystroy all of mankind. They will probably infect one of the Scientist and turn him into some sort of "Hive Mother" and use him to build Robotic minions to deysroy us all. Our only hope is a lone FBI agent and his incredible aim with his pistol.


Did I mention the Robots? :D

[wesleydnunder]

LMAO msouth. Sittin' in my office giggling to myself over that post ( picture Gimli with a nitrous bottle ). Good stuff.

Mark

[125gJoe]

..... Do you really think a comet has viruses that are designed to attack Earth creatures? How the crap would that be possible?.. .... .....Are viruses the only particles they snatched from deep space we should be concerned about? You are saying there's no chance they could have brought back something very destructive, and I don't believe that.


Update
Quote from article:

"Mass spectrometer on Stardust sees organic matter at Comet Wild 2. The team in charge of the the Cometary and Interstellar Dust Analyzer (CIDA) analyzed 29 spectra obtained during the flyby in January. They "confirm the predominance of organic matter."



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[msouth468]

Are viruses the only particles they snatched from deep space we should be concerned about? You are saying there's no chance they could have brought back something very destructive, and I don't believe that.

Like I said, Robots. I smell a B movie.

[patoloco]

I must partially agree with 125gJoe.

While it's probably impossible to have collected space bacterias or viruses out there, they may have brougth back poisonous materials or even fine dust that could cause respiratory problems.

In that picture no one of the scientists is waeraing at least a mask. What if one of them sneezes inside the canister? All the experiment would be ruined.

I believe that the picture shown is of two janitors opening the vaccum bag, or those scientists have no idea of what they are doing.

[Watcher74]

You are saying there's no chance they could have brought back something very destructive, and I don't believe that.

Joe, exactly in what possible scenario is comet dust possibly "very destructive"? Biologically (an active agent to take advantage of how our bodys works)? Poisonous (an inactive, inert chemical that interferes with how our bodys work)? Radiation (Some type of radiation that the capture team (who were wearing safety suits) could not detect?)?

What is the area that you are concerned with?

From everything I have studied is that the extreme vast majority of any possible life forms on any planet, or the such, have an extremely tiny chance of surviving in any other environment. Humans cannot live on any planet, moon, comet, asteroid in our solar system other than Earth without us greatly manipulating or shielding ourselves from it (Other solar systems are a great unknown, but the possibility is astronomically tiny of a complimenting environment). It is EXTREMELY doubtful that even the most hardy of any creature on Earth (big or microscopic) can survive on any planet, moon, comet, asteroid other than Earth in our solar system for even a few minutes at the best.

So if the idea that none of the life here can even hope to scrape by for even a very short while in any of the greatly diverse scenarios that our solar system can provide, in what scenario can comet dust (I.E. Ancient ice ball specks that was never in a life evolving/promising environment) present a danger that we can expect?

Not biological. No "blob" that eats humans like acid.

Complex compounds like poison? But happens to be specifically poisonous to our biological makeup? The lottery is a sure win compared to that. Times a billion.

Radiation? Measured and studied at landing. No lethal or dangerous levels found.

I can't think of a possible idea of reasonable concern.

[125gJoe]

....
.... Humans cannot live on any planet, moon, comet, asteroid in our solar system other than Earth without us greatly manipulating or shielding ourselves from it ....That's it exactly.
Humans are very fragile, and to introduce some unknown particles, not only from that comet, but possible stray particles from elsewhere is reckless scientific practice.

Even though the Andromeda Strain is fiction, and you say any danger is very remote, why chance it?

That's my area of concern.

Also, patoloco brought up an excellent point! "In that picture no one of the scientists is waeraing at least a mask. What if one of them sneezes inside the canister? All the experiment would be ruined.

I believe that the picture shown is of two janitors opening the vaccum bag, or those scientists have no idea of what they are doing."

Seems like those "space particles" should not even be subject to a cough, for fear of ruining the experiment....

Maybe these photos are showing the "dummy" capsule. It can be proven that at least one hour of the recovery was not shown on the 'live video feed'. Maybe real precautions were taken on the other capsule...

:huh: Eh - no worries...



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[msouth468]

Not biological. No "blob" that eats humans like acid.


Now there was a good movie.