Scientists hail ‘strongest evidence’ so far for life beyond our solar system (www.theguardian.com)
from kowanatsi@lemmy.world to astronomy@mander.xyz on 17 Apr 01:42
https://lemmy.world/post/28331442

#astronomy

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Asafum@feddit.nl on 17 Apr 02:04 next collapse

NASAs “habitat words observatory” was ment to be the next major telescope after the Roman space telescope, and was meant to have its primary function be the search for extraterrestrial life which would help tremendously with these kinds of situations.

Was being the key word as apparently the shitbag GOP administration decided they want to axe ALL future telescope programs including the Hubble replacement Nany Roman… Scumbags.

TommySoda@lemmy.world on 17 Apr 02:47 next collapse

Their only interest in space is glory and imperialism. They don’t give a shit about the science they just want to claim Mars as US territory. And as someone that has been a huge space nerd ever since I was a kid I am absolutely livid at the defunding of NASA.

Gradually_Adjusting@lemmy.world on 17 Apr 04:38 next collapse

“For Services provided on Mars, or in transit to Mars via Starship or other colonization spacecraft, the parties recognize Mars as a free planet and that no Earth-based government has authority or sovereignty over Martian activities. Accordingly, Disputes will be settled through self-governing principles, established in good faith, at the time of Martian settlement.”

From the SpaceX TOS. Oligarchs want to rule as kings on Mars, not as Americans.

TommySoda@lemmy.world on 17 Apr 05:23 collapse

And at this rate they will be one and the same anyway.

Thorned_Rose@sh.itjust.works on 17 Apr 06:40 collapse

Even the commercialisation of space flight bothers me. I mean, I know its inevitable but when the point of crewed space flight currently is still overwhelmingly for science, there’s just something gross about for-profit companies making a mint off human endeavour. But I also grew up in the 80s when science and the future seemed bright and exciting and not a capitalist dystopia.

atomicorange@lemmy.world on 17 Apr 06:34 next collapse

My name is on Roman. If they cancel it I will be so fucking devastated.

rickdg@lemmy.world on 17 Apr 08:19 collapse

Discovering aliens is too dangerous, they might be woke.

AbouBenAdhem@lemmy.world on 17 Apr 02:10 next collapse

My theory is that the inhabitants of K2-18b are deliberately flooding their atmosphere with dimethyl sulfide to make it unappealing to humans.

DemBoSain@midwest.social on 17 Apr 02:23 next collapse

I hope they’re hostile, contagious, and almost here.

conditional_soup@lemm.ee on 17 Apr 02:44 next collapse

This is just super fucking cool. It’s so rad they can pick out chemical signatures from the light passing through a planet’s atmosphere from a star 120 light years away. Absolutely gonzo bananas, the JWT is too cool. I will go on a personal mission to punch Donald Trump in the taint if they actually do cut the Roman telescope.

Balthazar@lemmy.world on 17 Apr 15:12 collapse

In the best case, the detection is at the 2.4 sigma confidence level (less than the usual 3 for reasonable confidence and will below the 5 required for strong confidence), and if previously suspected issues with the instrument are true, the detection could disappear completely.

I do not have a strong confidence in this result. (But at least they didn’t publish it in Nature, in which case you would absolutely know it’s wrong…)