Science Tidbits #5

[RJDiogenes]

Well, that's fascinating. Apparently most planets are average size. It's kind of surprising, though, that a higher percentage of verified planets aren't gas giants-- there was a time when that's all we could see. Still, that's a good number of Earth-sized to double-Earth-sized worlds.

[Orpheus]

"Reality" shows are cheaper to produce than scripted drama. I guess that was the compromise that got them one final season.

Wait, are we still talking about SHIELD?

Yeah, SHIELD was a natural. They spend so much time cooped up together on various air/space craft, bases, maybe now ISS.

Stay tuned for the Big Brother: Social Distancing /Shield: ISS crossover.

Episode 1: Menstrual Synchrony and PMS meet Alpha Male Syndrome and Testosterone Poisoning

[RJDiogenes]

The Real House-Spouses of SHIELD.

This is interesting: Ancient Frogs of Antarctica.. More evidence that Antarctica was a balmy paradise.

[Lupine]

Antarctica was further north back then, so it shouldn't be surprising. But the article does raise an interesting thought: what were things like as the climate started to cool? When did the last tree die?

And in other news: we might have photographed an exo-planet..
No word whether there are frogs there or not.

[RJDiogenes]

Antarctica was further north back then, so it shouldn't be surprising. But the article does raise an interesting thought: what were things like as the climate started to cool? When did the last tree die?

That's a sad image. Dead frogs and dead trees. I wonder how they adapted to the six-month nights, or if everyone was dead by the time it got that far South.

And in other news: we might have photographed an exo-planet..
No word whether there are frogs there or not.

Where there's life, there's frogs. I'm pretty sure. That's some really cool research and deduction. It seems like they could apply that to other stars as well. The inference about the massive ring system on a relatively small world is exciting. I really wish we could see this stuff.

[Lupine]

^Eventually.

Antarctica was further north back then, so it shouldn't be surprising. But the article does raise an interesting thought: what were things like as the climate started to cool? When did the last tree die?

That's a sad image. Dead frogs and dead trees. I wonder how they adapted to the six-month nights, or if everyone was dead by the time it got that far South.

There are Wood Frogs in Alaska, so I imagine that they Antarctica frogs hibernated.

[RJDiogenes]

That makes sense. My theory about hulking, hairy saber-toothed frogs was preliminary anyway.

[Lupine]

^Though that would be far more entertaining.

Not to mention great B-movie potential.

[RJDiogenes]

I put it in my idea file.

[Lupine]

Think the Antarctic frogs croaked? You are only half right..." .

[RJDiogenes]

"The Global Warming threat that almost no one anticipated...."

[RJDiogenes]

Now this looks pretty interesting. I haven't read them yet, but I'm going to bet that nobody anticipates a full-scale invasion.

[huggle]

I like that they ask about extraterrestrial life and not intelligent life.
For with the latter it'd be pretty difficult to find any on our own panet...

[Lupine]

Now this looks pretty interesting.

At the moment (sorry that I didn't notice this post before now) I'd guess that we'll either detect microbes in the geyser plumes on Europa or Enceladus or we'll telescopically detect chlorophyll on some exo-planet.

[RJDiogenes]

I like that they ask about extraterrestrial life and not intelligent life.
For with the latter it'd be pretty difficult to find any on our own panet...

I wonder if there are any planets where intelligence and stupidity are mutually exclusive.

At the moment (sorry that I didn't notice this post before now) I'd guess that we'll either detect microbes in the geyser plumes on Europa or Enceladus or we'll telescopically detect chlorophyll on some exo-planet.

Those are the most likely. I think the chances of detecting a high-end civilization are practically nil. Although the possibility of seeing artifacts of some kind is probably marginally more likely.