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Post by Dullahan on Dec 2, 2010 13:56:11 GMT -5
Meh, I'm not worried. I've made a deal with the MIB.
They don't get rid of me, and I might tell them where I hid the script for the third MIB movie.
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Post by raynorn on Dec 2, 2010 13:57:33 GMT -5
There are 13 people viewing the General Discussion folder right now. I wonder if any of the guests are aliens? Or Feds. lol We know too much! ~TWF I'm here why would they need other agents monitoring this site? Must be another agency. Friggen redundancies.
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Post by WildKnight on Dec 2, 2010 13:58:07 GMT -5
*shrugs* The Federal Government is going to come for me sooner or later one way or another, so bring it on.
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Post by Dullahan on Dec 2, 2010 13:59:21 GMT -5
Yeah, why would they need anyone besides the two of us......
You read nothing.
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Post by takewithfood on Dec 2, 2010 14:17:29 GMT -5
Must be another agency. Friggen redundancies. Redundancies? But that's what I'm here for: On an unrelated note, I'm also here about the redundancies. ~TWF
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Post by raynorn on Dec 2, 2010 14:20:25 GMT -5
Must be another agency. Friggen redundancies. Redundancies? But that's what I'm here for: On an unrelated note, I'm also here about the redundancies. ~TWF Oh great the USDRD who invited them? What I would like to know is who invited the USDRD?
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Post by takewithfood on Dec 2, 2010 14:25:12 GMT -5
Once we had already arrived we invited ourselves. But I don't know who sent the first call. That's both above my pay grade, and more information that I'm normally told.
~TWF
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Post by WildKnight on Dec 2, 2010 14:31:13 GMT -5
I only wish that were funny. As the son of a government employee, however, I find it a little too close to the truth.
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Post by Thuellai on Dec 2, 2010 15:27:48 GMT -5
Haha. This is actually pretty intriguing from a biological standpoint.
From what I understand, they're "alien" in that their genetic code is constructed in a very different way from ours - every biological record we have up to this point is of organisms whose DNA is bound with phosphates - the AGTC you guys are familiar with are all tri-phosphates, based on phosphorous. Arsenic is poisonous to us because it's similar enough to that phosophorous to bind to receptor sites and do a lot of damage to cell reproduction processes. Some bacteria already existed that could process arsenic and metabolize it, but this is the first one we've seen where its genetic binders actually include arsenic as part of their chemical formula, and it's a significant difference from other life.
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Post by WildKnight on Dec 2, 2010 15:30:18 GMT -5
So... is it from Earth, or is it just "alien" in that it's different?
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Post by Dullahan on Dec 2, 2010 15:32:54 GMT -5
Haha. This is actually pretty intriguing from a biological standpoint. From what I understand, they're "alien" in that their genetic code is constructed in a very different way from ours - every biological record we have up to this point is of organisms whose DNA is bound with phosphates - the AGTC you guys are familiar with are all tri-phosphates, based on phosphorous. Arsenic is poisonous to us because it's similar enough to that phosophorous to bind to receptor sites and do a lot of damage to cell reproduction processes. Some bacteria already existed that could process arsenic and metabolize it, but this is the first one we've seen where its genetic binders actually include arsenic as part of their chemical formula, and it's a significant difference from other life. Wait, arsenic as part of the genetic code? Wow. That's a new one.
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Post by takewithfood on Dec 2, 2010 15:37:29 GMT -5
I don't think that this discovery actually changes a whole lot on it's own, but it's a definitive step towards redefining our definitions of what is and isn't possible for life. Simply knowing for certain that we can take steps in that direction at all validates questions about what else is possible. That, in turn, could help us redefine which areas of the universe are habitable.
EDIT: And yeah, it's terrestrial. Or at least, it's probably as terrestrial as we are. Can't rule out panspermia!
~TWF
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Post by Thuellai on Dec 2, 2010 15:37:32 GMT -5
So... is it from Earth, or is it just "alien" in that it's different? It's just different in a genetically significant way. It's still likely Earth native, given they found it in Yosemite.
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Post by Thuellai on Dec 2, 2010 15:39:07 GMT -5
I don't think that this discovery actually changes a whole lot on it's own, but it's a definitive step towards redefining our definitions of what is and isn't possible for life. Simply knowing for certain that we can take steps in that direction at all validates questions about what else is possible. That, in turn, could help us redefine which areas of the universe are habitable. ~TWF And of course there's a possibility we can turn this into another one of those refining algae/bacteria, using it to refine arsenic into another substance. Maybe. Of course if they don't do it naturally we'd have to engineer it into them... and that could be difficult given their very different genetic code.
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Post by takewithfood on Dec 2, 2010 15:39:54 GMT -5
It's not unlike discovering Klingons... in California.
~TWF
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