Actually I am lying.

As far as I know there is no confirmation of life past or existent found on Mars. It's just that all OTB threads seem to devolve into certain members attacking each other, spoiling what could possibly be a good discussion for everybody else and so I thought I'd make another equally potentially interesting yet pointless thread.

OTB is just like a scaled down version of the news clipping section really.

Maybe those of us who would like to enjoy a good discussion without the need for cyber dick waving could just keep our chats in this thread. A thread where there is no need to prove who has the best attitude/intelligence/vocabulary/whatever.

What a thought. A forum such as OTB which was designed to provoke intellectual discussion having a thread that actually holds and intellectual discussion.

I'll get my coat.

Maybe those of us who would like to enjoy a good discussion without the need for cyber dick waving could just keep our chats in this thread. A thread where there is no need to prove who has the best attitude/intelligence/vocabulary/whatever.

What a thought. A forum such as OTB which was designed to provoke intellectual discussion having a thread that actually holds and intellectual discussion.

I'll get my coat.

no dont get your coat rakers. well said, good on yah!

i ventured once into this forum to comment on a topic and that was enough for me, never again.

i will come and read the posts on certain threads, but thats as far as it goes.

a sad and sorry state of affairs when it comes down to this. also if i may add well done sbk for closing the "muslim mosque thread" too.

I'll try to get this thread back on topic even though it was never on in the first place.

I saw a documentary once that showed how people would physically change over generations if we were ever to colonise Mars. The different gravity and atmosphere woud cause us to evolve into something humanoid, not really human anymore. If it ever happened, you just know there would be war down the line somewhere. Some things never change.

Another angle, is what kind of life? Carbon-based life as we know it on Earth? Yes, some of our females seem to be evolving into part silicon-based but I digress.

-

Pixie SF Resources: Xenobiology: The Alternatives to Carbon-Based Life

All life on this planet is carbon-based. Carbon atoms readily form a strong bond between

themselves and a range of other atoms, most importantly hydrogen, oxygen and nitrogen, but it is

the strength of the carbon-carbon bond that is most significant. This allows carbon atoms to be

linked together in chains and rings, building up an unimaginably vast range of compounds.

Oxygen and nitrogen, in contrast, too readily form the diatomic molecules (O2 and N2) to form

chains. Fluorine, chlorine and the other halogens, and hydrogen are monovalent, so cannot form

chains. The noble gases are inert. So what alternatives are there?

Silicon-Based

Silicon is the element most like carbon (it is directly beneath carbon on the periodic table), a fact

picked up by more than one science fiction writer. But the silicon-silicon bond is extremely weak,

and will fall apart in contact with water, for instance.

A more likely possibility is an silicon-oxygen backbone to the molecule. The oxygen-silicon bond is

strong, it is what defines sand, and a range of compounds based on this system, silicones, are

manufactured in this world. Whether they could encompass the complexity required for life is

impossible to say, but I would not rule it out.

The problem with a silicon-oxygen world is; what is the driving force?

Carbon based life can be divided between oxidizers (animals burn food to produce carbon dioxide)

and reducers (plants use carbon dioxide in photosynthesis). Silicon based life does not have this

potential, and would presumably more closely resemble fungi. While there may be lifeforms that eat

the silica-fungi, they would be 'low energy' lifeforms, without the strength to move around.

Nitrogen, phosphorus and sulfur

Three other elements offering possibilities are nitrogen, phosphorus and sulfur. Phosphurus and

sulfur both form long chain molecules, and so potentially could be built up into complex

macromolecules, though phosphorus is fairly reactive.

But more likely is a combination of these. Phosphorus-nitrogen (P-N) compounds form a fascinating

range of molecules, including rings. So how would it work?

Although our atmosphere is 80% nitrogen, this would probably not be much help to a P-N lifeform,

as elemental nitrogen (N2) is very inert (though certain plants, legumes, can 'fix' nitrogen). Perhaps

more likely is a nitrogen dioxide (NO2) or ammonia (NH3) atmosphere.

----

Of course, this only takes into elements known to us. Who knows what's out there?

Maybe those of us who would like to enjoy a good discussion without the need for cyber dick waving could just keep our chats in this thread. A thread where there is no need to prove who has the best attitude/intelligence/vocabulary/whatever.

What a thought. A forum such as OTB which was designed to provoke intellectual discussion having a thread that actually holds and intellectual discussion.

I'll get my coat.

no dont get your coat rakers. well said, good on yah!

i ventured once into this forum to comment on a topic and that was enough for me, never again.

i will come and read the posts on certain threads, but thats as far as it goes.

a sad and sorry state of affairs when it comes down to this. also if i may add well done sbk for closing the "muslim mosque thread" too.

I don't visit here too much as you say its a bit too similar to the News section with people talking over each other trying to be the smartest when the conversation should be more of a 'flow...especially outside the box.....allow people their view <deleted>......as for the Mosque thread I'm surprised by the deterioration but ya learn something every day.....

Aye a flow of conversation.....listening to others views probing their thoughts considering each others viewpoints....learning something new.

Yeah I know its raining outside ......I'll get my coat too...

Every political forum that I've know off is exactly like this - that is why world politics were not allowed for several years. Just check out the Newspaper Clippings section and the threads about Thai politics.

It is not exactly rocket science to realize what happens when people disagree so vehemently with each other and there is no way to prove that anyone is right.

Does anyone remember the Bear Pit when it was part of Thai Visa?

What happened to the Bear Pit? I was a member from shortly after it started. I tried to sign in recently and got turned down.

By the way, this thread about life on Mars has turned into an off topic one from the beginning.

I just signed in for the first time in years and found this:

Not a bad forum.

By the way, this thread about life on Mars has turned into an off topic one from the beginning.

Odd isn't it? Someone starts a topic with a misleading title just to complain there are no discussions here anymore. Then the people complaining about it refuse to get involved in a discussion based on the misleading topic title.

As far as political topics on forums go by TV standards OTB is probably hardcore but compared to others out there it's pretty tame. The partisan people here would be eaten alive even by there own in one forum I used to go to.

ANYWAY, so how about it? Life on Mars? Which is better, the UK or USA version? I read that the UK version was superior but I assume that's just a Brit talking. Nothing meant by that other than a Brit would understand all the subtle cultural references in the UK and not in the USA version.

Every political forum that I've know off is exactly like this - that is why world politics were not allowed for several years. Just check out the Newspaper Clippings section and the threads about Thai politics.

It is not exactly rocket science to realize what happens when people disagree so vehemently with each other and there is no way to prove that anyone is right.

Does anyone remember the Bear Pit when it was part of Thai Visa?

It's not that though is it. Many threads end up a slagging matches between members who don't even bother trying to keep on topic. That is why I deliberately chose a random title. It didn't matter what the subject was, the thread would still deteriorate in the same manner as all the others before it .A few even do the incredibly immature thing of trying to show who can use the best words.

If you say so, but what are "best words"?

If you say so, but what are "best words"?

Let's see how many five syllable words can be packed into one sentence....don't forget the adjectival clauses in the correct place....

If only they remembered to remain civil as well......a pipe dream soon forgotten in the race to shout the loudest.

OP got this one right.........Didn't take long. ( sorry small words )

Really? All I see is a bunch of members agreeing with each other about what a waste of time Outside the Box is and one member trying, unsuccessfully, to switch the topic to the title of the thread.

By the way, I agree that OTB is a mess, but, as I have said many times, it seems to be the nature of political forums that represent more than one point of view. If politics were forbidden (again) OTB might stand a chance, but it would just turn into bedlam number 2.

What if life om Mars does or did exist in whatever form, what would the consequence be for religious books like the Bible. Quoran etc. would they have to be rewritten? Would it ever be made public? A friend of me who is a devoted Christian told me when we had such discussion he would not believe it.

You said you posted this thread looking at recent topics and the fact that they often turn into nothing but shouting matches or word plays and indeed I agree that is a bad thing. Stating that "political forums" always look like this is not helping either. Typing words and trying to make a point is not easy when one not knows or see each other or like me is not a native speaker.

A bit more patience and trying to understand each other would certainly help bringing back a sub forum like this to an interesting place where thoughts and ideas can be shared and discussed in a civil manner.

Life is a journey and hopefully each one of us will learn something new everyday.

Take care all!

Alex

What if life om Mars does or did exist in whatever form, what would the consequence be for religious books like the Bible. Quoran etc. would they have to be rewritten? Would it ever be made public? A friend of me who is a devoted Christian told me when we had such discussion he would not believe it.

Simple, on the 9th day, God created Mars.

Or it would force those who take the Bible, etc too literally to change their view. First, assuming the existence of a diety, they came down and tried to explain Creation to mankind 2000-3000 years ago, that diety would have to simplify things much like we have to when trying to explain something to a small child. In the Bible God created the world in 6 days or something like that. That's the kind of explanation you give a child. If he had tried to explain the physics behind the Big Bang over 4 billion years ago, that shepard or whoever in the desert back in the day would have no clue what he was talking about. So God dumbs it down to "On the first day I said 'let there be light'".

If you think you'd have a hard time explaining to someone 200 years ago about how the Internet works, cell phones, etc just imagine people 2000 years from now trying to explain things to us. We would be like children to them. If there is a God, maybe he's waiting until we get more advanced before showing up. If He came down today, we would freak out. Best to stay away for a bit longer. For Him, to wait a few thousand years isn't a long time I would assume.

I don't see how life on Mars would negate the Bible and I am skeptical about how many people understand how a computer or cell phone really works enough to explain it to to most of the people who are around now.

Never mind the pointless theological debate. If there's life on Mars what does it taste like lightly grilled with a pepper sauce?

Ok point I'm making is we find life on Mars.....we try to communicate....in an intelligent way....as best we can anyway...then what is the next move for mankind?

Never mind the pointless theological debate. If there's life on Mars what does it taste like lightly grilled with a pepper sauce?

If you put enough pepper sauce on it then it will taste like pepper sauce. I bet it's chewy though.

Ok point I'm making is we find life on Mars.....we try to communicate....in an intelligent way....as best we can anyway...then what is the next move for mankind?

Plant the flag, enslave, strip of resources, set free, sell Big Macs, move on to the next planet?

Plant the flag, enslave, strip of resources, set free, sell Big Macs, move on to the next planet?

Who are you planning to sell the Big Macs to?....fattening them up maybe......its no wonder the aliens come flying in in their saucers and leave immediately....they must be shit scared of us!

Interesting view though koheesti....don't you want to know how these guys survive.....or how they interact with their habitat??......nope I guess not......NEXT!!

Plant the flag, enslave, strip of resources, set free, sell Big Macs, move on to the next planet?

Interesting view though koheesti....don't you want to know how these guys survive.....or how they interact with their habitat??......nope I guess not......NEXT!!

Did you ever see that old Twilight Zone episode, "To Serve Man"? Aliens came and they had this big book titled "To Serve Man". They treated everyone wonderful and offered to take people back to their home planet. In the end it turns out that it is a cook book.

Plant the flag, enslave, strip of resources, set free, sell Big Macs, move on to the next planet?

Interesting view though koheesti....don't you want to know how these guys survive.....or how they interact with their habitat??......nope I guess not......NEXT!!

Did you ever see that old Twilight Zone episode, "To Serve Man"? Aliens came and they had this big book titled "To Serve Man". They treated everyone wonderful and offered to take people back to their home planet. In the end it turns out that it is a cook book.

What happened to the Bear Pit?

It's full of deaf loons.

and so we remain.....firmly glued to the box....

Never mind the pointless theological debate. If there's life on Mars what does it taste like lightly grilled with a pepper sauce?

Ok point I'm making is we find life on Mars.....we try to communicate....in an intelligent way....as best we can anyway...then what is the next move for mankind?

Pepper sauce or not would depend on whether they are carbon or silicon based.

Communication or not would depend on their intelligence....or ours.