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The photographs are incredibly interesting. What colours my excitement about them, however, is the knowledge of how ignorant I am of non-biological processes th
by adriand 5y ago
The photographs are incredibly interesting. What colours my excitement about them, however, is the knowledge of how ignorant I am of non-biological processes that may produce similar results. Two examples that come to mind are stalagmites/stalactites and large crystals. Crystals, especially, exhibit behaviour that - were I unfamiliar with the phenomena that produce them - appear biological, such as growing upwards.
In other words, when I excitedly ask myself the question, "What, other than biology, could possibly create those 'puffballs'?" I have to be honest that there is probably a long list of things that I've never heard of.
But still - this is the most interesting thing I've stumbled across in a long time!
- yetihehe 5y agoThe only abiotic explanation of those puffbals I could come with is recrystallization of dry ice. I've many times seen water recrystallized as white puffy balls (a kind of very small hail). Maybe in special pressure/temperature range that also happens to CO2? Almost all of them DON'T look like they have stalks, only spheres laying on ground, but then there is figure 30 on page 29.
- marcosdumay 5y ago> What, other than biology, could possibly create those 'puffballs'? Honestly, the entire thing looks like bubbles to me. If you heat some viscous material that contains some water, you'll see all of those features. The filament thing is much more lifelike to me. But keep in mind that we don't have experience on a non-oxidizing atmosphere.