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Stuff like this really makes you wonder what life might look like out in the universe.

by squigz 6mo ago

explodes 6mo ago
Some things on Earth (especially in the ocean) you'd think were extraterrestrial... What a gift to still be able to find such amazing animals out there.
- squigz 6mo ago
  Some of those things down in the ocean are almost too extraterrestrial... they can stay undiscovered!
- pfdietz 6mo ago
  They all, so far, share the same basic biochemistry, derived from the Last Universal Common Ancestor (LUCA). What would be extraordinarily interesting would be if we could find life on Earth with a fundamentally different biochemstry. Very different genetic code, even. This would be sign that Origin of Life is not the Great Filter. And we don't even have to go to another planet to conduct this search for "alien" life.
morphle 6mo ago
Isn't life on this planet also life out in the universe? It depends on your point of view. [1] Pale blue dot - Carl Sagan https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wupToqz1e2g https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wupToqz1e2g
- squigz 6mo ago
  Do you consider things that are inside a house to also be outside a house?
  - morphle 6mo ago
    All things are moving in space and time and in relation to other objects so inside or outside are relative points of view. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special_relativity https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special_relativity [2] Point of view is worth 80 IQ points - Alan Kay. He didn't specify the sign....
    - squigz 6mo ago
      I wonder if life elsewhere in the universe is pedantic too.
      - morphle 6mo ago
        QED. [1] Why people hate smart individuals: Studies reveal it's linked to your own intelligence level https://www.gq.com.au/health/wellness/studies-say-who-you-hate-depends-on-how-smart-you-are/news-story/ff577d26b313c82bdcbbad46ece85328 https://www.gq.com.au/health/wellness/studies-say-who-you-ha... [2] On the importance of being pedantic https://medium.com/@lfloridi/on-the-importance-of-being-pedantic-series-notes-to-myself-c232220722dc https://medium.com/@lfloridi/on-the-importance-of-being-peda... [3] Pedantic definition https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/pedantic https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/pedantic [4] Pedantic opinion https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/pedantic https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/pedantic
        parineum 6mo ago
        If you were so smart, you'd probably find better sources than GQ and Medium to prove your point.
        morphle 6mo ago
        Or Hacker News for that matter. Never trust anything on the internet [1] on face value. Start by asking qui bono? Is this a reputable source, like a scientist[2]?. Be critical and sceptical. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/On_the_Internet,_nobody_knows_you%27re_a_dog https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/On_the_Internet,_nobody_knows_... [2] https://youtu.be/NV0Z6vlIJig?t=216 https://youtu.be/NV0Z6vlIJig?t=216
  - tbrownaw 6mo ago
    Things inside this house are indeed outside that house.
    - Sardtok 6mo ago
      An apartment inside an apartment complex is still inside the same building. Earth is in the Universe. There's a difference between "in the Universe" and "outside of Earth". A superset also includes everything in all its subsets.
  - bregma 6mo ago
    Is the coffee actually in the mug or only on top of it?
    - treyd 6mo ago
      In Spanish I don't care.
      - gus_massa 6mo ago
        I'm confused, in es-ar, it can be: * "El café está en la taza." [preferred] * "El café está sobre la taza." [I'd never use this.] * "El café está adentro de la taza." I'd probably use "en(in?)" for a cup, "sobre(over?)" for a plate an "adentro de (inside?)" for a jar.
    - pests 6mo ago
      Well, can you walk around inside of a coffee cup? If so, you are on it. If not, you are in it.
ljf 6mo ago
https://www.eastoftheweb.com/short-stories/UBooks/TheyMade.shtml https://www.eastoftheweb.com/short-stories/UBooks/TheyMade.s... - love this short story and its take on that question.
- squigz 6mo ago
  A classic, and regularly shared here on HN :) I really like this version of it personally: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T6JFTmQCFHg https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T6JFTmQCFHg
latexr 6mo ago
Sounds like you might be interested in “The Zoologist’s Guide to the Galaxy”. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Zoologist%27s_Guide_to_the_Galaxy https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Zoologist%27s_Guide_to_the...

Stuff like this really makes you wonder what life might look like out in the universe.

by squigz 6mo ago

Stuff like this really makes you wonder what life might look like out in the universe.

Some things on Earth (especially in the ocean) you'd think were extraterrestrial... What a gift to still be able to find such amazing animals out there.

squigz 6mo ago
Some of those things down in the ocean are almost too extraterrestrial... they can stay undiscovered!
pfdietz 6mo ago
They all, so far, share the same basic biochemistry, derived from the Last Universal Common Ancestor (LUCA). What would be extraordinarily interesting would be if we could find life on Earth with a fundamentally different biochemstry. Very different genetic code, even. This would be sign that Origin of Life is not the Great Filter. And we don't even have to go to another planet to conduct this search for "alien" life.

morphle 6mo ago

Isn't life on this planet also life out in the universe? It depends on your point of view. [1] Pale blue dot - Carl Sagan https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wupToqz1e2g https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wupToqz1e2g

squigz 6mo ago
Do you consider things that are inside a house to also be outside a house?
- morphle 6mo ago
  All things are moving in space and time and in relation to other objects so inside or outside are relative points of view. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special_relativity https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special_relativity [2] Point of view is worth 80 IQ points - Alan Kay. He didn't specify the sign....
  - squigz 6mo ago
    I wonder if life elsewhere in the universe is pedantic too.
    - morphle 6mo ago
      QED. [1] Why people hate smart individuals: Studies reveal it's linked to your own intelligence level https://www.gq.com.au/health/wellness/studies-say-who-you-hate-depends-on-how-smart-you-are/news-story/ff577d26b313c82bdcbbad46ece85328 https://www.gq.com.au/health/wellness/studies-say-who-you-ha... [2] On the importance of being pedantic https://medium.com/@lfloridi/on-the-importance-of-being-pedantic-series-notes-to-myself-c232220722dc https://medium.com/@lfloridi/on-the-importance-of-being-peda... [3] Pedantic definition https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/pedantic https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/pedantic [4] Pedantic opinion https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/pedantic https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/pedantic
      - parineum 6mo ago
        If you were so smart, you'd probably find better sources than GQ and Medium to prove your point.
        morphle 6mo ago
        Or Hacker News for that matter. Never trust anything on the internet [1] on face value. Start by asking qui bono? Is this a reputable source, like a scientist[2]?. Be critical and sceptical. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/On_the_Internet,_nobody_knows_you%27re_a_dog https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/On_the_Internet,_nobody_knows_... [2] https://youtu.be/NV0Z6vlIJig?t=216 https://youtu.be/NV0Z6vlIJig?t=216
- tbrownaw 6mo ago
  Things inside this house are indeed outside that house.
  - Sardtok 6mo ago
    An apartment inside an apartment complex is still inside the same building. Earth is in the Universe. There's a difference between "in the Universe" and "outside of Earth". A superset also includes everything in all its subsets.
- bregma 6mo ago
  Is the coffee actually in the mug or only on top of it?
  - treyd 6mo ago
    In Spanish I don't care.
    - gus_massa 6mo ago
      I'm confused, in es-ar, it can be: * "El café está en la taza." [preferred] * "El café está sobre la taza." [I'd never use this.] * "El café está adentro de la taza." I'd probably use "en(in?)" for a cup, "sobre(over?)" for a plate an "adentro de (inside?)" for a jar.
  - pests 6mo ago
    Well, can you walk around inside of a coffee cup? If so, you are on it. If not, you are in it.

ljf 6mo ago

https://www.eastoftheweb.com/short-stories/UBooks/TheyMade.shtml https://www.eastoftheweb.com/short-stories/UBooks/TheyMade.s... - love this short story and its take on that question.

squigz 6mo ago
A classic, and regularly shared here on HN :) I really like this version of it personally: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T6JFTmQCFHg https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T6JFTmQCFHg

latexr 6mo ago

Sounds like you might be interested in “The Zoologist’s Guide to the Galaxy”. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Zoologist%27s_Guide_to_the_Galaxy https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Zoologist%27s_Guide_to_the...