Are Aliens Living Among Us?

pickens writes "In recent years scientists have begun to view the existence of life outside of our solar system as ever-more likely. If life does emerge readily under terrestrial conditions, then perhaps it formed many times on our home planet. To pursue this tantalizing possibility, scientists have begun searching deserts, lakes and caverns for evidence of earth-bound 'alien' life-forms, organisms that would differ fundamentally from all known living creatures because they arose independently. Microbes have already been found inhabiting extreme environments ranging from scalding volcanic vents to the dry valleys of Antarctica. Other so-called extremophiles can survive in salt-saturated lakes, highly acidic mine tailings contaminated with metals, and the waste pools of nuclear reactors. Although 'alien' microbes might look like ordinary bacteria, their biochemistry could involve exotic amino acids or different elemental building blocks so researchers are devising tests to identify exotic microbes. If shadow life is confined to the microbial realm, it is entirely possible that scientists have overlooked it."

I'm an alien, I'm a legal alien...

[A beautiful mind]

...and Eeeenglishman in New York... (Sting lyrics in post and in my sig)

Re:What about us

[satoshi1]

I don't know about you, but I'm pretty normal.

Re:What about us

[techpawn]

So your ancestors came to earth on the B-Arch then?

Re:aliens amoung us

[0racle]

That's not a very good disguise.

Extreemophiles or aliens?

[protolith]

So there's a bunch of INS biologists asking bacteria and small plants for their green cards?

Absolutely not

[Anonymous Coward]

What a ridiculous idea. I'm sure we humans can all agree it's completely absurd to even wonder if there are extraterrestrials living amongst us humans. I suggest that we all ignore this article, and waste as little time as possible entertaining the laughable notion of aliens living on earth. On with your lives, fellow human friends.

:)

Correction

[Eradicator2k3]

FTS: "Other so-called extremophiles can survive in salt-saturated lakes, highly acidic mine tailings contaminated with metals, and the waste pools of nuclear reactors.

Other so called extremophiles can survive in their parents' basements, the only light source emanating from an LCD screen, gorging themselves with Cheez-Its and Mountain Dew.

There...fixed that for you. No need to thank me.

Re:What about us

[empiretrade]

aliens can file federal form 485 for adjustment of status with the INS

Re:What about us

[Anonymous Coward]

>So your ancestors came to earth on the B-Arch then?
Looks like yours came on the B Ark...

We are Stardust...

[digitaldc]

Since most organic matter originated from Stardust falling to Earth, I would say we are ALL aliens in some way, shape or form.

The best evidence for this is Star Jones.

Re:Of course aliens live among us

[FatAlb33rt]

Hey you want to know something? The rest of the world does not refer to people living in their country uninvited as Aliens, they refer to them as ....





... Americans

Of course they're among us.

[Tarlus]

I live less than 100 miles from the southern border of the US, and there are aliens all around.
But damn, their restaurants make some of the best damn enchiladas in the world.

Oh oh...

[nick357]

So aliens may already be living in the tinfoil that I make my hats with!?!?!?!?

Re:What about us

[nschubach]

I say we start holding people under water. If they survive they are obviously alien and then we can burn them at the stake. I read it in a book once and it seemed like a good idea then.

Re:What about us

[niceone]

I'm not.

But they are living among us. And they have mod points.

Re:Of course aliens live among us

[Anonymous Coward]

That's high and mighty...coming from a Terrorist.

Re:Very important.

[sexconker]

>Science has done nothing for society but make you into selfish music thieves and pornography downloaders

Can't argue with that one.

Re:What about us

[bob.appleyard]

I'm more interested in the possibility that some species of dinosaur became sentient, built a technological civilization, and then erased all traces of themselves from the planet (causing mass extinctions in the process) before moving out into space. It's no more likely than ape-humping pyramid-building aliens, but sentient space dinosaurs would be a lot cooler.

And then, in a few hundred years, after a really bizarre sequence of events, a load of humans meet up with them and get caught up in some iffy alien politics?

Yeah, Star Trek's done it. [tv.com]

Re:Of course aliens live among us

[Anonymous Coward]

They are referred to as 'al americ' or 'le meribanal' which is a shortening of 'l'ameri bal' or 'American of the sand'.

You got it all backwards

[why-is-it]

I say we start holding people under water. If they survive they are obviously alien and then we can burn them at the stake.

No, no - that's completely wrong!

Let's approach this scientifically:

• If aliens can be burned, they must be made of wood.
• All thing that are made of wood float upon water
• Ducks also float upon water
• So logically, anything that weighs as much as a duck must be made of wood

So, the true test of whether (or not) a person is an alien is to see if they weigh as much as a duck. Anyone who does is obviously made of wood, and therefore a witch^D^D^D^D^Dalien!

Anyone failing this simple test can safely be burned at the stake, as their extra-terrestrial nature has been conclusively demonstrated.

Re:What about us

[snarkh]

Unless they are resident aliens .

Re:text book example of the scientific method

[yoprst]

This is almost a text book example of the scientific method isn't it?
No, that's a kind of post you can expect from slashdot. On the other hand, we still don't have anyone welcoming our alien overlords, so we're not at our lowest point

Re:What about us

[Remus Shepherd]

Let's be honest. If humankind went out into space and found dumb animals on another world, our inter(stellar)nets would be filled with 'Hot Alien Bestiality' as fast as we could relay the signal.

Re:Have to be compelling

[sinktank]

Even if you only read the summary you can see they are looking for "alien" life that arose hear on Earth

That's heresay.

Re:You got it all backwards

[yuriyg]

Anyone who does is obviously made of wood, and therefore a witch^D

Sorry man, you couldn't read anything after that, did you get disconnected from your terminal?