Naphthalene Found In Outer Space

Naphthalene Found In Outer Space 180

Posted by timothy on Saturday September 20, 2008 @10:38PM from the wake-me-up-when-they-find-remulac dept.

Adam Korbitz writes with an excerpt from his blog on an exciting discovery in space: "A team of researchers led by Spanish scientists has published their discovery of the complex molecule naphthalene in an interstellar star-forming cloud, indicating many prebiotic organic molecules necessary for life as we know it could have been present when our own solar system formed. According to the new research — published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters — the naphthalene molecules were discovered 700 light-years from Earth in a star-forming region of the constellation Perseus, in the direction of the star Cernis 52."

Naphthalene Found In Outer Space

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This is evidence of life. (Score:5, Funny)

by Anonymous Coward writes: on Saturday September 20, 2008 @10:44PM (#25089819)

Naphtalene--or better known as the primary ingredient in MOTHBALLS

At last. We know the secret coordinates of Mothra. (S)he lies in the constellation Perseus. This may lead us to discover the origins of Godzilla.

My girlfriend brought over brownies...

Re:This is evidence of life. (Score:2, Funny)

by DrMrLordX ( 559371 ) writes: on Saturday September 20, 2008 @10:52PM (#25089857)

Great, now all we need to do is stick it in my car's gas tank to improve fuel economy [consumeraffairs.com]! Yay!

No moths in outer space! (Score:5, Funny)

by kybur ( 1002682 ) writes: on Saturday September 20, 2008 @10:52PM (#25089863)

I always wondered why there were no moths in outer space. This explains everything!

Re:Unbeknownst to many (Score:2, Funny)

by DrMrLordX ( 559371 ) writes: on Saturday September 20, 2008 @10:54PM (#25089871)

I guess you could say the original draft of 2001: A Space Odyssey was mothballed? Hur hur!

OIL! (Score:5, Funny)

by sanman2 ( 928866 ) writes: on Saturday September 20, 2008 @11:01PM (#25089911)

Time to invade

Re:me no RTFA (Score:5, Funny)

by Tablizer ( 95088 ) writes: on Saturday September 20, 2008 @11:08PM (#25089961) Journal

How exactly does one detect specific molecules, 700 light years away?
Using Google, of course

Re:me no RTFA (Score:5, Funny)

by Anonymous Coward writes: on Saturday September 20, 2008 @11:08PM (#25089969)

With one of these. [overstock.com]

.

.

.

times 1E17

I didn't know anybody lost it (Score:2, Funny)

by Tablizer ( 95088 ) writes: on Saturday September 20, 2008 @11:14PM (#25089989) Journal

nuf sed

Re:Unbeknownst to many (Score:4, Funny)

by belmolis ( 702863 ) writes: <billposerNO@SPAMalum.mit.edu> on Saturday September 20, 2008 @11:25PM (#25090055) Homepage

The next thing they'll find is that that region is where all the defunct spaceships are kept.

Re:Another win for panspermia theory (Score:2, Funny)

by symbolset ( 646467 ) writes: on Saturday September 20, 2008 @11:34PM (#25090091) Journal

Dewd. The girls that eat up panspermia are teh hawtness.
Now escape mom's basement, k?
/Some elements of post may be parent specific.

Re:me no RTFA (Score:5, Funny)

by Kardos ( 1348077 ) writes: on Saturday September 20, 2008 @11:34PM (#25090093)

with one of these: http://images.craveonline.com/article_imgs/Image/smelloscope.jpg [craveonline.com]

Re:I don't believe it! (Score:4, Funny)

by ufoolme ( 1111815 ) writes: on Sunday September 21, 2008 @12:03AM (#25090181)

You obversely haven't played spore.

Re:OIL! (Score:5, Funny)

by linumax ( 910946 ) writes: on Sunday September 21, 2008 @12:11AM (#25090205)

Time to invade

Time to Liberate(TM).

Re:This is evidence of life. (Score:5, Funny)

by AnomaliesAndrew ( 908394 ) writes: on Sunday September 21, 2008 @12:14AM (#25090217) Homepage

So not only are the universe and my grandparents both extremely old, but they both smell the same now... great.

Re:I don't understand (Score:2, Funny)

by lrbays ( 1208996 ) writes: on Sunday September 21, 2008 @12:28AM (#25090279)

It doesn't make a bit of difference, guys. The balls are inert.

Re:The reason why this is important (Score:5, Funny)

by Kagura ( 843695 ) writes: on Sunday September 21, 2008 @01:03AM (#25090429)

The chance of life evolving on a suitable planet is already 100%. ;)

Re:No moths in outer space! (Score:1, Funny)

by Anonymous Coward writes: on Sunday September 21, 2008 @01:10AM (#25090451)

And fruit flies, which people bring in with plants and produce.

Except fruit flies aren't actually attracted or related to fruit in any way. Believe me, I looked it up in my gut.

Re:No moths in outer space! (Score:5, Funny)

by Kagura ( 843695 ) writes: on Sunday September 21, 2008 @01:11AM (#25090455)

Do you know you have more nerve endings in your gut than you have in your head? You can look it up. Now, I know some of you are going to say, "I did look it up, and that's not true." That's 'cause you looked it up in a book. Next time, look it up in your gut. I did. My gut tells me that's how our nervous system works.

Also, I am AC.

Re:OIL! (Score:0, Funny)

by Anonymous Coward writes: on Sunday September 21, 2008 @01:24AM (#25090491)

Correcting somebody on the internet? Gasp! Why, you must be a grammar nazi! I am shocked and appalled!
If there's any gasoline in your garage, then I am gonna liberate the shit outta you.

Re:Another win for panspermia theory (Score:2, Funny)

by amRadioHed ( 463061 ) writes: on Sunday September 21, 2008 @01:43AM (#25090561)

Dewd. The girls that eat up panspermia are teh hawtness.
Eww, I hope that's not the part specific to your parents. TMI.

Re:This is evidence of life. (Score:4, Funny)

by Whiteox ( 919863 ) writes: on Sunday September 21, 2008 @02:32AM (#25090833) Journal

Mothballs are exciting only to moths.
A moth without balls is a eunuch.
I would say that mothballs are extremely important to moths.

Re:This is evidence of life. (Score:5, Funny)

by Laser Dan ( 707106 ) writes: on Sunday September 21, 2008 @03:25AM (#25091053)

Mothballs are exciting only to moths.
A moth without balls is a eunuch.
I would say that mothballs are extremely important to moths.
This is Slashdot so I can see I need to explain something.
I apologise for using a term you may be unfamiliar with, but a moth without balls is called a female moth.

Re:OIL! (Score:5, Funny)

by Lord Lode ( 1290856 ) writes: on Sunday September 21, 2008 @04:33AM (#25091315)

Woot, just 1400 years of flying there and back and it's all ours on Earth!

that explains it (Score:3, Funny)

by zoid.com ( 311775 ) writes: on Sunday September 21, 2008 @04:57AM (#25091383) Homepage Journal

I knew I smelled something...

Re:The reason why this is important (Score:5, Funny)

by JaumPaw ( 48149 ) writes: on Sunday September 21, 2008 @05:31AM (#25091509)

Now, now, no need to be cynical.

Re:The reason why this is important (Score:5, Funny)

by David Gerard ( 12369 ) writes: <slashdot.davidgerard@co@uk> on Sunday September 21, 2008 @07:48AM (#25092007) Homepage

Star Trek had silicon-based lifeforms. Silicone-based lifeforms are a bit more like this [today.com].

Re:ummmm /confused (Score:3, Funny)

by Fear the Clam ( 230933 ) writes: on Sunday September 21, 2008 @09:04AM (#25092341)

When a electron leaves an excited state it emits a photon.
Thus explaining the origin of photon-crusted socks in the hamper.

Re:The reason why this is important (Score:3, Funny)

by David Gerard ( 12369 ) writes: <slashdot.davidgerard@co@uk> on Sunday September 21, 2008 @09:09AM (#25092359) Homepage

That was the sixties! The breasts were real then!

Re:No moths in outer space! (Score:3, Funny)

by Hognoxious ( 631665 ) writes: on Sunday September 21, 2008 @05:00PM (#25096571) Homepage Journal

You post on slashdot ... with a five figure user Id ... and you've had clothes that weren't polyester? Hand in your card!

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Naphthalene Found In Outer Space 180

Naphthalene Found In Outer Space More Login

Naphthalene Found In Outer Space

This is evidence of life. (Score:5, Funny)

Re:This is evidence of life. (Score:2, Funny)

No moths in outer space! (Score:5, Funny)

Re:Unbeknownst to many (Score:2, Funny)

OIL! (Score:5, Funny)

Re:me no RTFA (Score:5, Funny)

Re:me no RTFA (Score:5, Funny)

I didn't know anybody lost it (Score:2, Funny)

Re:Unbeknownst to many (Score:4, Funny)

Re:Another win for panspermia theory (Score:2, Funny)

Re:me no RTFA (Score:5, Funny)

Re:I don't believe it! (Score:4, Funny)

Re:OIL! (Score:5, Funny)

Re:This is evidence of life. (Score:5, Funny)

Re:I don't understand (Score:2, Funny)

Re:The reason why this is important (Score:5, Funny)

Re:No moths in outer space! (Score:1, Funny)

Re:No moths in outer space! (Score:5, Funny)

Re:OIL! (Score:0, Funny)

Re:Another win for panspermia theory (Score:2, Funny)

Re:This is evidence of life. (Score:4, Funny)

Re:This is evidence of life. (Score:5, Funny)

Re:OIL! (Score:5, Funny)

that explains it (Score:3, Funny)

Re:The reason why this is important (Score:5, Funny)

Re:The reason why this is important (Score:5, Funny)

Re:ummmm /confused (Score:3, Funny)

Re:The reason why this is important (Score:3, Funny)

Re:No moths in outer space! (Score:3, Funny)

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