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Earth NASA Science

Complex Life Found Under 600 Feet of Antarctic Ice 237

Posted by timothy
from the planted-by-von-braun-in-1967 dept.
Chroniton writes "NASA ice scientists have found a shrimp-like creature and a possible jellyfish 'frolicking' beneath 600 feet of solid Antarctic ice, where only microbes were expected to live. The odds of finding two complex lifeforms after drilling only an 8-inch-wide hole suggests there may be much more. And if such life is possible beneath Earth's oceans, why not elsewhere, like Europa?"
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Complex Life Found Under 600 Feet of Antarctic Ice More

Complex Life Found Under 600 Feet of Antarctic Ice

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  • only problem (Score:4, Interesting)

    by khallow (566160) on Wednesday March 17 2010, @05:41PM (#31515806)

    And if such life is possible beneath Earth's oceans, why not elsewhere, like Europa?

    Because Europa is not Antarctica. We get it. Life can live in ice-covered oceans and it can even be complex. This is all idle speculation until someone actually probes Europa to see what's under there.

  • Europa is not the same (Score:2, Interesting)

    by Capt.Albatross (1301561) on Wednesday March 17 2010, @05:46PM (#31515876)
    These creatures probably depend on free oxygen to live, which comes from plant life on the unglaciated parts of the Earth's surface. This is not an argument against the possibility of life on Europa, it is an argument against assuming that the environment under Europa's ice is as life-friendly that under Antarctica's.

  • Re:Europa is not the same (Score:3, Interesting)

    by John Hasler (414242) on Wednesday March 17 2010, @05:49PM (#31515914) Homepage

    > These creatures probably depend on free oxygen to live, which comes from
    > plant life on the unglaciated parts of the Earth's surface.

    How did the oxygen get down there?

  • Re:Why NASA? (Score:3, Interesting)

    by Mindcontrolled (1388007) on Wednesday March 17 2010, @05:55PM (#31515996)
    I guess they want to refine their extreme environment exploration techniques locally before they try it out somewhere out there. Weren't techniques for the moon landings rehearsed in the highland deserts of Iceland? Perfectly reasonable in my opinion.

  • Re:only problem (Score:2, Interesting)

    by linzeal (197905) on Wednesday March 17 2010, @06:02PM (#31516094) Homepage Journal
    The question is where did life evolve first in the solar system or did it evolve somewhere else first and was transported here. If panspermia is correct and life can be transported over past the ISM between star systems it is likely any place in the galaxy that is hit by this ' stuff ' will have life.

  • Surely nuclear subs have been there? (Score:3, Interesting)

    by CdBee (742846) on Wednesday March 17 2010, @06:20PM (#31516316)
    I understand that Nuclear submarines have been under the North polar ice cap many times, surely someone's sent one under the Southern ice sheets by now? Obviously the continent would get in the way of going too far under but even so.....

    I wonder if the relevant governments would be willing to release confirmatory data.

  • Re:only problem (Score:4, Interesting)

    by DigiShaman (671371) on Wednesday March 17 2010, @06:51PM (#31516646) Homepage

    Some say that life on Earth started (and evolved) around hydrothermal vents where there is no sunlight. The get their energy through a process known as chemosynthesis. If true, life on any ocean bearing planet could become common if not expected. Going to Europa will change those odds one way or another.

  • Re:I'm just sayin... (Score:2, Interesting)

    by General Wesc (59919) <slashdot@wescnet.cjb.net> on Wednesday March 17 2010, @07:50PM (#31517182) Homepage Journal
    It's been hotter, most likely, but we can be pretty sure that it hasn't had the same energy inputs as the Earth. Heat from the initial formation, yes (though more rapidly dissipating than it did from the much more massive Earth). Sustained, fairly consistent sunlight for billions of years? Not so much.

  • Europa this, europa that. (Score:2, Interesting)

    by Jazzbunny (1251002) on Thursday March 18 2010, @03:43AM (#31519858)
    I wonder why people always talk about possible life on Europa although for layman like me Ganymede seems better candidate: It's big as a planet, less radiation than Europa, molten iron core, water ocean, magnetosphere. All the good stuff and less of the bad.

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