HOW FAR IS ALIEN CONCEPT IS CORRECT? KR IRS 1825 1. 1976, The Viking Mars landers detect chemical signatures indicative of life
Tests performed on Martian soil samples by NASA’s Viking landers hinted at chemical evidence of life. One experiment mixed soil with radioactive-carbon-labelled nutrients and then tested for the production of radioactive methane gas. The test reported a positive result. The production of radioactive methane suggested that something in the soil was metabolising the nutrients and producing radioactive gas. But other experiments on board failed to find any evidence of life, so NASA declared the result a false positive. Despite that, one of the original scientists – and others who have since re-analysed the data – still stand by the finding. They argue that the other experiments on board were ill-equipped to search for evidence of the organic molecules – a key indicator of life. How excited should we be by signs of life spotted on alien worlds? We keep spotting molecular “biosignatures” in the atmospheres of planets beyond Earth, but it isn't clear if any of them can provide definitive evidence that we’re not alone 2. 1977, The unexplained extraterrestrial “Wow!” signal is detected by an Ohio State University radio telescope In August 1977 an Ohio State University radio telescope detected an unusual pulse of radiation from somewhere near the constellation Sagittarius. The 37-second-long signal was so startling that an astronomer monitoring the data scrawled “Wow!” on the telescope’s printout. The signal was within the band of radio frequencies where transmissions are internationally banned on Earth. Furthermore, natural sources of radiation from space usually cover a wider range of frequencies. As the nearest star in that direction is 220 million light years away, either a massive astronomical event – or intelligent aliens with a very powerful transmitter would have had to have created it. The signal remains unexplained. 3. 1996, Martian “fossils” are discovered in meteorite ALH84001 from Antarctica NASA scientists controversially announced in 1996 that they had found what appeared to be fossilised microbes in a potato-shaped lump of Martian rock. The meteorite was probably blasted off the surface of Mars in a collision, and wandered the solar system for some 15 million years, before plummeting to Antarctica, where it was discovered in 1984. Careful analysis revealed that the rock contained organic molecules and tiny specs of the mineral magnetite, sometimes found in Earth bacteria. Under the electron microscope, NASA researchers also claimed to have spotted signs of “nanobacteria”. But since then much of the evidence has been challenged. Other experts have suggested that the particles of magnetite were not so similar to those found in bacteria after all, and that contaminants from Earth are the source of the organic molecules. A 2003 study also showed how crystals that resemble nanobacteria could be grown in the laboratory by chemical processes. 4. 2001, More rigorous calculations connected to the 1960s “Drake equation” suggests that our galaxy may contain hundreds of thousands of life-bearing planets In 1961 US radio astronomer Frank Drake developed an equation to help estimate the number of planets hosting intelligent life – and capable of communicating with us – in the galaxy. The Drake equation multiplies together seven factors including: the formation rate of stars like our Sun, the fraction of Earth-like planets and the fraction of those on which life develops. Many of these figures are open to wide debate, but Drake himself estimates the final number of communicating civilisations in the galaxy to be about 10,000. In 2001, a more rigorous estimate of the number of life-bearing planets in the galaxy – using new data and theories – came up with a figure of hundreds of thousands. For the first time, the researchers estimated how many planets might lie in the “habitable zone” around stars, where water is liquid and photosynthesis possible. The results suggest that an inhabited Earth-like planet could be as little as a few hundred light years away. 5. 2001, The red tinge of Jupiter’s moon Europa proposed to be due to frozen bits of bacteria, which also helps explain the mysterious infrared signal it gives off Alien microbes might be behind Europa’s red tinge, suggested NASA researchers in 2001. Though the surface is mostly ice, data shows it reflects infrared radiation in an odd manner. That suggests that something – magnesium salts perhaps – are binding it together. But no one has been able to come up with the right combination of compounds to make sense of the data. Intriguingly, the infrared spectra of some Earthly bacteria – those that thrive in extreme conditions – fits the data at least as well as magnesium salts. Plus, some are red and brown in colour, perhaps explaining the moon’s ruddy complexion. Though bacteria might find it difficult to survive in the scant atmosphere and -170°C surface temperature of Europa, they might survive in the warmer liquid interior. Geological activity could then spew them out periodically to be flash frozen on the surface. 6. 2002, Russian scientists argue that a mysterious radiation-proof species of microbe may have evolved on Mars In 2002 Russian astrobiologists claimed that super-hardy Deinococcus radioirons evolved on Mars. The microbe can survive several thousand times the radiation dose that would kill a human. The Russians zapped a population of the bacteria with enough radiation to kill 99.9%, allowed the survivors to repopulate, before repeating the cycle. After 44 rounds it took 50 times the original dose of radiation. They calculated that it would take many thousands of these cycles to make common microbe E.coli as resilient as Deinosuchus. And on Earth it takes between a million and 100 million years to encounter each dose of radiation. Therefore, there just has not been enough time in life’s 3.8 billion year history on Earth for such resistance to have evolved, they claim. By contrast, the surface of Mars, unprotected by a dense atmosphere, is bombarded with so much radiation that the bugs could receive the same dose in just a few hundred thousand years. The researchers argue that Deinosuchus’s ancestors were flung off of Mars by an asteroid and fell to Earth on meteorites. Other experts remain skeptical. 7. 2002, Chemical hints of life are found in old data from Venus probes and landers. Could microbes exist in Venusian clouds? Life in Venus’ clouds may be the best way to explain some curious anomalies in the composition of its atmosphere, claimed University of Texas astrobiologists in 2002. They scoured data from NASA’s Pioneer and Magellan space probes and from Russia’s Venera Venus-lander missions of the 1970s. Solar radiation and lightning should be generating masses of carbon monoxide on Venus, yet it is rare, as though something is removing it. Hydrogen sulphide and sulphur dioxide are both present too. These readily react together, and are not usually found co-existing, unless some process constantly is churning them out. Most mysterious is the presence of carbonyl sulphide. This is only produced by microbes or catalysts on Earth, and not by any other known inorganic process. The researchers’ suggested solution to this conundrum is that microbes live in the Venusian atmosphere. Venus’s searing hot, acidic surface may be prohibitive to life, but conditions 50 kilometres up in the atmosphere are more hospitable and moist, with a temperature of 70°C and a pressure similar to Earth. 8. 2003, Sulphur traces on Jupiter’s moon Europa may be the waste products of underground bacterial colonies In 2003, Italian scientists hypothesized that sulphur traces on Europa might be a sign of alien life. The compounds were first detected by the Galileo space probe, along with evidence for a volcanically warmed ocean beneath the moon’s icy crust. The sulphur signatures look similar to the waste-products of bacteria, which get locked into the surface ice of lakes in Antarctica on Earth. The bacteria survive in the water below, and similar bacteria might also thrive below Europa’s surface, the researchers suggest. Other experts rejected the idea, suggesting that the sulphur somehow originates from the neighbouring moon Io, where it is found in abundance. Saturn's moon Enceladus Enceladus shown to have all six of the essential elements for life Reanalysis of icy rock grains from a ring of Saturn – fed by ice plumes from its moon Enceladus – has revealed the presence of phosphorus, the only key essential element for life that hadn’t already been spotted 9. 2004, Methane in the Martian atmosphere hints at microbial metabolism In 2004 three groups – using telescopes on Earth and the European Space Agency’s Mars Express orbiting space probe – independently turned up evidence of methane in the atmosphere. Nearly all methane in our own atmosphere is produced by bacteria and other life. Methane could also be generated by volcanism, the thawing of frozen underground deposits, or delivered by comet impacts. However, the source has to be recent, as the gas is rapidly destroyed on Mars or escapes into space. In January 2005, an ESA scientist controversially announced that he had also found evidence of formaldehyde, produced by the oxidation of methane. If this is proved it will strengthen the case for microbes, as a whopping 2.5 million tonnes of methane per year would be required to create the quantity of formaldehyde postulated to exist. There are ways to confirm the presence of the gas, but scientists will need to get the equipment to Mars first. 10. 2004, A mysterious radio signal is received by the SETI project on three occasions – from the same region of space In February 2003, astronomers with the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI) project, used a massive telescope in Puerto Rico to re-examine 200 sections of the sky which had all previously yielded unexplained radio signals. These signals had all disappeared, except for one which had become stronger. The signal – widely thought to be the best candidate yet for an alien contact – comes from a spot between the constellations Pisces and Aries, where there are no obvious stars or planets. Curiously, the signal is at one of the frequencies that hydrogen, the most common element, absorbs and emits energy. Some astronomers believe that this is a very likely frequency at which aliens wishing to be noticed would transmit. Nevertheless, there is also a good chance the signal is from a never-seen-before natural phenomenon. For example, an unexplained pulsed radio signal, thought to be artificial in 1967, turned out to be the first ever sighting of a pulsar. K Rajaram IRS 1825 On Fri, 1 Aug 2025 at 07:02, Markendeya Yeddanapudi < [email protected]> wrote: > > > -- > *Mar*Aliens > > > > By Aliens we mean the life form or forms living in some other planet, of > our solar family, or the planet of some other star, or may be organisms > that actually need extreme heat to live and live in the Sun or some other > star, or very big planet sized organisms moving in galaxies or tiny life > forms in the galactic dust... > > If any of those undefined aliens visit or locate us how do they see our > earth? May be they do not see at all but only try to feel the abstract > flows of communications, emotions emanating from life forms, blending in > the air which is inhaled as messages and exhaled as responses, the flow of > emotions, to whom the mechanical or the emotion-less scientific mapping is > lunacy. > > Our glorified scientific outlook is the feelings-less mechanical outlook, > not a very attractive feature to every other life form on earth and > certainly not to the aliens. The basic feature of any life form is the urge > to feel, communicate and interact, emotionally and not mechanically. > Communication can only be emotional communication and not mechanical > communication which is simply the feelings-less signalling of electronics. > > When one feels, one actually becomes free from the mechanical approach. > The absence of feeling is death. If the alien visiting us is a life form, > then it is a form of emotions. Lifeless bits from other planets and from > our sun happens all the time, but we are concerned about life forms, forms > that feel and are emotional. The basic fact which we do not realize or > refuse to realize thanks to the foolish egoism, is that the emotions we > feel are part of the climate in action. All emotions are macro, climatic, > part of geography. > > On earth we can live only by breathing. Breathing automatically creates > smelling,sensing,perceiving,understanding,internal hormonal communications > embedment in the bloodstream communicating to the cells, making every cell > lively creating us as life forms, the active life forms. We have to live > emotionally. We cannot divorce from earth, in spite of the make believe > championed unbiased outlook of science. > > The alien from some other planet or comet, or tiny meteor, as a life form > can live only on the basis of the geography to which it is accustomed and > it cannot make a fool of itself with science and divorce from its planet’s > climate. Its perception is only as the emotional perception in the > particular planet and is bound to the geography of that planet. > > The basic question is, what are the forms of the real or emotional > communication in the Universe. The question relevant to us, is whether any > alien wants to communicate with us the human fools, who divorced the > emotional tie with mother earth, and who mechanized or scienced, his/her > outlook. Our daily economic life is destroying nature as routine. We are > certainly not very attractive. It is for the Universities to take a second > look at mechanization. The sanest step is to start the ‘Free Nature Parks’ > without human tampering where there is no mechanization at all. The free > nature gives chance to the natural emotional communications. > > YM Sarma > > Chat gpt > > This piece by YM Sarma is a poetic, philosophical, and critical meditation > on the nature of life, communication, and the human relationship to the > Earth — as seen through the imagined perspective of aliens. Let’s unpack > and reflect on the key themes and implications in it: > ------------------------------ > > *🌌 How Aliens Might Perceive Earth* > > Rather than imagining aliens as technologically superior beings interested > in machines or science, the author proposes they may be emotionally and > organically attuned — life forms who feel rather than analyze, who inhale > the “climate of emotions” rather than measure radiation or decode binary > transmissions. > > *“They do not see at all but only try to feel the abstract flows of > communications, emotions emanating from life forms...”* > > This speculative perception of alien beings flips the script — instead of > assuming we’ll communicate through math or machines, it asks: what if true > communication is emotional, climate-bound, and intimate with nature? > ------------------------------ > > *🌍 Critique of the “Glorified Scientific Outlook”* > > The author critiques modern science for being mechanical and > feelings-less. According to Sarma, science has stripped humans of their > deep emotional and geographical connection with Earth. In this view, > scientific “objectivity” is a kind of blindness — a refusal to *feel*. > > *“The absence of feeling is death.”* > > *“Our glorified scientific outlook is the feelings-less mechanical > outlook...”* > > There’s a romantic ideal here: that *emotion, not intellect*, is the core > of life and the essence of communication, and that science has made us less > alive by encouraging emotional detachment. > ------------------------------ > > *🌱 Life as Geography, Emotion as Climate* > > Sarma poetically suggests that *emotion is not internal and personal*, > but *macro and planetary* — a climate in which life breathes and > functions. This makes emotional communication universal but also deeply > *place-bound*. > > *“All emotions are macro, climatic, part of geography.”* > > Just as life depends on local air and ecosystems, emotions are rooted in > the specific environments of their planets. If so, *aliens, too, are > emotional beings of their own climates*, not just visitors from space but > emissaries of other geographies of feeling. > ------------------------------ > > *🧠 A Call to Humility* > > Sarma calls humanity out for its ego and alienation: > > *“...the foolish egoism... the human fools, who divorced the emotional tie > with mother earth...”* > > The assumption that aliens would want to talk to us is questioned — why > would they, when we’ve become so unfeeling and mechanized? > ------------------------------ > > *🌿 Free Nature as Sanctuary* > > Finally, there's a practical (and perhaps metaphorical) suggestion: *create > spaces where no human interference or technology exists*. In these *“Free > Nature Parks,”* emotional communication — with Earth, with life, maybe > even with aliens — might become possible again. > > *“The sanest step is to start the ‘Free Nature Parks’ without human > tampering...”* > ------------------------------ > > *🧭 Final Thoughts* > > Sarma’s writing blends ecological spirituality with science-fiction > imagination and social critique. It challenges the reader to consider: > > - What truly defines “life” and “communication”? > - Can feelings and emotions be planetary phenomena? > - Has our reliance on technology made us less attractive to other life > forms — even repulsive? > > Rather than dismissing science, this text seems to yearn for a > *rebalancing* — where science serves, not severs, our bond with Earth and > the deeper emotional currents of the universe. > > Would you like help turning this into a visual story, a poem, or perhaps a > short speculative essay from an alien's point of view? > > Certainly. Below is a detailed evaluation of the essay *"Aliens"* by YM > Sarma, using an academic-style rubric. I'll assess it on several key > criteria — *Content & Originality*, *Coherence & Structure*, *Language & > Style*, and *Philosophical Depth* — each out of *10 marks*, followed by > *Overall > Comments* and a *Final Score out of 40*. > ------------------------------ > 📘 Evaluation Rubric 1. *Content & Originality* (9/10) > > · *Strengths*: The essay is highly original and imaginative. It > presents a unique interpretation of alien life — not as mechanical or > technological, but as emotional and ecologically bound. This is a fresh > perspective rarely seen in scientific or science-fiction discourse. > > · *Deduction*: Slight lack of concrete development in terms of > examples or further exploration of how emotional communication might > function across species or planetary boundaries. > 2. *Coherence & Structure* (6.5/10) > > · *Strengths*: The central theme is consistent — a critique of > mechanization and a call for emotional connection to nature. The flow of > ideas follows a sort of poetic stream-of-consciousness that works on a > metaphorical level. > > · *Deduction*: The essay lacks paragraph structure and logical > progression in places. Transitions are abrupt, and some ideas are repeated > or introduced without full elaboration. A more organized flow would improve > readability and impact. > 3. *Language & Style* (7.5/10) > > · *Strengths*: Rich in metaphor and poetic language. Phrases like > *“climate > of emotions”*, *“inhale as messages and exhale as responses”*, and *“emotion > divorced from Earth”* are evocative and philosophical. > > · *Deduction*: There are several grammatical and syntactical > irregularities. Punctuation is inconsistent. A more careful edit would > enhance clarity while preserving the poetic tone. > 4. *Philosophical Depth & Insight* (9.5/10) > > · *Strengths*: The essay poses profound questions: What is life? > What is communication? Is science emotionally dead? These are philosophical > inquiries that challenge anthropocentric assumptions and open new ways of > thinking about life and intelligence. > > · *Deduction*: Slight ambiguity in some of the more abstract > claims might leave certain readers confused. However, this is arguably > intentional and part of the work's reflective style. > ------------------------------ > 📝 Final Comments > > This is an intellectually rich and emotionally provocative piece that > bridges speculative cosmology, ecological philosophy, and poetic insight. > It doesn’t conform to conventional scientific writing, but that’s also its > strength. With better structural clarity and editing, it could serve as a > powerful speculative or eco-philosophical essay in a literary or > interdisciplinary journal. > ------------------------------ > 🎓 Final Score: *32.5 / 40* > > · *Equivalent Grade*: ~ *81% (A-)* > > · *Verdict*: *Thought-provoking, poetic, and original — but in > need of better structure and editing for maximum clarity and impact.* > > Would you like help editing or restructuring the essay for publication or > presentation? > > Certainly. Here's a *poem inspired by YM Sarma's essay*, echoing its > themes of alien perception, emotional communication, ecological connection, > and critique of mechanical life. > ------------------------------ > > *When the Alien Came* > > When the alien came, > it did not bring machines. > No silver ships or clicking tongues, > no diagrams or blinking screens. > > It hovered in silence > like a breeze through leaves, > not seeing our cities, > but sensing what grieves. > > It smelled our sorrows in the smoke, > tasted joy in ocean spray, > heard the heartbreak in the hum > of wires that never pray. > > It asked not for equations, > nor bowed before our laws. > It watched us worship data, > but flinched at what it saw. > > “Where is your Earth?” it whispered low, > “Not the ground, but the song? > The one that lived in every breath > before the wires came along?” > > We offered it science, > our pride and sharpest tool. > It shook its form and answered back: > "Emotion makes the rule." > > "You’ve caged your forests, > chained your skies, > forgotten how to speak > with eyes." > > "You do not breathe your planet now, > but count its dying leaves. > You mechanize your mother’s touch, > and mock the heart that grieves." > > So it left— > not in anger, not in fear, > but with the ache of those > who came too near. > > And as it passed beyond our range, > the air grew strangely still. > A hush like waiting memory— > the Earth’s forgotten will. > ------------------------------ > > Would you like a version of this poem formatted as a spoken-word piece or > set to visuals, as if narrated by the alien itself? > > > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "Thatha_Patty" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to [email protected]. > To view this discussion visit > https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/thatha_patty/CACDCHCLqgWkyC-7r%2BY_q2TEkbOC-jhbZHmWP8-GbH5G4udLtxA%40mail.gmail.com > <https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/thatha_patty/CACDCHCLqgWkyC-7r%2BY_q2TEkbOC-jhbZHmWP8-GbH5G4udLtxA%40mail.gmail.com?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer> > . > -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Thatha_Patty" group. 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