I can’t believe no one here is talking about this . . . :o
http://www.nasa.gov/topics/universe/features/astrobiology_toxic_chemical.html
A few people were talking about it at work. Arsenic as a building block of life…? Similar in size and just below phosphorus.
To me it is an indication or further evidence that life is probably everywhere- wherever it can get a toe-hold so to speak. I’m not even surprised by this.
No, it’s not really surprising since it’s long been theorized if only on a sci-fi level, but its really exciting to finally have some proof that different elements can be substituted for basic building blocks and still have functional biochemistry. 
Say, perhaps, silicon having the same valence as carbon?
Even a weazletoe-hold?! Now that’s scary!! (Life without pants!!!)
See and this to me is why I love things like NASA. Critics always complain we spend too much money (when really, we spend a pathetic amount on NASA), but we get some bad ass shit out of it and efforts that give us national pride!
I agree completely, Drew. The amount we spend on basic research is pathetic now days. If we don’t do basic research we will never find the next big thing.
I won’t go any further than to point out that the Patent and Copyright systems need to go back to the original limits they had or private industry will not do any really unique work out of fear of infringement.
I’ll go have a political argument with the voices in my head now 'cuz it doesn’t belong here.
I was really hoping they were going to announce that we had made contact with the galactic central government and they were on the way to eat our leaders. 8)
Paul
Cue the Reverend to explain why…
No, I won’t get this thread moderated…but you know what I’m thinking.
I’m looking forward to the Wikileak that has the UFO stuff in it. That’s one of the future planned releases of documents.
I’d love to see more funding for research obviously, it’s hard to come by. ;D
I’m writing two grants now to try to get funded for after I graduate. And that’s to work on disease stuff, not the super cool beer research I want to be doing. There’s no money there :-\
On top of that my wife is a contractor for NASA so we need to fund it more or there will be a brewer who will have to go back to life behind a computer screen, and that would truly be travesty.
Dunno, there’s a LOT of money being made brewing and selling beer…
I bet if you come up with some serious increases in efficiency or reduction in production times BMC would want to talk to you…
i great comic on the subject
That’s not exactly the “the super cool beer research I want to be doing”