An interesting BBC podcast about Jupiter's moon Europa.

[Guest]

 

2010: A Space Odessy to Europa.

A BBC podcast. 2010 was a sequel to Arthur C Clark's famous 2001: A Space Odessey. It's about a return mission to Jupiter. They findife on Jupiter's moon Europa. In reality we think that there might be. A mission to Europa is planned.How exciting is that?

Hope you like it.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/b00qf5wp

 

 

Edited October 15, 2021 by Guest
Added text.

[HiveIndustries]

It's just so darn optimistic. It seems like when we take a step back and ask the question, "ok but really, what is the likelihood we find life anywhere else in the solar system" the answer is almost universally "near 0" from serious scientists unless you're specifically looking for it.

I think there's a lot of strange and wonderful things about this universe and we're about as rare as a Quasar. Not alone, but seeing as we have the perfect planet for life and it arose exactly once, the idea that it happened on other celestial bodies with significantly less favorable conditions for (organic) life seems unrealistic. I dunno, I like that it keeps people excited about space and keeps rockets launching but beyond that, the idea that we're actually going to find life itself is so so so far-fetched in my head.

I could be way more convinced of a Venusian or Martian genesis that got snuffed out than I can of Europa but whatever lands rovers on surfaces!

[JohnF-R]

I remember listing to another bbc doc with Brian Cox and the interesting takeaway for me was; life has been found everywhere on earth, even in places never touched by sunlight. As such life seems to be as inevitable as nuclear fusion given the right ingredients , sufficient warmth and time.

 

 Whether a moon can tick these three boxes is anyone’s guess, time being the most questionable topic.

 

i also firmly believe we will never find anything of consequence relying on rovers. A human on Mars could’ve done all the work of all the rover’s (20 years now?) within a long weekend. Never mind what could simply be found plunging a spade into the Martian surface.

 

 So for me, rovers are Penny rich but pound poor. now is the time for astronauts!