OT - "major" space science discovery to be announced Monday

Submitted by superstringer on

A big-name US astrophysics research center has a "major discovery" to be announced Monday afternoon:

http://www.space.com/25066-major-astrophysics-discovery-announcement-monday.html

I scanned some blogs and, aside from jokes (like, "the aliens who stole the Malasian airplane"), there's no consensus of what the announcement will be.  Some of the possibilities:

-- An Earth-like planet -- something around Earth's mass, in the "habitable zone" of a star

-- Confirmation of the "multiverse" theory, which would hugely change our perception of just what "is" the universe

-- The nature of dark matter and/or dark energy, which if true would be like instant-Nobel prize for whomever figured it out.  Although, this particular center isn't likely to be home to that kind of discovery; that's more theoretical than observational.

OR THE HOLY GRAIL:

-- Confirmation of alien life detected via signals.

That last one would be so ridiculously huge, there's a suspicion no one could keep it under wraps.  You'd need it confirmed ten and twenty times over, and by then, someone would spill the beans.  And it probably wouldn't just be a "major discovery" -- it wuold be something like, "OMG THIS IS SO FRICKIN HUGELY IMPORTANT Y'ALL BETTER GET YOUR BUTTS HERE TO LISTEN ON MONDAY."  That's a couple degrees above "major."

Any guesses?

kdhoffma

March 14th, 2014 at 2:31 PM ^

Earth like planet seems the most plausible. Dark matter/energy or multiverse discovery would be huge but my hunch is the discovery is less theoretical in nature. As for intelligent life, not only would it leak beforehand, I imagine it would get primetime billing rather than midday on a Monday.

Blueto

March 14th, 2014 at 2:32 PM ^

This is reminescent of another similar "Stay Tuned for Important Announcement" From the Astrophysics community a few months back and then the next day it was like "never mind''.

I can't remember the specifics. Hope this is something really cool this time. The multiverse theory makes my tummy queezy, so I hope it's not that.

DH16

March 14th, 2014 at 2:54 PM ^

It was NASA saying they found evidence of organisms that utilized a mechanism using arsenic instead of carbon-based compounds to live. Study was basically wrong, that's why it disappeared. They released results prematurely and more analysis ruled out that hypothesis.

mgobaran

March 14th, 2014 at 2:38 PM ^

The Andromeda Galaxy is actually a lot closer and moving a lot faster than we previously thought. And we have like 2 months to live...

AND GOODBYE COLLEGE DEBT! WOOOO!

a2_electricboogaloo

March 14th, 2014 at 3:19 PM ^

If/when andromeda and the milky way collide, they stars in the. Are so spread out that there likely would be no collisions between any two stars of either galaxy. So if they did merge it probably wouldn't affect anything on earth until things settled down and the chimed galaxy became an elliptical galaxy and stellar fusion sped up.

Danwillhor

March 14th, 2014 at 8:03 PM ^

Right about the likelihood of any two stars colliding but it's as much if a certainty that Earth will not survive the "collision" or merger. In all likelihood, Earth will be flung about wildly and have many impacts and/or be flung as if shot out of a gravity cannon in some direction. Even then, our Sun will have scorched Earth and all life on it before that happens. So, if humans get their shit together and stop fighting over the many things we fight over, don't destroy ourselves with nukes, do survive natural Earth changes over time, don't get hit by an intergalactic body that kills us and etc, we only have about 1.5 - 2 Billion years to live on Earth. Or, rather, GET OFF and far away from the Earth haha. It's why I wish humans could just come together now and stop the B.S. as the technology to do so is just so far beyond our capability. We may need every bit of that 2 billion years or human beings will go out quietly as if we never existed. Basically, SCIENCE! Forget the dumb shit. Science Now!

Pit2047

March 14th, 2014 at 2:39 PM ^

the middle two discoveries would be WAY bigger than the confirmation of alien life which is almost ceratinly a possibility and its an almost mathematical impossibility that we are alone in the universe.

mgobaran

March 14th, 2014 at 2:47 PM ^

Wouldn't that make is just as mathematically impossible that two alien lifeforms would find each other then? It is still a big deal if there is confirmation or interaction between two different advanced life forms.

Champeen

March 14th, 2014 at 2:47 PM ^

Absolutely agree.  Alien life out there big news?  Not to me.  I believe it is naive to believe there isnt.

Habital Planet less than 12 parsecs away so the milenium falcon can make it there within a lifetime?  Bingo.  Got to be that.

celtic586

March 14th, 2014 at 2:45 PM ^

"Time travel is possible" so I can go back to 2007 and warn the Michigan players about Appalachian State and to not get stoned before the game.  Thing is, would we retain our memory or would we actually go back to being in the moment of 2007, unaware that we traveled back?  Maybe I'll go all the way back to prevent Bill Martin from being hired as AD.   

markusr2007

March 14th, 2014 at 2:53 PM ^

In that universe, Debord, English and Carr are still yucking it up before kick off and all the players respond to your pleas with "oh sure!" and "yeah right!".

The worst part of the nightmare is when QB Armanti Edwards takes his helmet off after the victory, and OMG that's  not Armanti, that's Denard Robinson!!! OHHHFFUUUUUUUUUUU........AHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!

 

DY

March 14th, 2014 at 2:54 PM ^

 if Bill Martin isn't hired as AD it stands to reason John Beilein isn't hired as basketball coach. Then we'd still have a decaying footbal program and shitty basketball program.

French West Indian

March 14th, 2014 at 2:56 PM ^

...we already know that aliens exist and that they are working with the survivin Nazis to covertly control America.  In fact, aliens have been visiting earth and cultivating homo sapiens for millenia.  That's a given.  Although there has been some speculation that 2014 is the year of an "alien" event, fwiw.

If NASA wants to make a major announcement then they should just admit the the moon landing was staged with the help of Stanley Kubrick.  Then maybe some of their credibility would be restored.  In the meantime, I'd be carefully of trusting any of their propaganda.

Danwillhor

March 14th, 2014 at 8:17 PM ^

Don't find Kaley Cuoko all that attractive (she isn't going to age well.....like Sally Struthers level bad as you can already see it) but the ultra nerd banging the high pitched voice, huge boobs blonde? Fuuuu off, lol. Not saying smart guys don't get any but they had to "ugly/nerd her up" and she is still hotter than the generally viewed hotter Cuoko. Blossom is blegh but actually very smart IRL. I don't know, the idea of the one guy nailing Cuoko then some cute Indian chick is one thing but then the uber-nerd (that would die a virgin IRL) nailing the still hot blonde even after ugly'n her up? Nope. Nerds of their level bang other nerds and, in my experience, maybe 1% are in the average guy's "habitable zone", let alone hot, ha. Not a good show, IMO.