Mystery surrounds red "alien" rain

[Xavie]

Very interesting. Regardless if it’s terrestrial or extraterrestrial it’s still very unique and hopefully there be more updates to the study.

[Kaiti]

Lol, thanks raptor, you're avatar's better though, but does that ever happen or did you edit that one?

[snuffypuffer]

Hmm, if there is no DNA then that means the offspring will bear no similar traits from the parent. This is very interesting.

Not necessarily. It means that the traits are passed down through other means aside from dna. Looking forward to knowing what this method is.

[Merreton]

No dna, but reproduces?? Hmm.. Very interesting. Maybe it's caused by some sort of chemical reaction or something -not sure, it could be anything. This is a study worth tracking.

i would like to point out that DNA is a strand/chain chemicals, just really really really long chain of said chemicals.

another point i have to make out possibly the cell wall is so thick that in itself contains the chemicals that allow it to reproduce.

[Bearly]

Maybe so; but my point was if there is 1 other structure besides DNA, why couldn't there be more? And it's not unknown for some things to lack DNA altogether, I'm sure these things are terrestrial.

A rough guess would be that they are extremophiles from the ocean, thrown in to the atmosphere by a submarine volcano.

There is no life form that biology currently knows of that does not have RNA (Virus) or DNA. But you are right. If a different life form could evolve on a different planet in space, why not also on earth in and extreme environment like a volcano or ocean vents? They have already found unexpected life forms there.

Good job Raptor of thinking outside the box

[jpjoe]

i would like to point out that DNA is a strand/chain chemicals, just really really really long chain of said chemicals.

another point i have to make out possibly the cell wall is so thick that in itself contains the chemicals that allow it to reproduce.

true. according to the study journal, these "cells" do have very thick walls. they even have a pic of it.

i personally dont know the complete composition of the red rain. but if it did come from an underwater volcano, it should contain some other elements from the sea, maybe plankton reidues?

im assuming that their drinking water is free from those cells. unless they dont have a water treatment facility. -"aliens" growing inside us. then they will eat you, inside out.

Edited May 31, 2006 by jpjoe

[Pandora7321]

Is it just me, or shouldn't there be more attention focused on this? Seems like having some unknown organism, with no DNA, raining down on people, somehow replicating, and getting into peoples drinking water....SHOULD BE A BIG DEAL.

We know NOTHING about it, other than what I just listed above. It's like no one cares anymore.....you know? We're all so distracted, um, distracted,.......oh wait, I have to go watch Paris Hilton dress her dog.....that's hot.

[Raptor]

It is a big deal among researchers, but they've released hardly any information so the media has lost interest.

At Cardiff University, Wales, Chandra Wickramasinghe is convinced that the "cells" are biological but of a very unfamiliar nature. The three cells shown here are about 3 micrometers in diameter, with thick cell walls and a variety of nanostructures within a membrane, but with no identifiable nucleus. Image: © Cardiff Centre for Astrobiology, Cardiff University.

Link

i personally dont know the complete composition of the red rain. but if it did come from an underwater volcano, it should contain some other elements from the sea, maybe plankton reidues?

Possibly, but they could well be offspring of another generation of cells that came from under the sea, infact that's probably more likely; in which case they would be seperated from the dead plankton and other elements. Remember that the colour of the rain is caused by algal spores which could suggest that they had been on the ground before.

[jpjoe]

According to what I have read on the journal, both algal spores and fungi (inc bat blood and arabian dust) have been dismissed.

[Raptor]

^The cells themselves have been dismissed as algal spores, but there were definetely algal spores present in the rainwater which made the rain red.

[frogfish]

but there were definetely algal spores present in the rainwater which made the rain red.

red algae.

[jpjoe]

could you kindly post a link to your source? i wish to read more about it..

cause this is quite contradicting to the journal released on jan06. accdg to the official scientific report, the red color was due to the cells themselves. and that, in some parts of kerala wherein there was a high concentration of these cells, the rain almost resembled blood.

the sample w/c was obtained from a diff. location by the researchers became lesser in red pigmentation, since the dust (accdg to them) already settled at the bottom of the vessel.

Edited June 4, 2006 by jpjoe

[Raptor]

This report has lots of information: http://www.geocities.com/iamgoddard/Sampath2001.pdf

Conclusion

The coloured rainwater samples collected from Changanacherry were studied. The colour was found to be due to the presence of a large amount of spores of a lichen-forming alga belonging to the genus Trentepohlia.

Edited June 4, 2006 by Raptor X7

[jpjoe]

ok, i have just finished reading and briefly comparing both studies.

Louis (assumes that the cells are of non-terrestrial origin) focuses more on how these cells are distributed through rain water, and what the cells' physical characteristics are. (the typical physicist) Unlike sampth's team, which focused more on the biological nature of the cells, wherein they were able to culture the cells, thus conclusion of the cells belonging to genus Trentepohlia.

Louis argues that 50tons of these cells (if it did come from earth) would be impossible to lift within only a few hours thoughout hundreds of square kilometers into the atmosphere.

bit similar problem with sampath's team. their dillema, how was it possible for lichens (where the alleged "cells" come from) to simultaneously release their spores into the air. there should be some sort of stimuli for this type of reaction. they said that, further study is needed on the lichens' life cycle.

even though louis used sampath's study as reference (as mentioned on his journal), he was not able to completely conclude that these cells are not of genus Trentepohlia.

personally, i think louis' lack of knowledge in the biological field and biased interpretation of the phenomenon (since he's been an advocate of panspermia for almost 25yrs) is the downside of his study.

obviously, i need to research more about Trentepohlias. plus, there many other points to argue. but so far, to ridiculously combine the two studies -Trentepohlia spores come from outerspace.

anyway raptor, i hope u update us on the research going on in wales.

Edited June 4, 2006 by jpjoe

[ex infernis]

Link

[metacast]

Link

so what does this all mean?

are these spores repoducing in the clouds?

will they grow in cow sh**?

is it confirmed that it is red algae?

How long ago was this?

What did the locals think?

Is this related to any mellenium(sp) prophecy?

[crystal sage]

"A red rain phenomenon occurred in Kerala, India starting from 25th July 2001, in which the rainwater appeared coloured in various localized places that are spread over a few hundred kilometers in Kerala. Maximum cases were reported during the first 10 days and isolated cases were found to occur for about 2 months. The striking red colouration of the rainwater was found to be due to the suspension of microscopic red particles having the appearance of biological cells. These particles have no similarity with usual desert dust. An estimated minimum quantity of 50,000 kg of red particles has fallen from the sky through red rain. An analysis of this strange phenomenon further shows that the conventional atmospheric transport processes like dust storms etc. cannot explain this phenomenon. The electron microscopic study of the red particles shows fine cell structure indicating their biological cell like nature. EDAX analysis shows that the major elements present in these cell like particles are carbon and oxygen. Strangely, a test for DNA using Ethidium Bromide dye fluorescence technique indicates absence of DNA in these cells. In the context of a suspected link between a meteor airburst event and the red rain, the possibility for the extraterrestrial origin of these particles from cometary fragments is discussed. "

http://arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/0601022

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, July 31

IT'S official. The coloured rain in some parts of Kerala was caused by the fine dust thrown up by a disintegrating meteorite. The celestial body, passing at great speed, deposited the dust in the monsoon clouds, causing the downpour of colour.

Tracing the origin to meteorite dust -- and not the ``washing of dirty linen by Marxists beaten blue and black in the Assembly elections'' as joked by an intrepid Congress Member to the collective amusement of Parliament -- scientists S. Sampath and V. Sasi Kumar, however, said they were still at a loss to explain the loud bang which reportedly accompanied the rain.

According to a Centre for Earth Sciences Studies (CESS) statement, a eastward-bound meteor exploded over Changanassery town in central Kerala around 5.30 a.m. on July 25. The burning meteorite is estimated to have spewed out some 1,000 kg of fine dust into the atmosphere. This triggered a chain of events, involving yellow, green and even black rain in Palakkad, Kottayam, Ernakulam and Pathanamthitta districts. Yellow rain was reported from Chittar in Pathanamthitta district.

The CESS Director, M. Baba, said the initial findings were based on the physical analysis of the sediments found in the rain water sample obtained from Changanassery and information culled from the residents. The chemical analysis, expected to shed more light into the quirky episode, is in progress.

According to available information, the rain was normal on the previous day. But residents were jolted out of their sleep by ``a very loud noise'' in the wee hours of July 25. A few of them also saw a flash of light.

The red showers started three hours

http://www.hinduonnet.com/businessline/200...es/180125rn.htm

[crystal sage]

"Red rain could prove that aliens have landed

Amelia Gentleman and Robin McKie

Sunday March 5, 2006

The Observer

The following correction was printed in the Observer's For the record column, Sunday March 12 2006

In the article below, Dr Milton Wainwright was quoted as saying that red rain lacked DNA. Dr Wainwright has asked us to make clear that currently he has no view on whether red rain contains DNA and that it is physicist Godfrey Louis who is of that view.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

There is a small bottle containing a red fluid on a shelf in Sheffield University's microbiology laboratory. The liquid looks cloudy and uninteresting. Yet, if one group of scientists is correct, the phial contains the first samples of extraterrestrial life isolated by researchers.

Inside the bottle are samples left over from one of the strangest incidents in recent meteorological history. On 25 July, 2001, blood-red rain fell over the Kerala district of western India. And these rain bursts continued for the next two months. All along the coast it rained crimson, turning local people's clothes pink, burning leaves on trees and falling as scarlet sheets at some points.

Investigations suggested the rain was red because winds had swept up dust from Arabia and dumped it on Kerala. But Godfrey Louis, a physicist at Mahatma Gandhi University in Kottayam, after gathering samples left over from the rains, concluded this was nonsense. 'If you look at these particles under a microscope, you can see they are not dust, they have a clear biological appearance.' Instead Louis decided that the rain was made up of bacteria-like material that had been swept to Earth from a passing comet. In short, it rained aliens over India during the summer of 2001.

Not everyone is convinced by the idea, of course. Indeed most researchers think it is highly dubious. One scientist who posted a message on Louis's website described it as 'bulls***'.

But a few researchers believe Louis may be on to something and are following up his work. Milton Wainwright, a microbiologist at Sheffield, is now testing samples of Kerala's red rain. 'It is too early to say what's in the phial,' he said. 'But it is certainly not dust. Nor is there any DNA there, but then alien bacteria would not necessarily contain DNA.'

Critical to Louis's theory is the length of time the red rain fell on Kerala. Two months is too long for it to have been wind-borne dust, he says. In addition, one analysis showed the particles were 50 per cent carbon, 45 per cent oxygen with traces of sodium and iron: consistent with biological material. Louis also discovered that, hours before the first red rain fell, there was a loud sonic boom that shook houses in Kerala. Only an incoming meteorite could have triggered such a blast, he claims. This had broken from a passing comet and shot towards the coast, shedding microbes as it travelled. These then mixed with clouds and fell with the rain. Many scientists accept that comets may be rich in organic chemicals and a few, such as the late Fred Hoyle, the UK theorist, argued that life on Earth evolved from microbes that had been brought here on comets. But most researchers say that Louis is making too great a leap in connecting his rain with microbes from a comet."

http://observer.guardian.co.uk/world/story...1723913,00.html