Giant Cloud of Methanol Found in Space 104
kakos writes "Astronomers have recently discovered a giant cloud of methanol in our region of the Milky Way Galaxy. The cloud measures 463 billion kilometres across. Study of this cloud could lead scientists to a greater understanding of how star formation occurs. Furthermore, the abundance of organic molecules in interstellar space could also shed light on the chemical origins of life."
Post Petroleum economy solved! (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Post Petroleum economy solved! (Score:4, Funny)
Re:Peak oil shmeak oil (Score:1)
By "it" I meant that Americans really think that...
-:sigma.SB
Re:Post Petroleum economy solved! (Score:1)
Re:Post Petroleum economy solved! (Score:1, Flamebait)
"Despite the fact that legal drugs were less dangerous" should read "despite the fact that legal drugs are arguably more dangerous."
Re:Post Petroleum economy solved! (Score:3, Informative)
There's no "arguably" about it. Both alcohol and tobacco are demonstrably more dangerous than marijuana.
Re:Post Petroleum economy solved! (Score:1)
I presume you are referring to the damage to personal health, and in that respect, marijuana doesn't do well either.
Coming to the conclusion that one is better than the other is just wrong.
Re:Post Petroleum economy solved! (Score:2)
Re:Post Petroleum economy solved! (Score:1)
Re:Post Petroleum economy solved! (Score:2)
Re:Post Petroleum economy solved! (Score:1)
As far as effect on life, well, that depends. If one is able to receive a clean free supply of heroin, it probably has no effect on their life either.
MODS: The TRUTH is not a troll... (Score:2, Offtopic)
Re:MODS: The TRUTH is not a troll... (Score:2)
Re:MODS: The TRUTH is not a troll... (Score:1)
Re:Post Petroleum economy solved! (Score:1)
All joking asside though, we know now why Bush is in such a hurry to get to Mars, and further, I guess.
Re:Post Petroleum economy solved! (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:Post Petroleum economy solved! (Score:2)
In my opinion, the easiest solution is just to legalize and regulate marijuana (in the same way as alcohol), and stop caring what variety of hemp the farmers are growing.
Re:Post Petroleum economy solved! (Score:2, Interesting)
Of course, those who are paying attention will know that there was a big push in the early 20th century to outlaw many drugs which were legal but which were causing major social problems (complicated by the fact that technically speaking, Congress doesn't have the authority to regulate such things. Which is why Timothy Leary actually succeeded in making marijuana legal in the late 60s; but I digress).
The guy who was in charge of such things, the nation's f
Mod parent up (Score:1)
Re:Post Petroleum economy solved! (Score:2)
Parent is not a troll. It is documented history.
Scientists described the cloud (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Scientists described the cloud (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Scientists described the cloud (Score:2, Informative)
Fire Up the Engines! (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Fire Up the Engines! (Score:2)
Re:Fire Up the Engines! (Score:1)
The state of general knowledge. (Score:5, Funny)
Other than jokingly, I wonder how many people thought "Cool, space booze!"?
Re:The state of general knowledge. (Score:1, Informative)
H
HCOH - methanol
H
H
HCH - methane
H
Re:The state of general knowledge. (Score:1, Funny)
Re:The state of general knowledge. (Score:2)
Re:The state of general knowledge. (Score:1)
Take heart... no one (at least at the time of this post) has confused methanol/methane/menthol with Mentos.
Re:The state of general knowledge. (Score:2)
Re:The state of general knowledge. (Score:2)
Comment removed (Score:5, Funny)
Read parent before posting drinking jokes, please (Score:2)
Old news... (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Old news... (Score:2)
Dreams (Score:3, Funny)
Re:sorry (Score:1)
Oh. Methanol, not methane. (Score:2, Interesting)
-ccm
Re:Oh. Methanol, not methane. (Score:4, Interesting)
Re:Oh. Methanol, not methane. (Score:1)
if it cant be stable, need something to be constantly producing it:
- a huge cloud of interestellar bacteria
- a huge junkyard for organic waste
- may be is an accident, like the oil in our seas (may be a organic fuel, methanol is a good fuel too)
- or may be a small planet there is pumping all it out (solar system scale contamination)
Alert the neocons ! (Score:4, Funny)
Reminds me of Captain Janeway (Score:3, Funny)
Origins of life my foot (Score:2)
Re:Origins of life my foot (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:Origins of life my foot (Score:5, Interesting)
The chances of two random atoms interacting is middling to fair. Biatoms will readily form molecules, especially since the simplest atom is hydrogen which will happily pair up with another of itself. The chances of two different molecules interacting closely enough to react is very low. On earth we need dense solutions with a heat source to get a reaction to happen. The chances of interaction to produce a cloud of particles is very low, though with the amount of stuff out there you can understand how it happens. The chance of getting reaction of enough molecules in one way to produce enough of one kind of product to show up on a spectrometer is fantastically small. Note that the article doesn't say "methane and methanol", which would be more expected from reaction with carbon in a hydrogen-rich environment; and if you mix oxygen and methane together in an attempt to get methanol, you'll get the lower-energy products of carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide and water.
Re:Origins of life my foot (Score:3, Interesting)
oops, forgot an H (Score:2)
CH4 + H2O -> CH3OH + H2
I feel like a Yorkshireman, losing H's like this...
Martinis anyone? (Score:5, Funny)
And who says there's no God...
Re:Martinis anyone? (Score:1)
Re:Martinis anyone? (Score:4, Funny)
Re:Martinis anyone? (Score:1)
Re:Martinis anyone? (Score:2)
WMDs! (Score:1)
Help me? (Score:3, Funny)
Maybe the desnity is indicated somewhere in the article... should I read the article? This is Slashdot, no way!
Their problem our benefit? (Score:1)
I knew it (Score:1)
Anyone ever notice... (Score:4, Insightful)
It's kind of starting to get on my nerves.. oh well..
Re:Anyone ever notice... (Score:1)
Re:Anyone ever notice... (Score:1)
Re:Anyone ever notice... (Score:1)
Re:Anyone ever notice... (Score:1)
Fry-kun's post could lead us to a greater understanding of
Re:Anyone ever notice... (Score:3, Insightful)
Has it occured to you that Astronomy is trying to answer the Really Big Questions (tm)? These are fundamental questions about the nature of the Universe, not just nose-picking. Also, the discovery of vast amounts of such
Re:Anyone ever notice... (Score:2)
It's Melllvar!!! (Score:1, Funny)
It is I!
[Everyone gasps and looks up. Above them is a hovering, green cloud.]
BENDER
Whoa! What a cheesy effect!
MELLLVAR
I am not an effect! You doubt my power?
BENDER
I do.
[Melllvar zaps Welshy with a bolt of lightning and he falls over.]
WELSHY (shouting)
Aye!
[Fry runs to him and holds him.]
FRY (screaming)
Welshy!
No surprise (Score:1)
Methanol in space... (Score:1)
...is that considered free as in Beer?
Nope, (Score:2)
(CH3+ + OH- => CH3OH)
I'd like to send a rocket (Score:2)
What they don't say.... (Score:4, Informative)
Methanol? (Score:2, Funny)
Re:Methanol? (Score:2)
Why? So you can pass out again?
Re:Methanol? (Score:1)
somebody really dropped a big one ... (Score:2, Funny)
Sorry. Forget I said that. Sorry
Re:somebody really dropped a big one ... (Score:2)
Where? I can't see it (Score:1)
1.) Am I the only one who could not see the cloud in the picture?
2.) I like how they added "Methanol is not suitable for human consumption".
News? (Score:2)
Chewin' the cud (Score:1)
Just imagine... (Score:2)
Oh my god we're all gonna die! (Score:1)
Giant methanol cloud... (Score:1)
Okay, (Score:2)
Zqykyqhjjjayzyyxx, I'm looking at you!