In the first half of the show, the surprising scientific announcement about the discovery of an arsenic eating life form in Mono Lake, CA was discussed. After a brief report from Linda Moulton Howe, with audio from NASA astrobiologist Pamela Conrad, space researcher Robert Zimmerman joined the program. He characterized the Mono Lake microbe as an extremophile-- an organism that thrives in conditions that would be detrimental or impossible to survive for most other life forms. Also of interest was the journalistic hype that surrounded the pre-release of the story, he commented, with too much speculation and misinformation being spread by reporters. For more, see Zimmerman's blog entry, When journalism runs wild.
In the second hour, Richard C. Hoagland posed the question-- "Is it possible that this is an actual extraterrestrial life form which happened to find its right niche in Mono Lake after falling down from the skies?" He further suggested that today's announcement could be part of NASA's plan to lay out a foundation before declaring the existence of extraterrestrial life.
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In the latter half of the show, researcher Tom Horn discussed the blistering pace of genetics and transhumanism, and how the technology could usher in a new genetic arms race. Over the last 2 years, statements by the Pentagon have described the "human enhancement revolution" as being right around the corner. He expressed concern over how biotech and robotics are transforming today's military, comparing the development to a new era of the Nephilim-- the beings written about in the Bible, who were involved in what he called the "contamination of human genetics."
Horn cited the work of the late Terence McKenna who foresaw a technological singularity in which human brains would be altered, creating a permanent pathway for contact with other-dimensional beings. A war is coming between "a new species of unrecognizably superior humans" and the current humans, as well as havoc created by the building of synthetic deities, known as artilects, he added.
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The search for life on other worlds just got more interesting, when scientists announced today they had trained microbes (pictured) to eat arsenic, in lieu of phosphorus-- one of the elements considered essential for life. This opens up the intriguing possibility that organisms could exist with biochemistry that is alien to us. More here.