Mysterious red cells might be aliens

CNN ^ | June 2, 2006 | Jebediah Reed

[RWR8189]

As bizarre as it may seem, the sample jars brimming with cloudy, reddish rainwater in Godfrey Louis's laboratory in southern India may hold, well, aliens.

In April, Louis, a solid-state physicist at Mahatma Gandhi University, published a paper in the prestigious peer-reviewed journal Astrophysics and Space Science in which he hypothesizes that the samples -- water taken from the mysterious blood-colored showers that fell sporadically across Louis's home state of Kerala in the summer of 2001 -- contain microbes from outer space.

Specifically, Louis has isolated strange, thick-walled, red-tinted cell-like structures about 10 microns in size. Stranger still, dozens of his experiments suggest that the particles may lack DNA yet still reproduce plentifully, even in water superheated to nearly 600 degrees Fahrenheit . (The known upper limit for life in water is about 250 degrees Fahrenheit .)

So how to explain them? Louis speculates that the particles could be extraterrestrial bacteria adapted to the harsh conditions of space and that the microbes hitched a ride on a comet or meteorite that later broke apart in the upper atmosphere and mixed with rain clouds above India.

[WorkingClassFilth]

Proto-alien news.

[Redcloak]

Perhaps they are the remains of aerosolized Islamofascists who once resided in Iraq and Afghanistan. Pop off a MOAB when the wind is right, and who knows where bits and pieces of Mahmood could end up?

[Dallas59]

Alien life does exist....Intelligent?...Wellllll....

[Iwentsouth]

Lets see red rain falls on his house. Then he discovers alien life. Of course he dismisses all other possible theorys.

I claim he is a wackjob.

[Interesting Times]

Peter Gabriel saw it all coming...

red rain is coming down
red rain
red rain is pouring down
pouring down all over me

I am standing up at the water's edge in my dream
I cannot make a single sound as you scream
it can't be that cold, the ground is still warm to touch
this place is so quiet, sensing that storm

red rain is coming down
red rain
red rain is pouring down
pouring down all over me

well I've seen them buried in a sheltered place in this town
they tell you that this rain can sting, and look down
there is no blood around see no sign of pain
hay ay ay no pain
seeing no red at all, see no rain

red rain is coming down
red rain
red rain is pouring down
pouring down all over me

red rain-
putting the pressure on much harder now
to return again and again
just let the red rain splash you
let the rain fall on your skin
I come to you defences down
with the trust of a child

red rain is coming down
red rain
red rain is pouring down
pouring down all over me
and I can't watch any more
no more denial
it's so hard to lay down in all of this
red rain is coming down
red rain is pouring down
red rain is coming down all over me
I see it
red rain is coming down
red rain is pouring down
red rain is coming down all over me
I'm bathing in it
red rain coming down
red rain is coming down
red rain is coming down all over me
I'm begging you
red rain coming down
red rain coming down
red rain coming down
red rain coming down
over me in the red red sea
over me
over me
red rain

[A CA Guy]

Sounds like a super germ to me and they should get those all sealed up and away.

[Darksheare]

Don't look at me, I know it isn't my fault.

[Windsong]

The BEST horror film ever made, without a doubt.

(too bad his other films suck!)

[Yossarian]

Maybe Peter Gabiel can shed some light on this....

Red rain is coming down
Red rain
Red rain is pouring down
Pouring down all over me

I am standing up at the waters edge in my dream
I cannot make a single sound as you scream
It cant be that cold, the ground is still warm to touch
This place is so quiet, sensing that storm

Red rain is coming down
Red rain
Red rain is pouring down
Pouring down all over me

Well I've seen them buried in a sheltered place in this town
They tell you that this rain can sting, and look down
There is no blood around see no sign of pain
Hay ay ay no pain
Seeing no red at all, see no rain

Red rain is coming down
Red rain
Red rain is pouring down
Pouring down all over me

Red rain-
Putting the pressure on much harder now
To return again and again
Just let the red rain splash you
Let the rain fall on your skin
I come to you defences down
With the trust of a child

Red rain is coming down
Red rain
Red rain is pouring down
Pouring down all over me
And I cant watch any more
No more denial
Its so hard to lay down in all of this
Red rain is coming down
Red rain is pouring down
Red rain is coming down all over me
I see it
Red rain is coming down
Red rain is pouring down
Red rain is coming down all over me
Im bathing in it
Red rain coming down
Red rain is coming down
Red rain is coming down all over me
Im begging you
Red rain coming down
Red rain coming down
Red rain coming down
Red rain coming down
Over me in the red red sea
Over me
Over me
Red rain

---

Hmm, doesn't sound too good - People screaming, people mute, warm ground, defenses lowered, bodies buried, it stings, and it sure isn't blood - thanks for the head's up, Pete!

[Yossarian]

Blast! You beat me while I was looking up cover art and highlighting lyrics!!!!

[P.O.E.]

Last winter, Louis sent some of his samples to astronomer Chandra Wickramasinghe and his colleagues at Cardiff University in Wales, who are now attempting to replicate his experiments; Wickramasinghe expects to publish his initial findings later this year. ..... Louis's theory holds special appeal for Wickramasinghe. A quarter of a century ago, he co-authored the modern theory of panspermia, which posits that bacteria-riddled space rocks seeded life on Earth.

Or are they just out to sell a book? My skepticism aside, it's interesting nonetheless.

[NicknamedBob]

"Cells living on a comet? Does that make sense?"

In a Comet? Well, they were homeless, you know. It could'a been worse.

They could'a been living in a Yugo.

[Kirkwood]

Perhaps a mist of devil's blood from the very pit of hell thrown up by erupting volcanos?

[Fred Hayek]

Time to stock up on squeeze?

[Petronski]

Either that or insulin. ;O)

[null and void]

The original John Campbell story, "Who goes there?" was even better than the movie. (I really liked the movie, too)

[null and void]

Or we could just sob inconsolably...

[NicknamedBob]

"The original John Campbell story, "Who goes there?" was even better than the movie."

I agree. It's one of the few stories that had my heart actually racing as I read it. Pulse-pounding, literally.

[NicknamedBob]

" ... a mist of devil's blood from the very pit of hell thrown up by erupting volcanos ..."

What kind of stuff does it take to make a volcano throw up?

I guess if it's a young volcano -- say about college age ... I probably know the answer.

By the way, I know another answer too. If this stuff gets out of hand ... "antibodies!" (I got that one from Jim Kirk.)

[Judith Anne]

Just gave myself a shiver remembering some line from the Bible..."And a third of the seas turned to blood..." or some such.

Surpassing wierd. Fortean.

Hope it's harmless. ;-D