Paging Agent Mulder...

I do love extreme science, whether it's new life forms discovered in the shadow of Mount Everest, or undersea volcanoes brimming with mutant eels. Well, this one takes the cake: Red material that rained over India years ago turns out to probably be alien bacteria.

As Popular Science Reveals...

• the particles may lack DNA yet still reproduce plentifully, even in water superheated to nearly 600˚F. (The known upper limit for life in water is about 250˚F.)
• 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
• “If it’s true that life was introduced by comets four billion years ago,” the astronomer says, “one would expect that microorganisms are still injected into our environment from time to time. This could be one of those events.”

There are some attempts at down-to-earth explanations for the red rain, including my favorite, "a fine mist of blood cells produced by a meteor striking a high-flying flock of bats." But they don't hold up to scrutiny. Maybe there is a real explanation that does not involve alien bacteria. I think we should get Agent Mulder on it immediately!

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