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Life on Mars

danarhea

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NASA scientists believe they have found overwhelming evidence that microbes do exist on Mars, underneath the surface.

If, indeed, life does exist on Mars, then life must exist elsewhere in the Universe. As a matter of fact, life could very well be the norm for many solar systems. And, if life is confirmed on Mars, it would dash the theory that we are somehow unique. What I mean is that it would be foolish to think that, with all that space in existence, our infinitesimally small corner of that space is the only place where life exists.

NASA is going to announce their discovery at a news conference, which will be at 7PM tonight, and will be carried live on NASA TV.

Article is here.

NOTE: Want to find carbon-based life on other planets in other systems? Just look for the fart gas. :)
 
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I love this. It has already been proven mathematically life on other rocks in our universe exists. This great discovery will hopefully shut the non-believers up. Don't worry all you religious nuts, your Gods will survive, after all God is faith not scientific fact. "Onward science solidiers marching off to facts."
 
While I do think that some form of primitive life on Mars is highly likely, I'll wait for the actual announcement from NASA before I trust a tabloid like The Sun. ;)
 
If this is true, and we can compare its makeup to our DNA we could learn a great deal.

If its too similar, panspermia may become the dominant "origin of life on earth" theory. Too different and we learn a great deal about how else life could be, and open up new schools of thought on genetic engineering.
 
NASA won't be able to make any conclusive statements that life had been found this time around. NASA found methane. From The Guardian:

Scientists have detected methane on Mars before, but until now the evidence has been shaky. Nasa's work is impressively thorough and clearly shows vast clouds of methane emanating from the planet's north during the summer months.

Most creatures release methane when they break down food and turn it into energy. Sheep and cows burp it out. Lots of microbes do the bug equivalent.

But methane can be made by geological processes too. Huge amounts of the gas seep from deep ocean vents and from volcanoes without the help of life. What is intriguing is that for similar processes to do this on Mars, the planet must be far more geologically active than scientists thought.

Has Nasa found life on Mars? | Science | guardian.co.uk
 
If we discover microbes, is it ok if we go ahead and Terra Form the planet anyways?
 
**** man, I got six kids to feed!

Well in your case I suggest you stay back, until we can grow some crops there....:2razz:

I just hope that if we find microbes, it won't deter us from moving our species out amongst the planets/moons. Its kind of dumb to keep all our eggs in one basket, and I can totally see a group like PETM being formed(People for the ethical treatment of microbes).
 
Well in your case I suggest you stay back, until we can grow some crops there....:2razz:

I just hope that if we find microbes, it won't deter us from moving our species out amongst the planets/moons. Its kind of dumb to keep all our eggs in one basket, and I can totally see a group like PETM being formed(People for the ethical treatment of microbes).

Well, we do not know if they are pathogenic microbes, so we should probably hold back on the teraforming until we know that one for sure.



And the comment about 6 kids was from Total Recall. Thought you'd catch it. :doh
 
Well in your case I suggest you stay back, until we can grow some crops there....:2razz:

I just hope that if we find microbes, it won't deter us from moving our species out amongst the planets/moons. Its kind of dumb to keep all our eggs in one basket, and I can totally see a group like PETM being formed(People for the ethical treatment of microbes).

Cool! We'll have another planet to rape, pillage, and destroy! :2razz:
 
Well, we do not know if they are pathogenic microbes, so we should probably hold back on the teraforming until we know that one for sure.



And the comment about 6 kids was from Total Recall. Thought you'd catch it. :doh

Never saw that movie actually.

And sure, we'd need to study them first. But if they are dangerous to us, I declare a war on them.
 
Cool! We'll have another planet to rape, pillage, and destroy! :2razz:

The propogation of our species is more important than the sustainability of a planet. They are going to eventually be destroyed when the sun blows up anyway, we might as well exploit all the resources we can to move us into multiple solar systems.
 
If we discover microbes, is it ok if we go ahead and Terra Form the planet anyways?

Terraforming won't work with Mars. Its gravity is too weak to hold any kind of meaningful atmosphere.
 
Terraforming won't work with Mars. Its gravity is too weak to hold any kind of meaningful atmosphere.

Mars could theoretically support a stronger atmosphere if it had more greenhouse gases.
 
Well, we do not know if they are pathogenic microbes, so we should probably hold back on the teraforming until we know that one for sure.



And the comment about 6 kids was from Total Recall. Thought you'd catch it. :doh

I did. I was about to call you a mutant and a traitor.
 
All they found was methane. Here is the second sentence of the article

Nasa scientists say the emissions could have either a geological or biological source - as The Sun exclusively revealed today.
 
Is there a physical chemical reaction that makes methane? I was under the impression that it required a biological catalyst.

Almost every planet has methane on it, and most have several orders of magnitude more than Mars does.

Wiki
 
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