OOT - WOW - compelling argument for ancient microbial life on Mars
Any other space geeks on the board? Duh, of course...
There are always lots of morons looking at photos from Mars Curiosity or Opportunity and going, see, that's a face of a person or a paw print, etc. But this is NOT one of those cases. This is being reported by a reputable scientiest who is not in the space sciences, but an Earth scientist, who saw something in Martian photos.
This one article linked below from space.com (a serious science news website, not a "sky is falling, we're being visited by aliens" shop) lays it out -- although its being reported elsehwere. Curiosity has photographed sediments in the Martian soil that look exactly like ancient sediments on Earth, all over the planet, formed by microbes living in wet environments. The number of similarities is striking and the alternative, non-life explanation would require extraordinary coincidence. The scientist discovered this after working for more than 20 years on Earth sediments, then she saw a picture from Mars last year and recognized instantly the shapes she was seeing. Other scientists -- like, NASA-type guys -- are saying, it's not proof, but it's really compelling.
http://www.space.com/28194-mars-rover-curiosity-photos-ancient-life.html
Spooky. But... utterly fascinating.
Will require a sample return mission to cut up the rocks in more detail, unless you can ship an electron microscope to the Martian surface. (Although, Elon probably already has those plans drawn up.)
January 8th, 2015 at 11:04 AM ^
This whole time I thought it was made of cheese.
January 8th, 2015 at 11:11 AM ^
along with Phobos and Deimos (Mars' moons). Mars itself is made of chocolate & peanut butter mousse.
January 8th, 2015 at 11:42 AM ^
No you idiot, the MOON is made out of cheese, not Mars. Mars is made out of candy bars.
January 8th, 2015 at 11:57 AM ^
...it's that girls go to Jupiter to get more stupider.
January 8th, 2015 at 1:11 PM ^
They should try going to knowledge to get more knowledge.
January 8th, 2015 at 5:54 PM ^
.YES.
January 8th, 2015 at 3:11 PM ^
January 8th, 2015 at 7:17 PM ^
January 8th, 2015 at 11:05 AM ^
Sooo...you're telling me to prepare for the alien invasion? Guess I better stock up on more guns. Stupid aliens trying to make my land.
January 8th, 2015 at 11:19 AM ^
January 8th, 2015 at 1:05 PM ^
If they start to get out of hand, we'll just get this generation's Spicoli to put them in their place.
January 8th, 2015 at 7:19 PM ^
January 8th, 2015 at 11:21 AM ^
January 8th, 2015 at 11:46 AM ^
Dont forget theyre gonna take yer job too
January 8th, 2015 at 12:01 PM ^
that's where that giant sucking sound is coming from! All this time, I thought it was Mexico. Or Ford Field. Who woulda guessed?
January 8th, 2015 at 3:14 PM ^
January 8th, 2015 at 11:06 AM ^
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January 8th, 2015 at 11:30 AM ^
Red Rocks
January 8th, 2015 at 11:36 AM ^
is in Colorado, not space...
January 8th, 2015 at 12:38 PM ^
January 8th, 2015 at 11:10 AM ^
Hes been there for years recruiting already.
January 8th, 2015 at 11:15 AM ^
coolest science articles that i've read this month. Very interesting discovery!
January 8th, 2015 at 11:17 AM ^
January 8th, 2015 at 11:38 AM ^
Oh they're here alright, but just to enforce the quarantine.
January 8th, 2015 at 11:40 AM ^
Mayyyybe they already do..... Ooooohhhhhh, ahhhhhhhh....
January 8th, 2015 at 1:15 PM ^
Unless we are the first ones to get smart or interstellar travel never got invented.
Or maybe we are the aliens and we got planted here by ancient travelers from the far away planet of Zyrklwizcx.
January 8th, 2015 at 11:23 AM ^
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January 8th, 2015 at 11:23 AM ^
Any good QB grad-transfer options to be had there? No? meh.
January 8th, 2015 at 11:24 AM ^
If the moon was made of BBQ spare ribs, would you eat it?
January 8th, 2015 at 11:40 AM ^
My favorite planet is the SUN!
January 8th, 2015 at 11:43 AM ^
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January 8th, 2015 at 11:26 AM ^
Would take an extraordinary coincidence also. The universe(s?) is/are so vast that almost anything is possible. The more we learn the more we realize we don't know.
January 8th, 2015 at 11:53 AM ^
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January 8th, 2015 at 12:42 PM ^
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January 8th, 2015 at 11:46 AM ^
great article and thanks!!
January 8th, 2015 at 11:48 AM ^
January 8th, 2015 at 12:42 PM ^
January 8th, 2015 at 11:52 AM ^
You can tell a source is at least somewhat reputable when they continually tell you "this suggests but does not prove." Good read.
January 8th, 2015 at 7:23 PM ^
January 8th, 2015 at 11:55 AM ^
to take a scoop and let us know?
if not, which one of you is volunteering to be the first space-bound fed-ex driver? we've got a package to pick up.
January 8th, 2015 at 12:23 PM ^
Saw this article recently, addressing the likelihood of life arising on its own. It suggests that where there is a warm, wet environment, life would be expected to arise automatically. If that's the case, in a planet that is the right distance from its star, and that has liquid water, we should be surprised, not to find life, but to not find it. Of course, it's still rudimentary, but now some chemists and others are looking at the study to see whether they could devise experiments to test the findings.
It's an interesting time to be alive.
January 8th, 2015 at 1:18 PM ^
January 8th, 2015 at 12:29 PM ^
Pretty neat stuff, as long as we don't have to worry about War of the Worlds type stuff.
That movie still scares me out of my freaking mind. The usual conundrum....are aliens friendly or are we going to be lunch?
January 8th, 2015 at 12:40 PM ^
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January 8th, 2015 at 3:15 PM ^
Neither. Aliens are disinterested. Earth will be demolished to make way for a new hyperspace bypass.
January 8th, 2015 at 12:38 PM ^
January 8th, 2015 at 12:41 PM ^
They confirmed methane on Mars as well.