Life on Mars? Let there be light ... - GoFuckYourself.com

ADL Colin · 02-02-2005, 03:17 AM

There is life on Mars, a researcher has announced at a conference - unfortunately it is just spaceship-borne contamination.

"I believe there is life on Mars, and it's unequivocally there, because we sent it," Andrew Schuerger of the University of Florida told the Lunar and Planetary Science Conference in Houston, Texas, recently. He has been granted funding from NASA's planetary protection office to help develop better sterilisation techniques for future missions.

Schuerger says that of all the space probes sent to Mars, only the two Viking craft in 1976 were adequately heat sterilised. The procedures used for all missions since then, including NASA's twin rovers and Europe's Beagle 2, would have left some microbes aboard.

After testing whether terrestrial organisms can survive simulated Martian conditions and the procedures used to sterilise spacecraft, he reckons there is a good chance some made it to Mars and might still be living there.
Shrinking drops

If a spacecraft's surface is made of a material that repels water, any water on the surface collects into droplets that shrink as they dry, concentrating the microbes and helping them survive.

Most Earth bugs that hitch-hiked to Mars would probably perish quickly, but it is not a certainty.

Images and chemical evidence from the current orbiter and rover missions suggest that briny, acidic water may have existed for a long time in Martian soil. Some kinds of acid brine could be liquid even under today's frigid conditions, so Earth organisms might just find their way to a moist environment where they could grow.

"They are probably not going to survive in 200 kelvin conditions and in sulphuric acid," says Jeff Kargel of the US Geological Survey, who believes that ponds and marshes of acidic brines are possible or even likely on Mars today.

But, he adds, "Maybe they could. And maybe we've just done a really terrible thing."

vivency-AdamQ · 02-02-2005, 03:23 AM

i dont know why they are bothering with life on mars. it would be extremely hard to live there.... they should spend their time finding a planet similar to ours to which we can migrate when ours gets nuked to shit.

GatorB · 02-02-2005, 03:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vivency-AdamQ

i dont know why they are bothering with life on mars. it would be extremely hard to live there.... they should spend their time finding a planet similar to ours to which we can migrate when ours gets nuked to shit.

Well Mars is the closest thing to Earth we are going to find and be able to get to. A spacecraft 100X times faster than what we could now build would still take 500 years to get to the nearest star outside our solar system. It would be much faster to teraform Mars than to try to get to another solar system.

sonofsam · 02-02-2005, 03:50 AM

alright... cliffnotes anyone?

BradM · 02-02-2005, 03:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sonofsam

alright... cliffnotes anyone?

We dropped shit off on mars when the probes landed. They could grow, but probably not.

Mefo · 02-02-2005, 04:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GatorB

Well Mars is the closest thing to Earth we are going to find and be able to get to. A spacecraft 100X times faster than what we could now build would still take 500 years to get to the nearest star outside our solar system. It would be much faster to teraform Mars than to try to get to another solar system.

yup it's pretty much impossible to find anything better right now

02-02-2005, 03:17 AM	#1
ADL Colin Too lazy to set a custom title Join Date: Feb 2001 Location: Tube Titans, USA Posts: 11,929	Life on Mars? Let there be light ... There is life on Mars, a researcher has announced at a conference - unfortunately it is just spaceship-borne contamination. "I believe there is life on Mars, and it's unequivocally there, because we sent it," Andrew Schuerger of the University of Florida told the Lunar and Planetary Science Conference in Houston, Texas, recently. He has been granted funding from NASA's planetary protection office to help develop better sterilisation techniques for future missions. Schuerger says that of all the space probes sent to Mars, only the two Viking craft in 1976 were adequately heat sterilised. The procedures used for all missions since then, including NASA's twin rovers and Europe's Beagle 2, would have left some microbes aboard. After testing whether terrestrial organisms can survive simulated Martian conditions and the procedures used to sterilise spacecraft, he reckons there is a good chance some made it to Mars and might still be living there. Shrinking drops If a spacecraft's surface is made of a material that repels water, any water on the surface collects into droplets that shrink as they dry, concentrating the microbes and helping them survive. Most Earth bugs that hitch-hiked to Mars would probably perish quickly, but it is not a certainty. Images and chemical evidence from the current orbiter and rover missions suggest that briny, acidic water may have existed for a long time in Martian soil. Some kinds of acid brine could be liquid even under today's frigid conditions, so Earth organisms might just find their way to a moist environment where they could grow. "They are probably not going to survive in 200 kelvin conditions and in sulphuric acid," says Jeff Kargel of the US Geological Survey, who believes that ponds and marshes of acidic brines are possible or even likely on Mars today. But, he adds, "Maybe they could. And maybe we've just done a really terrible thing." __________________ Adult Date Link - $50 PPS starting NOW! -- good and JUICY! skype = "adultdatelink"

02-02-2005, 03:23 AM	#2
vivency-AdamQ Confirmed User Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 462	i dont know why they are bothering with life on mars. it would be extremely hard to live there.... they should spend their time finding a planet similar to ours to which we can migrate when ours gets nuked to shit. __________________ MSN/E-Mail: [email protected] (Always online) AIM: thnbic (Rarely online) ICQ: 88990969 (Very rarely online)

02-02-2005, 03:50 AM	#4
sonofsam Too lazy to set a custom title Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Vancouver Posts: 18,638	alright... cliffnotes anyone? __________________ I like turtles.