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Do we finally have proof of life on Mars?
www.dailymail.co.uk ^ | Updated: 13:36 EST, 16 December 2014 | By Jonathan O'Callaghan

Posted on 12/16/2014 11:00:01 AM PST by Red Badger

Unexplained methane spikes suggest bacteria is living on the red planet

Nasa scientists in California have revealed evidence for life on Mars They say methane spikes on the planet could be produced by bacteria And, at the moment, there is no better explanation for the spikes The signs were spotted briefly occurring by one of Curiosity's instruments Life is the chief producer of methane on Earth, although there are many non-biological processes that can also generate the gas But no such process could be ruled out during tests - suggesting there may be bacteria living on or under the surface of Mars In the past few months, conclusive evidence has been found that Mars once had water on its surface, but one greater question remains: Was there, or is there still, life on Mars as well?

Scientists may be on the brink of answering that question with an equally conclusive 'yes', as convincing evidence has been detected by Nasa's Curiosity rover.

An instrument on the rover identified spikes of methane that scientists believe may have come from bacteria-like organisms on the surface - and it could be the first alien life ever detected.

Previous satellite observations have detected unusual plumes of methane on the planet.

But none of these previous readings are as extraordinary as the sudden 'venting' measured at Gale Crater, where evidence suggests water once flowed billions of years ago.

Curiosity landed in the 96 mile-wide (154km) crater in August 2012 and has been exploring the region ever since.

(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...


TOPICS: Astronomy; Education; Religion; Science
KEYWORDS: mars; methane; nasa; space
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To: Red Badger

Short answer is “no”. Unless you just want to say yes because you have an agenda.


21 posted on 12/16/2014 11:22:48 AM PST by kjam22 (my music video "If My People" at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=74b20RjILy4)
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To: kidd
Organic material had been detected in 1982

On metors? Were they from Klendathu?

22 posted on 12/16/2014 11:23:08 AM PST by thackney (life is fragile, handle with prayer.)
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To: Keli Kilohana

Yes that’s entirely possible. Contamination via the probes we sent there may be one source. Another, is analogous: it’s possible that some meteors from earth landed on Mars, carrying with them bacteria from here.

These will remain viable alternative theories for the reason there is bacterial life on Mars (if it is ever found) until and unless the DNA from such life could be shown to be so exotic that there would be no way it originated here.

In other words the discovery of bacterial life on Mars will not be that groundbreaking in of itself. It will have to be demonstrated that such bacteria came to be and evolved separately and independently in the Martian biosphere. If that could be shown, that would be monumental.

Otherwise we could just be getting excited about some distant cousins of terrestrial bacterial species already known.


23 posted on 12/16/2014 11:24:40 AM PST by FourtySeven (47)
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To: Red Badger

They say methane spikes on the planet could be produced by bacteria And, at the moment, there is no better explanation for the spikes

Ah, the hubris of man. Just because we aren't aware of any other explanation means that there is no other explanation... at least until we discover another explanation.

24 posted on 12/16/2014 11:26:18 AM PST by caligatrux (Rage, rage against the dying of the light.)
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To: Red Badger

An instrument on the rover identified spikes of methane that scientists believe may have come from bacteria-like organisms on the surface - and it could be the first alien life ever detected.

...

First contact by flatulence.

SETI has been searching for the wrong signals all along.


25 posted on 12/16/2014 11:29:00 AM PST by Moonman62 (The US has become a government with a country, rather than a country with a government.)
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To: thackney

Organs?...............


26 posted on 12/16/2014 11:29:39 AM PST by Red Badger (If you compromise with evil, you just get more evil..........................)
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To: Red Badger

If they find it is caused by life, they better kill it before the greenhouse gas causes global warming.


27 posted on 12/16/2014 11:31:02 AM PST by wattsgnu
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To: Covenantor

28 posted on 12/16/2014 11:31:24 AM PST by Red Badger (If you compromise with evil, you just get more evil..........................)
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To: cripplecreek

29 posted on 12/16/2014 11:34:38 AM PST by BenLurkin (This is not a statement of fact. It is either opinion or satire; or both.)
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To: Red Badger



In the past few months, conclusive evidence has been found that Mars once had water on its surface, but one greater question remains: Was there, or is there still, life on Mars as well?

Definitely maybe.  
30 posted on 12/16/2014 11:34:53 AM PST by Bratch
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To: thackney

Organic in this sense means carbon-containing. It does not necessarily mean from life.


31 posted on 12/16/2014 11:36:24 AM PST by kosciusko51 (Enough of "Who is John Galt?" Who is Patrick Henry?)
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To: Red Badger

bump


32 posted on 12/16/2014 11:36:38 AM PST by GeronL (Vote for Conservatives not for Republicans)
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To: cripplecreek

WHere did that pic originate?.............


33 posted on 12/16/2014 11:38:24 AM PST by Red Badger (If you compromise with evil, you just get more evil..........................)
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To: cripplecreek

If anything, that pic proves that there are muslims on Mars..............


34 posted on 12/16/2014 11:39:36 AM PST by Red Badger (If you compromise with evil, you just get more evil..........................)
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To: wattsgnu

Yeah, we don’t want Mars getting warmer................


35 posted on 12/16/2014 11:40:20 AM PST by Red Badger (If you compromise with evil, you just get more evil..........................)
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To: Steely Tom

Scientists mostly accept (I think), that the the massive amounts of methane on other planets and moons is non-biological in origin. Yet they cling to the theory that well over 90% of the methane on Earth is biological, i.e., like all of other oil and gas, it is a “fossil fuel”. Yet we keep finding more and more of it... But the “fossil fuel” theory has been important to the Left as it supports the idea that we are running out of fuel and need to go “green” and ride bicycles and take the bus and so forth...


36 posted on 12/16/2014 11:40:22 AM PST by Stingray51
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To: Red Badger
 photo womanonmars_zps5618f095.jpg
37 posted on 12/16/2014 11:44:08 AM PST by RetSignman (Obama is the walking, talking middle finger in the face of America)
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To: Red Badger

IIRC, there are anaerobic bacteria here on Earth. Maybe a few colonies of them hitched a ride with our probe and, with no natural enemies on Mars, are in a population boom.


38 posted on 12/16/2014 11:49:44 AM PST by JimRed (Excise the cancer before it kills us; feed & water the Tree of Liberty! TERM LIMITS NOW & FOREVER!)
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To: BipolarBob

Good one!


39 posted on 12/16/2014 11:53:06 AM PST by exit82 ("The Taliban is on the inside of the building" E. Nordstrom 10-10-12)
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To: Red Badger

some years back I recall hearing a lady claim to have visited Mars in the spirit and said there is a subterranean society of humanoids inhabiting the planet. What ever it was she took to go on that trip had to be better than LSD. However, that would explain the presence of methane.


40 posted on 12/16/2014 11:54:03 AM PST by drypowder
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