5 Reasons Mars May Have Never Seen Life

Forbes ^ | 11/15/12 | Bruce Dorminey

[LibWhacker]

On Aug. 28, 2012, during the 22nd Martian day, or sol, after landing on Mars, NASA's Curiosity rover drove about 52 feet (16 meters) eastward. The drive imprinted the wheel tracks visible in this image. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

After decades of following the water, the reality that “life as we know it” may never have gotten a foothold on Mars’ surface, at least, has arguably taken root within the planetary science community.

If life ever was or is lurking on the Red planet, it’s been extremely coy about revealing itself.

The recent news that the Mars Curiosity rover has thus far detected no Methane is reminiscent of the frustration that followed the still contentious 1996 announcement that the Alan Hills Mars meteorite (ALH 84001) showed evidence of microfossils.

Thus, in the spirit of proving the negative, here are five reasons why Mars may have always been barren.

1. No evidence of organic molecules on Mars

“Barring methane [which is a hydrocarbon], there’s never been a single organic molecule found on Mars,” said David Catling, a planetary scientist at the University of Washington in Seattle, who stresses that he remains scientifically agnostic about the whole Mars life issue. “If life had been present, you would expect something to be left behind. If you put a bag of coal out in the rain, even in our oxygen-rich atmosphere, it’s still going to stick around quite a while.”

2. Too much Carbon Monoxide (CO) — hundreds of parts per million in the Martian atmosphere

“I have to work hard to invent stories where life can be on Mars and not eat that Carbon Monoxide (CO),” said...

[aimhigh]

#1 reason..... God didn’t create life there.

As a six day creationist, I'm not threatened by discovery of life on another planet. It's not inconceivable that God created a universe full of life.

[SunkenCiv]

my responses by the number:

1. No evidence of organic molecules on Mars

   As the writer admits in the article, methane has been detected, and the Viking bio experiment showed that there is microbial life in the soil, or at least there was at the site of the Viking probe.

2. Too much Carbon Monoxide (CO) -- hundreds of parts per million in the Martian atmosphere

   the atmosphere is not very dense, and the Viking experiment involved subsurface sampling.

3. Lack of nitrates in Martian soil

   that objection is ludicrous -- even assuming Martian life to be identical with life on Earth, the Martian atmosphere is thin, and has barely any nitrogen even by percentages, and the necessary oxygen is much scarcer than that. [*]

4. Lack of abundant liquid water and a long-lived stable environment

   As on Earth, there's a long-lived stable environment, just not on the surface of Mars. I do agree that liquid water exists as a transient event associated with impacts from space.

5. Too much molecular Hydrogen (H2) early in Mars' history

   that's another one that makes little sense -- even assuming that Martian life is identical to Earth life.

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks aimhigh, well said.

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks BL, it’ll be fun to go, depending of course on how one enjoys oneself.

[oh8eleven]

What is minimized, if not ignored, by SETI enthusiasts ...
Is the fact that God may really exist - something they will go to the ends of the Universe to try and prove false.

[SunkenCiv]

All of those are not reasons at all — they merely state that, we are on Earth and know there is life here. It’s no more valid than saying, extraterrestrial intelligence couldn’t develop unless they have exactly five fingers on exactly two hands.

[Salman]

Where does it say in the Bible there is no life on Mars?

[oh8eleven]

NASA is primarilly an organization of curious scientists/craftsmen ... and a LOT has come from space exploration,
These scientists are no different than all the scientists sucking down grant money to prove globull warming. Free money.
I'm curious about a lot of things too, I just don't ask someone else to pay for my "adventures."
BTW, I respectfully disagree that a lot has come from the space program. I was as enthusiastic as anyone, but after about 10 years of the Space Shuttle that was it for me.
It continued for another 20 years and all we the taxpayer got in return was the bill.

[Eaker]

but after about 10 years of the Space Shuttle that was it for me.

Good point.

What was the Space Shuttle's Teflon?

[mowowie]

I find it interesting how NASA purposely excludes certain obvious scientific instruments on their probes and rovers in order to justify their next multi-gazzilion dollar contraption.
Nice scam those guys got going on...

[djf]

I agree. I can’t figure that one either.

With CCD tech the way it is these days, they could have easily fit in a microscope and a vial of water, taken a few samples, and snapped 5,000 200X photos.

I know if I take samples from just about anywheres outside and look you see something swimming around.

And the whole “the weight, the crushing weight, we can’t afford another one pound instrument...” that argument is history.

Almost like they left it off intentionally...

[stillonaroll]

As I recall, the times I’ve made a duplicate post is when I’ve clicked on “post” an extra time, thinking I had not clicked the right place, when in fact FR was still loading.

[BenLurkin]

There will be a golf course there...someday.

[count-your-change]

““It’s going to be hard to tell without going there with a team of astronauts and a deep drilling rig,” said Kasting. “But my gut feeling is that Mars doesn’t have, and never did have, life.”

Believing that there is no life on Mars, that there never was life on Mars, admitting that there is no indication for either is sufficient reason to go there and see. Brilliant!

Next NASA will explore the question, “If there is no life on Mars, where do Martians come from?”

[TomasUSMC]

NOW I say this.......if you wanna find intelligent life on Mars, put men on it. (Provided they aren’t democrats).

[SunkenCiv]

Yes, and I haven’t been doing that. It is a software problem.

[SunkenCiv]

Do they have to come back? Because if not, I could make up a list of candidates.

[PoloSec]

LOL!

Another posible reason:

At one time the Dems did rush there to give them stuff for votes, and we know the rest of the story, no evidence of life on Mars.

[txrefugee]

These platinum-plated boondoggles keep NASA scientists at the public trough. That proves that there is no intelligent life among U.S. taxpayers.

[mtg]

There's probably 105 reasons ... but that won't stop NASA from spending - i.e. wasting - billions more taxpayer dollars to prove nothing.

You're absolutely right and they won't stop this wasteful spending until they run out of our money... all to try and prove there is no God. (make no mistake about it, that's the real reason they are trying desperately to find life elsewhere)