It was a science fiction fantasy come true: Ten years ago this summer, NASA announced the discovery of life on Mars. Posted on 08/08/2006 8:48:31 AM PDT by Sopater
It was a science fiction fantasy come true: Ten years ago this summer, NASA announced the discovery of life on Mars.
At a Washington, D.C., news conference, scientists showed magnified pictures of a four-pound Martian meteorite riddled with wormy blobs that looked like bacterial colonies. The researchers explained how they had pried numerous clues from the rock, all strongly supporting their contention that microscopic creatures once occupied its nooks and crannies.
It was arguably the space agency's most imagination-gripping moment since Apollo. Space buffs and NASA officials said that it just might be the scientific discovery of the century.
"If the results are verified," the late Carl Sagan pronounced, "it is a turning point in human history."
Ten years later, the results have not been verified. Skeptics have found non-biological explanations for every piece of evidence that was presented on Aug. 6, 1996. And though they still vigorously defend their claim, the NASA scientists who advanced it now stand alone in their belief.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
So, there's no little green men?
If I understand this correctly, asteroids, comets, and meteors that hit the earth DO CONTAIN cosmic debris, including water and various elements.
The aforementioned meteor found in Antarctica was preserved on the frozen continent. The meteor from Mars left that planet after some form of catastrophic collision. The question concerning the bacteria is whether it is from earth or from Mars.
Scientists have studied the meteor and found the meteor is from Mars based on what we've learned about the planet. Because science cannot be 100% sure--by the very definition of science always learning--it is presented with an assumption (of a certain percentage) that the bacteria is Martian.
If the bacteria proves to be martian, the question scientists then ask is, how much of earth's life started on earth and how much came from some other planet, moon, star, or wherever? How much of earth's water came from earth and how much came from an impact from comets?
Bacteria does not mean there were Martians, just that Mars contains bacteria. It also makes it clear, if proven with greater certanty that bacteria is martian, that bacteria, viri, viroids, etc. could travel certain distances in so-called "lifeless" space.
Correct me if I'm wrong on anything here...
alas:
After 10 years, few believe life on Mars
AP on Yahoo | 8/5/06 | Matt Crenson - ap
Posted on 08/05/2006 8:08:08 PM EDT by NormsRevenge
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1678492/posts
Well, I'll tell you up front, I'm very skeptical of all of this, so you know. But, I really am curious what convinces these guys that this rock is from Mars...
Seems like a big assumption.
I saw a Discovery Channel program on it ...IIRC, the meteor was not anything found on earth but had the same composition as martian rocks, etc, we have on data.
it was a help ping from me. Thanks for the link.
I'm waiting for proof we have rocks from Mars on earth.
space ping
The only way to prove it one way or the other is to send some people there and get a boat load of rocks. Bring 'em back and put them under the microscope. We may just get lucky and find out. Anyone want to join me on that trip?
That is a good overview.
The main (initial) reason for the assumption that the meteorite (and a number of others) were from Mars was the location -- Antarctic. Polar impact on Earth was (for some reason, I dunno this stuff) considered to mean a Martian origin.
The composition of rocks from space shows affinities, implying common origins. But there wasn't much else to go on. The way these supposed Mars rocks got here was that they were blasted out by large impacts on Mars. :')
There were words of caution regarding the claims of fossil cellular structures in the rock, way back at that time. I remember reading secondhand that the whole thing was a piece of theater intended to push support for human missions to Mars, and that's where the bandwagon ended up.
Anything sufficiently energetic to kick rocks up out of Mars' gravity well might well be expected to wipe out any kind of fossil evidence. And if that wouldn't do it, ripping through the Earth's atmosphere would. :')
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