[Red Badger]

Nasa scientists in California have revealed evidence that suggests there is life on Mars based on readings taken by the Curiosity rover (shown). They say methane spikes on the planet could be produced by bacteria. And at the moment there is no alternative explanation for the spikes

[Red Badger]

SPACE ping!......................

[BipolarBob]

I have a mental image of an astronaut on Mars with a defective space suit holding a sign “I can’t breathe!”.

[Covenantor]

It’s giant sand worm farts, gotta be. Sand worm mobility explains the spikes. A shoot and scoot kind of thing.

[Steely Tom]

Freekin' Titan is covered with actual oceans of methane. Where is the "life" there? It's -180°C on Titan's surface.

[bkepley]

I’ve never understood why they don’t have a powerfull microscope on board to look for life and prove it beyond doubt.

[thackney]

The low background level of methane detected by Curiosity can be explained by the sun's rays degrading organic material possibly deposited by meteors, said the Nasa scientists.

Metors carry organic material? From where?

[tbpiper]

Yes, the presence of scientific devices is proof that on Mars, there is evidence of life.

[Keli Kilohana]

Since Mars is no longer pristine (having been visited by numerous probes) couldn’t any bacteria have hitched a ride on one of the probes? That’s what scientists twenty years ago said about a Martian meteorite found in Antarctica. Remember? Slick Willie even said that they had found evidence of fossilized life in the meteorite from Mars. Now, he didn’t graduate from East Anglia University—but, his word is as good as the Gospel!

[WayneS]

Do we finally have proof of life on Mars?

No.

This discovery might be evidence of life on Mats, but Evidence of something should never be confused with proof.

[cripplecreek]

We're not really going to know one way or the other until we go there. Personally I think we will find it in caves and deep underground.

If there is life, it ain't smart.

[kjam22]

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

[caligatrux]

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.

[Moonman62]

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.

[wattsgnu]

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

[Bratch]

• 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?

---

Definitely maybe.  

[RetSignman]

[JimRed]

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.

[drypowder]

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.

[rfreedom4u]

So a bacteria is considered life but a baby in the womb is just tissue. What a crock of crap.

[GreenAccord]

I’ve said it before, and it applies beautifully here: If there was a 1 minute old fetus on Mars, there would no argument that life existed on Mars. Therefore, a one minute old fetus is undeniably Life, answering the commonly asked question, when does life begin?