Ammonia on Mars could mean life

BBC ^ | Thursday, 15 July, 2004, 12:50 GMT 13:50 UK | By Dr David Whitehouse

[Simmy2.5]

Pretty interesting news I've come across about Mars. Interesting that, other then the BBC, none of the other space sites I've gone to had this.

Which tonight, the 'brilliant' Richard C. Hoagland has something to say about this "censorship" on Coast to Coast. :-P

[RadioAstronomer]

Which tonight, the 'brilliant' Richard C. Hoagland has something to say about this "censorship" on Coast to Coast

LOL!

[bayourod]

Why does it signify life? Is it because baby sh*t smells like amonia?

[Damagro]

Ammonia may have been found in Mars' atmosphere which some scientists say could indicate life on the Red Planet

Ammonia could be a sign of urine on the planet.

[Paradox]

Mars, the angry red planet? Naw, just pissed off.

[BlazingArizona]

Ammonia may have been found in Mars' atmosphere...

Martians eat asparagus! Pass it on.

[hispanarepublicana]

So, Martians look like this:

[TheCrusader]

Amonia on Mars could mean ten thousand things other than the existence of little green Martians with antennae. These extra-terrestrial "scientists" will always find something to justify their research, because they are looking with severe prejudice, and they need continuous funding to prolong their hunt and pay for their BMWs.

[BipolarBob]

Ammonia could be a sign of urine on the planet.



Mars has been a regular pit stop of mine on the way back from interplanetary travel for some time. Little did I know I was leaving a false trail for science. I hope they don't waste too much money on this.
"One small leak for (a) man, one giant pisser of a boondoggle for mankind"

[JSteff]

"Why does it signify life? Is it because baby sh*t smells like ammonia?"

No, it is the urine that invariably comes with the sh*t that smells like ammonia.

[JSteff]

LOL! Thanks

[spokeshave]

Sandy Burglers socks.....No ....but I guess shrillaries pantsuit

[Damagro]

Did I hear you on Art bell? lol

[hemogoblin]

[GeronL]

... I never knew ammonia was a life form

[taxesareforever]

Why does it signify life? Is it because baby sh*t smells like amonia?

Good point. Or is it because it is derived from flatulence?

[JSteff]

No that is her unchanged "Depends" after a day on the floor of the Senate.

[jennyp]

Amonia on Mars could mean ten thousand things other than the existence of little green Martians with antennae.

Well, in light of what the article said, (I know, I know, nobody acutally reads the articles anymore) ...

The tentative detection of ammonia comes just a few months after methane was found in the Martian atmosphere. Methane is another gas with a possible biological origin.

Ammonia is not a stable molecule in the Martian atmosphere. If it was not replenished in some way, it would only last a few hours before it vanished.

One possibility the scientists have had to rule out is that the ammonia comes from the air bags of the failed Beagle 2 mission. Analysis has revealed that the suspected ammonia's distribution is not consistent with this explanation.

Life on Mars?

The importance of ammonia is that it is a compound of nitrogen and hydrogen.

Nitrogen is rare in the Martian environment but because no form of terrestrial life can exist without it, the presence of ammonia may indicate that Martian microbial life is hoarding it.

"There are no known ways for ammonia to be present in the Martian atmosphere that do not involve life," the Nasa scientist said.

... Lava deposited on to the surface, or released underground, could produce the gas.

But, so far, no active volcanic hotspots have been detected on the planet by the many spacecraft currently in orbit.

...what are some of those other possible "ten thousand things other than the existence" of life there that would be constantly giving off ammonia?

[SunkenCiv]

Mars has microbial life, it was detected by the Viking mission, but NASA has persistently denied this to this day. Now, when they really need a pretext to spend $400 billion (or more) to send a suicide missio- er, humans to Mars and (one would hope) back, they have to try ploys like this.

[TheCrusader]

"Ammonia is not a stable molecule in the Martian atmosphere. If it was not replenished in some way, it would only last a few hours before it vanished."

Right. It could also mean that the Martians are mass-producing Windex at a low inter-galactical price.

This whole 'life-on-Mars' hypothesis is based on the scientists' hope to prove their pet theory. Without being educated in science I can still say with absolute certainty that today's scientific 'facts' very often become tomorrow's follies when they learn more. If you research with an open mind you'll let your findings simply lead you to where they will. If you're goal is trying to prove that there is/was life on Mars then you'll hang on to whatever straw you can find, and allowing the detection of amonia to make you conclude there's life on Mars is just that, grasping at straws.

I wish them all good luck on their Martian hunt.