NASA Researchers Claim Evidence of Present Life on Mars

Drudge Report | 16 Feb | edcoil

[battlecry]

You are soooo right!

[Lady Jag]

Don't let them kid you! The have photographic evidence, too. Just look!

[DoughtyOne]

...strong evidence that life may exist...

Yep, that confirms it! Break out the bottle of dust and we'll toast to this Tutor Turtle moment in time.

But Mr. Wizard... "Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh".

[ravingnutter]

NASA Researchers Claim Evidence of Present Life on Mars

They still haven't proved to me that there is any evidence of intelligent life at NASA.

[ColoCdn]

"I still don't understand why trace amounts of methane on Mars means life, but oceans of methane on Titan are natural."

You beat me to it. But, I suppose the stock answer has something to do with distance from the sun, temperature, etc.

Perhaps Mars has a significant number of underground cows?

[anniegetyourgun]

I've no doubt. "Maybe" is maybe not worth alerting the media....unless you're trying to drum up support!

[farmfriend]

Thanks for the ping. This is very interesting.

[DannyTN]

"If there is life on Mars, how do we go about exploring the planet without having a negative impact on that life? "

It's a big planet. Any impact we have will be negligible.

[BMIC]

ROFL at the image of flatulent Martian cows living underground! If only Bessie could've held that one in, we'd have never found them!

[bbbumble]

Who is the person in the picture with Sean?

[ColoCdn]

I can see the Martians hiding in their little caves as the Rovers pass by:

"Yornlkt, shut up. They're getting closer."
"I'm being quiet, Bcvinq, you shut up."
"No, you shut up."
"You shut up."
"No, you."
"You."

"Who farted? Oh, crap, the little thing with wheels just stopped!!! Way to go Yornlkt, you moron. There goes the neighborhood."

[thoughtomator]

No idea, I was just making a joke.

[armyman]

NASA Researchers Claim Evidence of Present Life on Mars

They must have found a sign that read "Future site of a Wal*Mart Supercenter"

[BurbankKarl]

I thought that was Jeri Ryan without make up.

[Liberal Classic]

Methane could be supplied by three sources: comet impact, volcanism and bacteria. Titan is thought to be geologically active, whereas Mars thought to be geologially inactive. On Mars, methane quickly oxidizes into water and carbon dioxide. Any detectable amount would need to be continuously replenished. On the other hand, Titan has an atmosphere which is neutral to oxidization or reduction, which would allow levels to build up over time.

[BurbankKarl]

Coast to Coast Ping List

Note: Richard Hoaglund described this a while ago...and said NASA was sitting on it.

[Perdogg]

Must be budget review time for NASA.

[RayChuang88]

Actually, given that there is still water trapped underneath the surface of the Martian soil, I think chances are good that low-level microbes--though at most up to bacteria level--are still living off the subsurface water and nutrients in the soil. This is based on the discovery of low-level life forms in places on Earth that technically should not support life, such as near deep-sea vents, in the polar regions, and deep underground.

This will push forward the inclusion of very sophisticated bioscience experiments on the Mars Science Laboratory lander that will arrive on Mars in 2009. MSL, unlike the current Mars Exploration Rovers, will be powered by a "nuclear" battery that will allow MSL to run for up to two years after landing. That means MSL could travel well over 200 kilometers (124 miles) during its operational lifetime looking for lifeforms beneath the Martian surface.

[DannyTN]

Thanks for the explanation.

So where does methane in comets come from?

If volcanism generates methane, that implies, that the mantle has methane. Wouldn't it be logical to assume that there is a slow seepage of methane from the mantle up through the ground?

[SedVictaCatoni]

Here, you might find this article useful on the topic.