Earlier probe may have killed Martian life

MonstersandCritics.com ^ | 1/8/07

[Paddlefish]

Two 1970s-era Martian rovers may have discovered microbes but killed them by accident, U.S. and German researchers said.

Two scientists said the failure of NASA`s Viking probes to find life on Mars could have been based on how life was defined, the Seattle Post Intelligencer reported Monday. Life was defined as being based on water in the mid 1970s.

'It`s a plausible hypothesis that explains the Viking results quite well,' said Dirk Schulze-Makuch, an astrobiologist at Washington State University at Pullman, Wash. He and his German colleague, Joop Houtkooper of Justus Liebig University presented this theory during the American Astronomical Society meeting in Seattle.

Schulze-Makuch and Houtkooper said hydrogen peroxide detected by Viking could have come from killing Martian microbes that use hydrogen peroxide the same way humans use water. Chemical analysis was done by mixing samples with water. This would have lead to a chemical reaction in a microbe with hydrogen peroxide, killing it and releasing the peroxide.

Because of the cold conditions, Martian microbes might be expected to contain hydrogen peroxide because of its lower freezing point, he said.

[Paddlefish]

Maybe we could send a couple of rovers to the Middle East.

[edcoil]

said the failure of NASA`s Viking probes to find life

Because there is not any.

[RobRoy]

>>...could have been based on how life was defined...<<

DAMMIT JIM. I'M A DOCTOR, NOT A BRICKLAYER!!!

[Red6]

It's all America's fault!

[theDentist]

D.A. Nifong is already pressing charges.

[Gator101]

[Carl LaFong]

Buuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuushhh !!!!!!

[frogjerk]

Two scientists said the failure of NASA`s Viking probes to find life on Mars could have been based on how life was defined,

If we redefine life to be dirt and rocks, we were successful.

[PBRSTREETGANG]

So, we've already killed life on Mars?

The rest of the universe is now very, very afraid.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

Does John Edwards know about this ?

[Red Badger]

....based on how life was defined...hydrogen peroxide?

Depends on your definition of Fizz.......

[TommyDale]

The sad part is that Democrats will want sanctions against NASA for destroying life on Mars, which they hold more valuable than unborn children on Earth.

[Red6]

Add this to the list of how bad we are!

Cancer, Tsunami, Ozone hole, global warming, even the Middle East dictators and hunger in Africa, it's ALL our fault!

It must be true, the NYT's says so.

BTW, was Bush/Rove alive when the first Vikings landed?

[r9etb]

Dirk Schulze-Makuch ... and his German colleague, Joop Houtkooper

Which is German for "Biggus Dickus" and his wife, "Incontinentia Buttuckus."

[Jedi Master Pikachu]

Or Mars could simply be sterile.

[cripplecreek]

Maybe we could send a couple of rovers to the Middle East.

[ChuckShick]

Didn't the Six Million Dollar Man, Steve Austin, fight the Mars probe? Or was it the Venus probe?

[johnny7]

German-guilt being foisted upon America... soooooo typical!

[The Blitherer]

Schulze-Makuch and Houtkooper said hydrogen peroxide detected by Viking could have come from killing Martian microbes that use hydrogen peroxide the same way humans use water.

Ah, it's good to see the scientific process is alive and well.

Seriously, these guys are probably trying to get funding.

[Spruce]

Darn Vikings pillaging entire planets. Again.