Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Possible Evidence of Martian Bacteria

Posted by michael on from the obelisks-still-not-located dept.

half-seas-over writes "NASA issued a very interesting press release today. It highlights a recent study that compared tiny magnetite crystals in the Allan Hill meteorite to similar magnetite crystals that are created here on Earth by bacteria (who use the magnetite as a compass). The study (abstract available here (PDF) from this site) uses fairly strict criteria to determine that 25% of the magnetite content of the meteorite was created by ancient (>3.9Gyr ago) martian bacteria... either that or there is some strange natural process that makes very pure, isolated magnetite crystals that we haven't imagined or seen on Earth which is present on Mars. We'll have to wait and see what happens next, 'extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence' -Carl Sagan."

6 of 190 comments (clear)

  1. And so on by Dexter77 · · Score: 4, Funny

    ...
    "Martian bacteria leaks out of NASA lab"
    ...
    "Mutated animals sighted near NASA lab"
    ...
    "Strange disease spreads through continent"
    ...
    "President Bush announces state of emergency"
    ...
    "President Bush renounces state of emergency"
    ...
    "USA replaces national anthem with strange beeps and Coca-Cola switches water to sulphure dioxode in its drinks"

  2. Crystals by Subcarrier · · Score: 4, Funny

    Sprinkle some salt on your dinner and, no matter how careful you are, a little will always wound up on the table. -- JHVH, Day 7

    --
    "I have opinions of my own, strong opinions, but I don't always agree with them." -- George H. W. Bush
  3. "extraordinary claims..." by tlambert · · Score: 4, Funny

    "When you eliminate the impossible, whatever you have left, no matter how improbable, must be the truth." -- Sherlock Holmes ("The Beryl Coronet", Arthur Conan Doyle).

    Dueling quotes on deductive reasoning at dawn! I shall see you on the morrow, sir!

    -- Terry

  4. Alein Bacteria? by MadFarmAnimalz · · Score: 5, Funny

    How utterly boring. What happened to the 'superior intelligences' theory?

    NASA, we demand smart aliens, with tentacles and bug eyes and all. Don't you scientists read comic books?

    You're not doing your job. Bacteria? If these are the only aliens you can come up with then LOOK HARDER.

    Harumph.

    mutter mutter misappropriated tax dollars mutter

    --
    Blearf. Blearf, I say.
  5. I can see where all this leads... by Kobal · · Score: 2, Funny

    Why are they always looking for life on Mars? Quite simple. They're all self-centered chauvinists. Men are from Mars...

  6. Re:Easy tiger... by Tablizer · · Score: 3, Funny

    They have been going back and forth on this for a while now. It goes something like:

    1996: Maybe
    1997: Not
    1998: Maybe
    1999: Not
    2000: Maybe
    2001: Not
    2002: Maybe

    Grown men fighting over tiny bug poop.

    --
    Table-ized A.I.