Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Ammonia Could Indicate Life On Mars

Posted by michael on from the interplanetary-slime-mold dept.

Young Master writes "Just seen this story on good old Auntie Beeb, apparently traces of ammonia have been found in the Martian atmosphere. Ammonia doesn't last long on Mars, so it must be constantly replenished - it could be active volcanoes (none yet found), or it could indicate life..." Along with the detection of methane, Mars is starting to look a lot less dead than had been supposed.

4 of 409 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Underground lava seems more likely. by Ignignot · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Or maybe the microbes are like some of those anaerobic heat loving kinds they find in volcanic fissures here on Earth. Maybe the only place where life can survive is the volcanoes?

    --
    I submitted this story last night, and it didn't get posted.
  2. life indicates life by mattkime · · Score: 5, Interesting

    really the only indicator of life on mars that is going to convince me is....life on mars.

    i've been disillusioned by all the rumors since the face hasn't lead to any big breakthrough.

    http://www.matrixofcreation.co.uk/mars/face-on-m ar s.gif

    --
    Know what I like about atheists? I've yet to meet one that believes God is on their side.
  3. A recurring theme by Sean80 · · Score: 5, Interesting
    I myself wouldn't be in the least surprised if they found life on Mars.

    Again and again, life has proven itself to be a real beyutch to kill. Bottom of the sea near lava vents. Antarctic wastelands which are the driest places on earth. I believe I once read about viruses which had survived in space for years as well.

    I think the notion of panspermia (if I have the terminology correct) - that life first arrived on Earth after having been blown off the surface of Mars by an impacting meteor - is one of the most interesting theories out there.

  4. Re:Christian fundamentalists will end NASA by synaptic · · Score: 5, Interesting

    I'm not a Christian but I know a lot of them.

    I think it's far more likely that Christians will say "see, God is omnipotent and created life there too".

    You've got a couple different types: the ones that believe the bible is the end all, be all, written word of the almighty God himself; and the ones who believe the bible is something of a history book, with some metaphorical science sprinkled in genesis and whatnot.

    Your second group is likely to believe that the so-called God, in creating the heavens and earth, is responsible for our entire universe and any other life that may exist. The first group will tell you the Earth is 6,000 years old, dinosaurs never existed, and the rest of the universe has no life and is otherwise unimportant.

    It's the first group that fights against the theory of evolution, but I think both groups (and me) are concerned about the ethical implications of stem cell and cloning research. I've heard that we no longer have to murder babies to harvest the stem cells -- something about taking it from umbilical cords. That's a good first step.

    It's better to be extra careful when fiddling with the very keys to our existance. Does this mean this research shouldn't continue? No. But I'll be pretty pissed (until I'm dead), if some airhead in a lab makes a mistake and wipes out mankind.