The Indirect Case For Life On Mars

Deinhard writes "Space.com is reporting that '[a] pair of NASA scientists told a group of space officials at a private meeting here Sunday that they have found strong evidence that life may exist today on Mars, hidden away in caves and sustained by pockets of water.' It is all based on methane signatures and not direct observation. Now plans for using the Genesis Device on Mars are out ... unless this is just a particle of preanimate matter caught in the matrix."

Comments

Re:Nonbiological methane production

[exp(pi*sqrt(163))]

the only way we will find out for sure is to actually go there in person

This is a patently false statement. I can name any number of scenarios that would make us sure there was life on mars without requiring a person landing there. Anything from a microscope on a Mars rover showing as a picture of a microrganism to it returning a photograph of a sign saying "KEEP OUT".

Re:Nonbiological methane production

[Daniel Dvorkin]

IIRC, Mars is geologically (or "areologically," if you prefer) dead -- obviously it had significant volcanic activity a long time ago, as evidenced by Olympus Mons, but none that we've ever detected going on now or in the recent past. So fluctuating methane levels, while they don't demand a biological explanation, certainly seem to point that way.

Oh, please

[Reality Master 101]

Jeez, this is so transparent. Translation:

"Because know any sort of possibility of life on other planets is a hot button, we'll pull this theory out so that we can beg for funding."

It's all about getting more funding, and justifying what they have.